Everyone is rate limited. Otherwise only one person could use the cell tower at a time. They may just be limiting unlimited users disproportionately. AT&T could argue the 3 GB customers are paying for better quality of service. Hopefully this is just interim and AT&T will show us that they will provide us better service when they can provide us better service after the move to LTE.
Why does everybody keep talking about LTE, as if it's some new buzzword and a must have? I don't give a shit about LTE, and I couldn't care less if my next device has it or not.
The telecom companies can't even keep up with the 3G demand today, so what good is a faster connection going to do? Are people going to stream Netflix on the trainride to work all of a sudden and use many gigs of data per day? I don't see that happening anytime soon. And let's not even mention what those kind of plans are going to cost. I also read something about LTE and battery life, that's another negative thing.
Maybe I'm unaware of something, but why should I or anybody give a shit about LTE?
Then when 4g is everywhere, everyone will reach their caps much easier and faster, but they will have overages to keep AT&T happy.
Why would people reach their cap faster simply because the network will be faster with 4G? That doesn't make any sense. The wait time to play a video from YouTube or whatever will be shorter, but if their habits don't change their data usage will remain the same.
Why would people reach their cap faster simply because the network will be faster with 4G? That doesn't make any sense. The wait time to play a video from YouTube or whatever will be shorter, but if their habits don't change their data usage will remain the same.
Really? You don't think no longer having to wait for your video/app/[what have you] to load, thereby allowing you to view more videos/apps/[what have you] in the same amount of time wouldn't have an effect on data use?
Really? You don't think no longer having to wait for your video/app/[what have you] to load, thereby allowing you to view more videos/apps/[what have you] in the same amount of time wouldn't have an effect on data use?
No, I don't. I would be happy with faster loading times, but would not change my habits because of LTE.
No, I don't. I would be happy with faster loading times, but would not change my habits because of LTE.
Well, this is not about you, it's about everybody else. And you highly overestimate people if you believe that it wouldn't make a difference in their habits.
Well, this is not about you, it's about everybody else. And you highly overestimate people if you believe that it wouldn't make a difference in their habits.
I think the change would be subconscious more than anything else, so it's not about singling out someone's belief of the situation.
at&t sucks, for a variety of reasons. that's my general opinion.
i'm a heavy data user and always use 5 or more GB a month. i've had the unlimited plane since the beginning. my phone is not jailbroken, nor do i tether any other devices.
my billing cycle runs from the 11th-10th.
for the dec-jan cycle i received my "you're in the top 5%" on 20-dec. that was around the 2GB mark. for the rest of the cycle i was throttled to about 150Kb/s.
for the jan-feb cycle i've been doing a test and checking and recording usage every day around mid-day. until 3-jan i had used about 430MB. that day i consciously downloaded a 1GB file over 3G. the next day i got a text saying i was approaching the top 5%. on 4-jan i downloaded the same 1GB file three more times (well, almost 3, one of the downloads was interrupted). all of those were at the usual speed. that evening i received the "you're in the top 5%" message and ever since the speed has been throttled to about 150Kb/s. and, again, i entered the top 5% at the 2GB mark (confirming my suspicion).
the fact that others pay the same amount and get more data only says to me that at&t wants people off the unlimited plan and wants them to pay more money. the fact that at&t throttles users only says to me that at&t wants people off the unlimited plan and wants them to pay more money.
at&t sucks, for a variety of reasons. this is one.
if there are any lawyers reading these boards, contact me. i'd like nothing more than to join a class-action suit and expose at&t for the shysters they are.
AT&T has a lot of nerve. The coverage in my part of New York stinks, yet we got throttled right at 2GB last month! I bought and paid for unlimited service ever since the first iPhone came out. My usage on average is far less than the last two months, but that fact isn't considered. They clearly are harassing us unlimited users to get us to go to the tiered system. For if we do, the reward is unfettered 3GB. It reminds me of the thugs some landlords in the city hire to harass the rent-stabilized tenants to vacate their apartments. It's not right. What we need is a class-action lawsuit to halt the harassment and let us end our contracts early without penalty. Now that Verizon has the iPhone, I'm ready to bolt. I would have done so last month, except for the ETF. This is price prohibitive with four iPhones on the plan (only one of which is throttled).
