Briefly: AT&T loyalty minutes, shareholder proposal, Verizon iPhone traffic

Posted:
in iPhone edited January 2014
AT&T is offering 1000 rollover minutes to loyal customers in hopes of staving off defections to the Verizon network, and an Apple shareholder voting proposal calling for a majority vote to reelect board members has gained support from three prominent advisory services. Also, a new carrier tracking service estimates Verizon iPhone network traffic already accounts for more than 3 percent of all US iPhone-based traffic.



AT&T rollover



Reports emerged Friday that AT&T is offering 1000 rollover minutes as a customer appreciation promotion. Though initial reports suggested that the offer was only for iPhone customers near the end of their contracts, numerous AT&T customers without iPhones claim to have been approved for the bonus minutes.



Customers activated the promotion by texting "Yes" to the number "11113020." Processing of the bonus minutes could take up to 4 weeks.



This isn't the first promotion that AT&T has used to steal thunder from Verizon's iPhone 4 launch on Thursday. On Wednesday, AT&T teased an unlimited mobile to any mobile calling feature, promising more details on Thursday.



The Verizon iPhone 4 launch was relatively uneventful. One analyst called the release "a yawner" because most customers had elected to preorder online rather than brave the cold. Another analyst reported demand as healthy, but not "blowout," and indicated that sales should still be on track for at least 1 million units in the first week.



Shareholder proposal



Ahead of Apple's annual shareholder meeting on Feb. 23, three prominent advisory services have thrown their weight behind a shareholder proposal favoring majority votes for unopposed board member reelections, Reuters reports.



The proposal was initiated by pension giant CalPERS, which owns at least 2 million shares of Apple stock. CalPERS announced Friday that Egan-Jones Proxy Services, Glass, Lewis & Co and ISS Proxy Services are in support of the proposal. Proxy firms advise and sometimes vote on behalf of corporate shareholders.



Apple, which opposes the resolution, currently has a plurality vote rule in uncontested elections, which, according to CalPERS, could allow a board member's reelection with just a single vote.



Though the shareholder proposal is non-binding, California law requires companies with majority-vote policies to step down should they fail to win a majority.



ISS Proxy Services also supports a second shareholder proposal that would require Apple to disclose a CEO succession plan. Apple has argued that disclosing its succession plan would give competitors an "unfair advantage."



Verizon iPhone traffic



A new "Carrier Clash" tracker from ad network Chitika claims to show the share of US iPhone-based traffic that AT&T and Verizon each have. According to the tracker, Verizon's share of network traffic has reached 3.4 percent just days after launching the iPhone 4.



The tracker measures cellular connections from iPhones across the Chitika advertising network. Percentages are a 24-rolling average, update hourly.







In just two hours of preorders, sales of the iPhone 4 on Verizon beat the carrier's previous sales records for any handset. Brick-and-mortar sales of the device have been muted, however, with one blogger calling launch day lines "laughably short."
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 37
    So there isn't a single unlocked iPhone running in the states?
  • Reply 2 of 37
    mgl323mgl323 Posts: 247member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by hrcx3 View Post


    So there isn't a single unlocked iPhone running in the states?



    Not unless you're jailbroken or bought an iPhone in another country.
  • Reply 3 of 37
    mgl323mgl323 Posts: 247member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post


    AT&T is offering 1000 rollover minutes to loyal customers in hopes of staving off defections to the Verizon network, and an Apple shareholder voting proposal calling for a majority vote to reelect board members has gained support from three prominent advisory services. Also, a new carrier tracking service estimates Verizon iPhone network traffic already accounts for more than 3 percent of all US iPhone-based traffic.



    AT&T rollover



    Reports emerged Friday that AT&T is offering 1000 rollover minutes as a customer appreciation promotion. Though initial reports suggested that the offer was only for iPhone customers near the end of their contracts, numerous AT&T customers without iPhones claim to have been approved for the bonus minutes.



    Customers activated the promotion by texting "Yes" to the number "11113020." Processing of the bonus minutes could take up to 4 weeks.



    Yup, just had a friend who works for AT&T added to my family plan accounts. A nice little gift from AT&T if you ask me.
  • Reply 4 of 37
    jeffdmjeffdm Posts: 12,951member
    The article doesn't have a link to how to see the carrier stat updates:



    http://labs.chitika.com/iZone/



    Is there an identifying signature that tells what carrier the device is on? Does their method take care to avoid counting those using WiFi but over the carrier's land line division? Their site doesn't seem to say, that I've found yet anyway.
  • Reply 5 of 37
    Ahead of Apple's annual shareholder meeting on Feb. 23, three prominent advisory services have thrown their weight behind a shareholder proposal favoring majority votes for unopposed board member reelections, Reuters reports.



    The proposal was initiated by pension giant CalPERS.... CalPERS announced Friday that Egan-Jones Proxy Services, Glass, Lewis & Co and ISS Proxy Services are in support of the proposal.



    Apple, which opposes the resolution, currently has a plurality vote rule in uncontested elections, which, according to CalPERS, could allow a board member's reelection with just a single vote.



    Though the shareholder proposal is non-binding, California law requires companies with majority-vote policies to step down should they fail to win a majority.


    -------



    CalPERS = ISS = utter irrelevancies.



    (Here's a simple Apple shareholder guide: If they're for something, vote against it.)
  • Reply 6 of 37
    So what is that, about 650,000 Verizon iPhones so far?
  • Reply 7 of 37
    I wonder if saying yes is an agreement to renew your contract for two more years?
  • Reply 8 of 37
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Retrogusto View Post


    So what is that, about 650,000 Verizon iPhones so far?



