After Complaints, AT&T Solidifies, Increases Data Limit 211
New submitter rullywowr writes "After many users expressed anger, AT&T has moved the slowdown throttling bottleneck from 3GB of data to 5GB of data for users of 4G LTE smart phones. 'Previously, AT&T slowed speeds for subscribers who reached the top 5% of data users for that billing cycle and geographic location. Customers were outraged, arguing that the percentage method meant they had no way to know what the limit was — until AT&T informed them via text message that they were in danger of exceeding it.' AT&T still maintains the position that less than 5% of its users exceed the 3GB threshold each month."
"Unlimited data" (Score:5, Insightful)
So "unlimited data" means 3GB/5GB now?
It still accomplishes their goal (Score:5, Insightful)
For 3G (read, ALL iPhones) its still 3GB.
So for iPhone customers on the old unlimited plan, they still have a choice:
For the same amount of money, either stick with the "Unlimited" plan which goes useless at 3GB, or go to a metered plan where you get 3GB and above that its $10/GB in overages...
As for the 4G/LTE phones, those are in a much smaller minority, as the big grandfathered ones that AT&T dislikes are the iPhones.
Still not unlimited (Score:5, Insightful)
I've avoided AT&T and Verizon for this reason. I should be able to use my phone all I want.
Sprint is definitely in a winning position.
Re:Bandwidth Calculations (Score:5, Insightful)
AT&T Lies. (Score:5, Insightful)
"...AT&T still maintains the position that less than 5% of its users exceed the 3GB threshold each month."
Really? Seems to me AT&T is causing an awful lot of pain and bad publicity for themselves by creating such limitations around what supposedly accounts for only 5% of their consumer base. Seems like the effort would be worth a hell of a lot more than 5% of revenue.
Why is there throttling in the first place? (Score:1, Insightful)
AT&T promises users a service (unlimited data access) they have no intention of providing. That's false advertising.
buy a smartphone they said (Score:5, Insightful)
buy a smartphone they said
watch tv, movies, videos they said
you can't use that bandwidth we advertised and sold you they say
Where's the FCC investigation? (Score:2, Insightful)
These companies should lose all their spectrum for even thinking about throttling connections.
FCC start the investigation. They advertise unlimited (they did, even if they don't now) - throttling is just another way to *restrict* data - it breaks unlimited.
I for one would love to see AT&T and Verizon lose all of it's cellular spectrum because of these greedy shenanigans.
Cost for unlimited/unlimited/unlimited should be about $20.00 a phone per month. That covers any and all uses of bandwidth in use today and yet to be conceived of.
Re:Why is there throttling in the first place? (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Bandwidth Calculations (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Bandwidth Calculations (Score:5, Insightful)
The smart thing about their 95% percentile calculation is that the bar keeps getting lower.
If the 95% mark is at 5GB today and they throttle back anyone that exceeds 5GB, no one will be able to go beyond 5GB of usage, so next month the 95% level might be 4.9GB. Then since no one can go much beyond 4.9GB, the next month it becomes 4.8GB. And so on.
Until finally, they are throttling once you hit 100KB of bandwidth and they can advertise the world's fastest wireless network since no one can use it. You can get one hit to speedtest.net to test your bandwidth and see your blazing 25mbit of bandwidth before they throttle you to 144kb of bandwidth.
Sounds like a good strategy.
Re:Bandwidth Calculations (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:"Unlimited data" (Score:5, Insightful)
here is to hoping that they "do not change the terms of our deal again"
well, you deal with the sith and you get what you expect.
Re:"Unlimited data" (Score:5, Insightful)
Then all plans are and always have been unlimited, they just reduce your bandwidth to zero! (Or to 1kbps).
Calling that unlimited makes it lose all meaning.
Re:"Unlimited data" (Score:2, Insightful)
Anyone who thinks "unlimited" means "infinite," for timed (monthly) service on a network with bandwidth obviously subject to technology limits, is either being disingenuous or ignorant.
Re:"Unlimited data" (Score:4, Insightful)