When I complained to AT&T, they told me that the speed is throttled back 50%, which might not be bad if you are in an area of good AT&T coverage. But in my area, it became clear that some throttled customers actually get better speeds than I do on a good, un-throttled day.
My coverage at home is so bad, mine was one of the first areas to get the 3G MicroCell. Great, right. Yeah, up until the release of the IOS5. Now it no longer works, and AT&T has no fix in sight. My service tanked overnight, but heaven forbid I go over 2GB on an unlimited plan. Where's the justice?
if there are any lawyers reading these boards, contact me. i'd like nothing more than to join a class-action suit and expose at&t for the shysters they are.
AT&T has a lot of nerve. The coverage in my part of New York stinks, yet we got throttled right at 2GB last month! I bought and paid for unlimited service ever since the first iPhone came out. My usage on average is far less than the last two months, but that fact isn't considered. They clearly are harassing us unlimited users to get us to go to the tiered system. For if we do, the reward is unfettered 3GB. It reminds me of the thugs some landlords in the city hire to harass the rent-stabilized tenants to vacate their apartments. It's not right. What we need is a class-action lawsuit to halt the harassment and let us end our contracts early without penalty. Now that Verizon has the iPhone, I'm ready to bolt. I would have done so last month, except for the ETF. This is price prohibitive with four iPhones on the plan (only one of which is throttled).
When I complained to AT&T, they told me that the speed is throttled back 50%, which might not be bad if you are in an area of good AT&T coverage. But in my area, it became clear that some throttled customers actually get better speeds than I do on a good, un-throttled day.
My coverage at home is so bad, mine was one of the first areas to get the 3G MicroCell. Great, right. Yeah, up until the release of the IOS5. Now it no longer works, and AT&T has no fix in sight. My service tanked overnight, but heaven forbid I go over 2GB on an unlimited plan. Where's the justice?
So I take it that AT&T isn't working for you. Why not bite the bullet, pay the ETF, and go to a provider that works? If you're on an unlimited plan and it doesn't work for you, then that's on you. The phone is available on several providers.
On a different note. If you're going to throttle, go ahead...fine.....whatever. You suck. But at least do it at 3...make it even with the tiered people. Us on unlimited just don't pay overages. I am going to see if I can hit 3 this month.....see if they throttle me. I use between 1.6 and 2.2 monthly. Never been throttled before.
Kind of weird how AT&T's cancels the 2GB plan and adds a 3GB plan at a higher rate when they claim only 5% of the users actually exceed 2GB. Sounds like they're just trying to get something for nothing.
On a different note. If you're going to throttle, go ahead...fine.....whatever. You suck. But at least do it at 3...make it even with the tiered people. Us on unlimited just don't pay overages. I am going to see if I can hit 3 this month.....see if they throttle me. I use between 1.6 and 2.2 monthly. Never been throttled before.
There's no reason to throttle tiered people. We pay for it when we use more data. THAT"S THE POINT. ATT wants us to use more data. It wants unlimited users to use less. That's why ATT hates unlimited users.
Kind of weird how AT&T's cancels the 2GB plan and adds a 3GB plan at a higher rate when they claim only 5% of the users actually exceed 2GB. Sounds like they're just trying to get something for nothing.
Exactly what the complainers here are doing. Pay for your data if you must use more than the rest of us.
I wish they had rollover gigabytes. I have been on an unlimited data plan from at&t since 2006 for my MBP. They charged $75 a month for that which is also grandfathered since they don't offer that plan anymore. I hardly ever use it so they are making some serious bank on my account. They better not even think about throttling me, even if I go over 2 gigs one month, which might just happen now with LTE. I upgraded to the new Elevate wifi hotspot and I really like it. I can get 4G LTE speed on my iPhone and iPad now by using the hotspot.
i kept the unlimited on iPhone and iPad. I even have paid for it for years while using quite small data, because i didn't want to loose the plan.
Oh the hypocrisy of some people on this forum complaining about complainers!
i was offered this service, and I paid for it, so I don't know why anyone on this forum should take ATT side unless they work for ATT or they wish they still had an unlimited plan.