    Kind of hard to say. But I'd expect Apple to make an announcement Monday morning if they do over a million through this weekend.
  • Reply 9 of 37
    sandausandau Posts: 1,230member
    I wish I could sell my 4000+ rollover minutes or convert them to 'signal'
  • Reply 10 of 37
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by hrcx3 View Post


    So there isn't a single unlocked iPhone running in the states?



    What relevance does this have to the topic of the article?
  • Reply 11 of 37
    I have about 3 hundred unused ones every month expiring, why would I need another 1000? A few bucks drop in a plan price would be better.
  • Reply 12 of 37
    How about letting me use 1 rollover minute as an SMS/MMS?



    How about auto-teiring (someone on this site mentioned it before) where my plan will auto-bump to the next highest plan so the max I will ever be charged is what the maximum unlimited plan is. This would add peace of mind to customers without fear of thousands of dollars for a la carte prices.
  • Reply 13 of 37
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by sandau View Post


    I wish I could sell my 4000+ rollover minutes or convert them to 'signal'



    I've got over 10,000 rollover minutes (family plan). I don't need anymore. How about free tethering and the lifting of the arbitrary no facetime over 3G etc?



    I'd also not like to be raped getting a new phone after one year. With the family plan, the primary account holder is eligible for a new iPhone each year, but the secondary holder is not. So the wife and I have been paying for one at normal price and one at the higher "rape me" rate.





    Sheldon
  • Reply 14 of 37
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by gabberattack View Post


    I have about 3 hundred unused ones every month expiring, why would I need another 1000? A few bucks drop in a plan price would be better.





    I thought ATT lets you change your plan at will with just a phone call to them. Why don't you lower your plan for a few months, use up those rollovers, and then up it back up when you need it.

    Result = a few bucks drop in a plan price + 1000 rollover minutes
  • Reply 15 of 37
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by stokessd View Post


    I've got over 10,000 rollover minutes (family plan). I don't need anymore. How about free tethering and the lifting of the arbitrary no facetime over 3G etc?



    I'd also not like to be raped getting a new phone after one year. With the family plan, the primary account holder is eligible for a new iPhone each year, but the secondary holder is not. So the wife and I have been paying for one at normal price and one at the higher "rape me" rate.





    Sheldon



    Free tethering I agree with if you?re only talking about limited data plans.



    The FaceTime over 3G makes no sense in relation to AT&T. That is a limitation from Apple and has nothing to do with AT&T flipping a switch or lifting anything. I?m sure this will happen this year with iOS 5.0.



    if you are choosing to pay a higher rate then how is that rape? Why choose it if then refer to it as something as a criminal action without your consent. I don?t understand how such hyperbolic comments are meant to effective.
  • Reply 16 of 37
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Dullblade View Post


    I thought ATT lets you change your plan at will with just a phone call to them. Why don't you lower your plan for a few months, use up those rollovers, and then up it back up when you need it.

    Result = a few bucks drop in a plan price + 1000 rollover minutes



    They do, but I bet most people are already at the lowest (yet still very high) 450 minutes per month voice plan making 1000 rollover minutes pointless.



    Maybe we should all get together and use this voice minutes at the same time continuously to tach them a lesson? Would that even have an effect on their network the way heavy data users do? I?m guessing it wouldn?t.
  • Reply 17 of 37
    jeffdmjeffdm Posts: 12,951member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Logisticaldron View Post


    Free tethering I agree with if you’re only talking about limited data plans.



    The FaceTime over 3G makes no sense in relation to AT&T. That is a limitation from Apple and has nothing to do with AT&T flipping a switch or lifting anything. I’m sure this will happen this year with iOS 5.0.



    I'm pretty sure AT&T demanded the limitation in the first place, do you mean to say they can't lift the limitation on a per-account basis?



    Quote:

    if you are choosing to pay a higher rate then how is that rape? Why choose it if then refer to it as something as a criminal action without your consent. I don’t understand how such hyperbolic comments are meant to effective.



    I agree. The higher price for the additional phones is because the additional phone lines are heavily discounted, by my figuring, saving $30/mo over having the phone on a separate account. I wouldn't be surprised if it's the multi-line account that enables the low cost annual upgrade on the first phone in the first place.
  • Reply 18 of 37
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by JeffDM View Post


    I'm pretty sure AT&T demanded the limitation in the first place, do you mean to say they can't lift the limitation on a per-account basis?



    They may have demanded it for all iPhones, not just the AT&T iPhone, and there may be a contract in place disallowing FaceTime over 3G on any network in the world, but it's still something Apple has to ultimately enable in the iPhone, not AT&T. I don't think a carrier file update can dis/enable this feature.
  • Reply 19 of 37
    Between the new "Mobile to Any Mobile" plan, which allowed us to drop from 1400 family minutes to 700, saving $20.00, and these complimentary 1000 rollover minutes (which may come in handy with the lower minutes) it didn't take us long to start benefiting from competition with Verizon.
  • Reply 20 of 37
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by anantksundaram View Post


    CalPERS = ISS = utter irrelevancies.



    (Here's a simple Apple shareholder guide: If they're for something, vote against it.)



    = major institutional stockholder = has more at stake and more power than any of us.



    Lesson No. 1 in investing: Institutions hold all the cards. Ignore or dis them at your peril.
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