AT&T: Using more than 2GB/month on your phone = abusing service

[Anonemous]

http://www.macrumors.com/2012/02/04...imited-data-users-after-2gb-of-monthly-usage/

 

[BoomerD]

I've had internet service from Pacific Bell/SWBell/AT&T for over 15 years.

MANY years ago, they said much the same thing about internet use...and they had tiered service. Go over XYZ minutes/Mb in a month, get hit with steep overage fees.

Fortunately, that didn't last very long. (maybe 3-4 months IIRC)

 

[I Saw OJ]

I thought they were already doing this? Throttling after 2gigs is pretty damn weak.

 

[ImpulsE69]

Guess there's no reason to tout that 4G network they were so excited about eh? What..did they think people wouldn't stream? That shit adds up. They think because people are locked in contracts they can pull this bait and switch tactic. Yea..they put all these loopholes in them, but I think if enough people call them on it, and actually take them to court over it, it could get pretty interesting (both them AND Verizon).

 

[bearxor]

This isn't an absolute rule either. It varies depending on your market. Looked up my usage for last month and it was 6.6GB. No throttling. But i live in a fairly congestion-free area.

 

[SaDiZTiKStyLeZ]

I use 10+ gig/month streaming with SoundCloud, YT & whatever else. Glad my unl plan was grandfathered when Verizon dropped that offering.
If not for my music all day to calm me, motherfuckers would be bodybagged.

These providers are madtarded about this shit.

 

[Texashiker]

Why is internet service in the US so far behind the rest of the developed world

 

[Tsaico]

Why is internet service in the US so far behind the rest of the developed world

The FCC and the distance in which people are spread out.

Take the asian countries for example, you install fiber into 100 miles of territory and you now service several million people, here in the states, you need three times that to hit the number. We only have pockets here and there that are really dense as far as total number of customers. Also, a lot of the other infrastructures are government subsidized, so that won't work well here either as people will start shouting socialism.

 

[mmntech]

The FCC and the distance in which people are spread out.

Take the asian countries for example, you install fiber into 100 miles of territory and you now service several million people, here in the states, you need three times that to hit the number. We only have pockets here and there that are really dense as far as total number of customers. Also, a lot of the other infrastructures are government subsidized, so that won't work well here either as people will start shouting socialism.

That and it would replace phone and television entirely, cutting a huge chunk of revenue from telecoms as they'll only sell one service instead of three. That's my theory for restrictive data caps anyway.

 

[frostedflakes]

This isn't an absolute rule either. It varies depending on your market. Looked up my usage for last month and it was 6.6GB. No throttling. But i live in a fairly congestion-free area.

Use like 50GB per month on a Verizon 3G connection.

Have for years, this is actually an old Alltel plan that was grandfathered in when Verizon bought them. Might seem crazy but it's not a mobile data plan, it's the primary internet connection for the household. Downloading Steam games, streaming videos on Amazon Prime, stuff like that can really add up. No complaints from either Alltel or Verizon. This is also in a more rural area where tower congestion probably isn't an issue, though, like you pointed out might be a completely different story if that kind of usage was happening in a metropolitan area that tends to be a lot more congested.

 

[CZroe]

I got a nasty text from them a few days ago just before hitting 5GB saying that I was in the top 5% of smartphone data users and that I had 6 more days in my billing cycle and that I would be throttled next time. I damn well should be in the top 5% of "all" smartphone data users! Many don't even pay for data plans and I pay *extra* for my grandfathered unlimited plan! Oh wait... last week they raised prices to match and added an extra GB to their 2GB plan specifically so I can't claim I'm paying more. Eff those guys. I bought unlimited because I intended to use it. As a power user and techie, I expect to be in the top 5-10% overall. I should only be compared to other unlimited users if you was to make a case against me as an "abuser."

 

[swanysto]

Yeah I'm glad I have sprint, I average around 4gb per month. Never gets throttled either, at least my 4g has never been throttled.

 

[Wreckem]

Yeah I'm glad I have sprint, I average around 4gb per month. Never gets throttled either, at least my 4g has never been throttled.

You do realize when Sprint switches to all LTE there is a HIGH probability their unlimited plains are going away.

 

[pontifex]

wtf can anyone possibly be doing on a phone that takes up 2-6 GB or more a month?

wait until you get home to watch porn....


I don't get it.

 

[saratoga172]

Yeah I'm glad I have sprint, I average around 4gb per month. Never gets throttled either, at least my 4g has never been throttled.

My work iPhone 4s is Sprint. I use maybe 50mb a month on that thing. Speeds suck so bad on 3g I could stream a file constantly for a month and be lucky to hit 1GB.

Service here in Dallas sucks big ones. If it didn't I might actually switch my service to my work phone and save the $80 I spend now for Verizon.

 

[saratoga172]

wtf can anyone possibly be doing on a phone that takes up 2-6 GB or more a month?

wait until you get home to watch porn....


I don't get it.