Go elsewhere? Why should I? Thank you but ATT need to stand up to their side of the deal.
I hope there is a lawsuit - ATT are being greedy and unreasonable. If they are offering a normal 3GB plan, they have no business throttling users below this limit. Maybe at 2x this limit - seems more reasonable
First, there will always be a 'top 5%' of unlimited plan users that will be slowed. And the byte-limit (2Gb right now) just keeps getting lower and lower, because the top 5% keep getting limited to less and less data each month.
Second, from the article: “There’s a very good chance you wouldn’t be slowed,” Siegel said, noting that less than one percent of customers were affected by the policy in January.
Yes, less than 1 percent of ALL users were affected. But at least 5% of unlimited plan users were slowed. And will be slowed in the future.
another thing i was wondering. let's say i hit the top 5% in the first few days of my billing cycle and subsequently get throttled down. when i get bumped out of the top 5% by other heavy users (and that has to happen), do i get unthrottled? i'm going to go with "no". any wagers?
at&t should be sued to disclose the decision points they use to add and remove users from the top 5%.
Comments
I know of a few people who set their phones to stream all day after they hit the throttle mark.
At 100K kbs for 20 days (first 2 GB hit in 10 days) you can add 20 GB
Look up the phrase "tilting at windmills"
The telecom companies can't even keep up with the 3G demand today, so what good is a faster connection going to do? Are people going to stream Netflix on the trainride to work all of a sudden and use many gigs of data per day? I don't see that happening anytime soon. And let's not even mention what those kind of plans are going to cost. I also read something about LTE and battery life, that's another negative thing.
Maybe I'm unaware of something, but why should I or anybody give a shit about LTE?
Then when 4g is everywhere, everyone will reach their caps much easier and faster, but they will have overages to keep AT&T happy.
Why would people reach their cap faster simply because the network will be faster with 4G? That doesn't make any sense. The wait time to play a video from YouTube or whatever will be shorter, but if their habits don't change their data usage will remain the same.
Why would people reach their cap faster simply because the network will be faster with 4G? That doesn't make any sense. The wait time to play a video from YouTube or whatever will be shorter, but if their habits don't change their data usage will remain the same.
Really? You don't think no longer having to wait for your video/app/[what have you] to load, thereby allowing you to view more videos/apps/[what have you] in the same amount of time wouldn't have an effect on data use?
Really? You don't think no longer having to wait for your video/app/[what have you] to load, thereby allowing you to view more videos/apps/[what have you] in the same amount of time wouldn't have an effect on data use?
No, I don't. I would be happy with faster loading times, but would not change my habits because of LTE.
No, I don't. I would be happy with faster loading times, but would not change my habits because of LTE.
Well, this is not about you, it's about everybody else. And you highly overestimate people if you believe that it wouldn't make a difference in their habits.
Well, this is not about you, it's about everybody else. And you highly overestimate people if you believe that it wouldn't make a difference in their habits.
I think the change would be subconscious more than anything else, so it's not about singling out someone's belief of the situation.
i'm a heavy data user and always use 5 or more GB a month. i've had the unlimited plane since the beginning. my phone is not jailbroken, nor do i tether any other devices.
my billing cycle runs from the 11th-10th.
for the dec-jan cycle i received my "you're in the top 5%" on 20-dec. that was around the 2GB mark. for the rest of the cycle i was throttled to about 150Kb/s.
for the jan-feb cycle i've been doing a test and checking and recording usage every day around mid-day. until 3-jan i had used about 430MB. that day i consciously downloaded a 1GB file over 3G. the next day i got a text saying i was approaching the top 5%. on 4-jan i downloaded the same 1GB file three more times (well, almost 3, one of the downloads was interrupted). all of those were at the usual speed. that evening i received the "you're in the top 5%" message and ever since the speed has been throttled to about 150Kb/s. and, again, i entered the top 5% at the 2GB mark (confirming my suspicion).
the fact that others pay the same amount and get more data only says to me that at&t wants people off the unlimited plan and wants them to pay more money. the fact that at&t throttles users only says to me that at&t wants people off the unlimited plan and wants them to pay more money.
at&t sucks, for a variety of reasons. this is one.
if there are any lawyers reading these boards, contact me. i'd like nothing more than to join a class-action suit and expose at&t for the shysters they are.