I'm at 2.5gb with 4 days left on my cycle. Verizon 4G for most of my data. Most of my usage comes from flashing new roms on my Nexus and all of my apps being downloaded over 4g instead of my wifi.

Even streaming Pandora a couple days a week for an hour or so at the gym I barely hit my limits. I only stream the occasional YouTube video.

Unless people are tethering I don't see how they hit 10gb+.

 

[bearxor]

I got a nasty text from them a few days ago just before hitting 5GB saying that I was in the top 5% of smartphone data users and that I had 6 more days in my billing cycle and that I would be throttled next time. I damn well should be in the top 5% of "all" smartphone data users! Many don't even pay for data plans and I pay *extra* for my grandfathered unlimited plan! Oh wait... last week they raised prices to match and added an extra GB to their 2GB plan specifically so I can't claim I'm paying more. Eff those guys. I bought unlimited because I intended to use it. As a power user and techie, I expect to be in the top 5-10% overall. I should only be compared to other unlimited users if you was to make a case against me as an "abuser."

You didn't buy unlimited because you intended to use it. You bought unlimited because that was all AT&T offered on smartphones until they tiered the plans in 2010.

You do realize when Sprint switches to all LTE there is a HIGH probability their unlimited plains are going away.

I disagree. I firmly believe that teiring the data is a symptom of not enough spectrum for AT&T and Verizon (for now). Sprint will be rolling out LTE on the Nextel airwaves and they'll have a significant amount of spectrum for several years as people transition over and VoLTE gains hold. Then, once that happens, Sprint can transition its 1900mhz holdings to LTE.

Sprint and Verizon are going to be in the best shape, spectrum-wise, for LTE. The TMo deal falling through really put AT&T in a bind. They're going to be gobbling up airwaves in small chunks for probably the next 10 years. I don't expect to get LTE here south of Charlotte for at least another 5-7 years (Charlotte metro will get it a lot sooner, but it will cut off at the border of NC/SC).

If anything, I expect unlimited plans to start making a comeback on Verizon within the next 5 years. If not unlimited, then more generous data limits.

 

[AznAnarchy99]

My work iPhone 4s is Sprint. I use maybe 50mb a month on that thing. Speeds suck so bad on 3g I could stream a file constantly for a month and be lucky to hit 1GB.

Service here in Dallas sucks big ones. If it didn't I might actually switch my service to my work phone and save the $80 I spend now for Verizon.

Sprint sucks here in cali too. I etfed to get out of it. My buddy got the att text when he hit 2gb

 

[saratoga172]

Sprint sucks here in cali too. I etfed to get out of it. My buddy got the att text when he hit 2gb

I don't go with Sprint even though I can essentially use my work phone and pay for the $15 unlimited texting plan. Would save me $70/month but I use my phone for so much. Not to mention more often than not I can barely make a call. On top of that email is a necessity and I have to use my personal phone all the time.

I had AT&T until Sept when I switched to Verizon. I was grandfathered into their unlimited plan. I noticed I really didn't go over 1.5-2gb on my iPhone with them.

With Verizon I did their 5gb plan just to be safe...I was fortunate enough to get in on that unlimited data plan loophole at the beginning of December and they haven't removed it thus far. *knocks on wood*

My plan is a little cheaper because Verizon gives me a better student discount. And I'm actually really liking my Galaxy Nexus. Had a Bionic when it came out. The Nexus to me feels like it, with ICS, really is a comparable if not more able, OS than iOS to me personally and for what I like to do.

I like the battery of my iPhone by far, but I've almost got my Nexus lasting all day on 4G for my usage. I like the flexibility and customisability of Android since I like to tinker. ICS also seems like a very able stock OS. Right up there with iOS.

They both have their strengths. Don't think I could necessarily pick a favorite. Glad I get to use both. Now if I could only get my company to switch off Sprint and if Apple would get into the 4g game that would be nice.

 

[jlee]

wtf can anyone possibly be doing on a phone that takes up 2-6 GB or more a month?

wait until you get home to watch porn....


I don't get it.

Pandora/etc. I'm low this month, though, only 630Mb so far (about halfway through my billing cycle).

 

[saratoga172]

snip

If I'm not mistaken AT&T is in talks with T-mo to use and license out some of their spectrum. And visa-versa. I could be mistaken though.

Do you happen to know what bands the AT&T and Verizon LTE are going to run at? Any chance they might be somewhat compatible.

 

[StrangerGuy]

If you are throttling >2GB then what is the point of installing the 4G network? Even the cheapest $27 3G data plan in countries like Singapore offers 12GB per month.

 

[AnonymouseUser]

In related news: In Russia, downloading 419GB over 3G in one week wins you a $5000 vacation!

 

[IGBT]

when you realize the vast majority of data usage is superfluous BS it's no surprise. If it wasn't for the massive transparent support all your wireless gadgets would be shooting range targets.

 

[ViviTheMage]

Glad I live in the midwest