When I complained to AT&T, they told me that the speed is throttled back 50%, which might not be bad if you are in an area of good AT&T coverage. But in my area, it became clear that some throttled customers actually get better speeds than I do on a good, un-throttled day.
My coverage at home is so bad, mine was one of the first areas to get the 3G MicroCell. Great, right. Yeah, up until the release of the IOS5. Now it no longer works, and AT&T has no fix in sight. My service tanked overnight, but heaven forbid I go over 2GB on an unlimited plan. Where's the justice?
if there are any lawyers reading these boards, contact me. i'd like nothing more than to join a class-action suit and expose at&t for the shysters they are.
Count me in too.
AT&T has a lot of nerve. The coverage in my part of New York stinks, yet we got throttled right at 2GB last month! I bought and paid for unlimited service ever since the first iPhone came out. My usage on average is far less than the last two months, but that fact isn't considered. They clearly are harassing us unlimited users to get us to go to the tiered system. For if we do, the reward is unfettered 3GB. It reminds me of the thugs some landlords in the city hire to harass the rent-stabilized tenants to vacate their apartments. It's not right. What we need is a class-action lawsuit to halt the harassment and let us end our contracts early without penalty. Now that Verizon has the iPhone, I'm ready to bolt. I would have done so last month, except for the ETF. This is price prohibitive with four iPhones on the plan (only one of which is throttled).
When I complained to AT&T, they told me that the speed is throttled back 50%, which might not be bad if you are in an area of good AT&T coverage. But in my area, it became clear that some throttled customers actually get better speeds than I do on a good, un-throttled day.
My coverage at home is so bad, mine was one of the first areas to get the 3G MicroCell. Great, right. Yeah, up until the release of the IOS5. Now it no longer works, and AT&T has no fix in sight. My service tanked overnight, but heaven forbid I go over 2GB on an unlimited plan. Where's the justice?
So I take it that AT&T isn't working for you. Why not bite the bullet, pay the ETF, and go to a provider that works? If you're on an unlimited plan and it doesn't work for you, then that's on you. The phone is available on several providers.
On a different note. If you're going to throttle, go ahead...fine.....whatever. You suck. But at least do it at 3...make it even with the tiered people. Us on unlimited just don't pay overages. I am going to see if I can hit 3 this month.....see if they throttle me. I use between 1.6 and 2.2 monthly. Never been throttled before.
On a different note. If you're going to throttle, go ahead...fine.....whatever. You suck. But at least do it at 3...make it even with the tiered people. Us on unlimited just don't pay overages. I am going to see if I can hit 3 this month.....see if they throttle me. I use between 1.6 and 2.2 monthly. Never been throttled before.
There's no reason to throttle tiered people. We pay for it when we use more data. THAT"S THE POINT. ATT wants us to use more data. It wants unlimited users to use less. That's why ATT hates unlimited users.
Kind of weird how AT&T's cancels the 2GB plan and adds a 3GB plan at a higher rate when they claim only 5% of the users actually exceed 2GB. Sounds like they're just trying to get something for nothing.
Exactly what the complainers here are doing. Pay for your data if you must use more than the rest of us.
Oh the hypocrisy of some people on this forum complaining about complainers!
i was offered this service, and I paid for it, so I don't know why anyone on this forum should take ATT side unless they work for ATT or they wish they still had an unlimited plan.
Go elsewhere? Why should I? Thank you but ATT need to stand up to their side of the deal.
I hope there is a lawsuit - ATT are being greedy and unreasonable. If they are offering a normal 3GB plan, they have no business throttling users below this limit. Maybe at 2x this limit - seems more reasonable
Second, from the article: “There’s a very good chance you wouldn’t be slowed,” Siegel said, noting that less than one percent of customers were affected by the policy in January.
Yes, less than 1 percent of ALL users were affected. But at least 5% of unlimited plan users were slowed. And will be slowed in the future.
at&t should be sued to disclose the decision points they use to add and remove users from the top 5%.