Topic: AT&T

Confirmed: AT&T preparing to throttle heavy users on 'unlimited' plan

Summary: What's the big deal about rolling this out for October? iPhone 5 perhaps...

By Adrian Kingsley-Hughes for Hardware 2.0 | July 29, 2011 -- 06:30 GMT (23:30 PDT)

UPDATE: AT&T has confirmed that it is making changes to its 'unlimited' plan. The company claims that the change will only affect the top 5% of data users.

un·lim·it·ed adjective?/??n?limitid/

1: Not limited or restricted in terms of number, quantity, or extent - the range of possible adaptations was unlimited 2: (of a company) Not limited 3: (of a problem) Having an infinite number of solutions

Remember the day when 'unlimited' meant 'unlimited'? Increasingly the word is little more than marketing fluff designed to hide limits.

Last year AT&T stopped offering unlimited to new customers but continued to offer the unlimited plan to existing customers as long as they stayed with AT&T. Well, it looks like that unlimited plan is set to have conditions imposed on it. According to 9to5Mac the company is getting ready to set to throttle heavy users much in the same way that companies such as Verizon [PDF] and Virgin Mobile do:

The throttling plan will work like the others'. The heaviest users will see significant speed decreases for one billing cycle once they go over a threshold of data (we're guessing 2-4GB?). These heavy users will still be able to access the network, but at a much slower speed. At the start of the next billing cycle, their speeds will return to normal. We don't have numbers for AT&T's throttle speeds but Virgin takes you down to 256Kb/s once you've reached their 2.5GB limit (not too bad actually - sometimes we're happy to get 256kbs). Interestingly, Virgin's throttle also will also be implemented in the first week of October which may indicate that they'll be carrying a certain high profile mobile device as well.

So, the unlimited plan becomes an unlimited plan ... to a point.

So, what's the big deal about rolling this in for October? iPhone 5 perhaps ...

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Topic: AT&T

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28 comments

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RE: Report: AT&T preparing to throttle heavy users on 'unlimited' plan

Gee, just can't wait for AT&T to gobble up T-Mobile as well. With SO MANY carrier choices left, I guess we just ge tto have what the carrier gods deem we are worthy of having...add to this caps on hardline internet as well, and there goes the whole future of broadband internet...

dksmidtx
29 July, 2011 06:50

Reply Vote
- Now you see it, now you don't.
  
  @dksmidtx<br><br>I do not mind caps, throttling or what have you AS LONG AS it is laid out clearly in the contract and remains in force for the duration. What REALLY offends me is the deception. Any contract where one party can unilaterally change terms and conditions as it sees fit is bad for the consumer, plain and simple.<br><br>But when the consumers cannot resist the latest shiny toys and are willing to sign on the dotted line for a small up front payment and a king's ransom over two years, I guess the consumers get what they deserve - taken to the cleaners.
  
  Economister
  29 July, 2011 07:50
  
  Reply Vote
  - RE: Report: AT&T preparing to throttle heavy users on 'unlimited' plan
    
    @Economister Read your contract CAREFULLY! any future changes can be made at the discretion of the "provider" at any time, with advanced notice given to users within a certain period of time. They have and yes, they will!
    
    Charles_B
    29 July, 2011 09:22
    
    Reply Vote
  - RE: Report: AT&T preparing to throttle heavy users on 'unlimited' plan
    
    @Economister - it's not "deception". It's simply "business". They have to make a profit, and some people are leeching the system.
    
    HypnoToad72
    29 July, 2011 18:09
    
    Reply Vote
  - How come govt lets them advertise "unlimited" ?
    
    @Economister Once again our govt regulators are asleep on the job. There should be lawsuits against the carriers for advertising one thing and delivering another.
    
    otaddy
    30 July, 2011 08:07
    
    Reply Vote
- RE: Report: AT&T preparing to throttle heavy users on 'unlimited' plan
  
  @dksmidtx Sprint for Mobile. Comcast hasn't been so bad for hardline.
  
  Jimster480
  1 August, 2011 09:58
  
  Reply Vote
RE: Report: AT&T preparing to throttle heavy users on 'unlimited' plan

Just one more way to stick it to the consumer. This is becoming the rule rather than the exception.

mcfant
29 July, 2011 06:54

Reply Vote
- RE: Report: AT&T preparing to throttle heavy users on 'unlimited' plan
  
  @mcfant Apparently no one reads their contract carefully. The contracts are made to benefit the COMPANY, NOT YOU. Internet service wanted? Use at home.
  
  Charles_B
  29 July, 2011 09:24
  
  Reply Vote
  - RE: Report: AT&T preparing to throttle heavy users on 'unlimited' plan
    
    @cboquin - precisely. And it's a good way to do business. At least if you're the company...
    
    HypnoToad72
    29 July, 2011 18:10
    
    Reply Vote
- Right. Because using an unlimited plan to torrent
  
  every pirate movie you can find is so selfless and altruistic.
  
  fr_gough
  29 July, 2011 13:13
  
  Reply Vote
Message has been deleted.

kangkangee
29 July, 2011 07:14

Reply Vote
RE: Report: AT&T preparing to throttle heavy users on 'unlimited' plan

As a current tmob customer, and a current uverse customer, the option of att taking over my mobile plan is harrowing to say the least. The uverse plan was a breath of fresh air compared to the draconion plan from comcast we left, but since att has decided to "screw the people that make them rich" on the uverse plan, and when the change comes for our mobile plan "i'll be dammed" if im gonna sit back and get screwed once again! These internet/mobile companys are trying to squeeze the golden goose till its dead! and when its dead they will have no one to blame but themselves that no one can afford to even use their services let alone be a customer! The FCC needs to put a stop to this and soon!

Madksman
29 July, 2011 07:38

Reply Vote
RE: Report: AT&T preparing to throttle heavy users on 'unlimited' plan

For people who are video watchers the whole reason the iphone or any smart phone out there is worth it is because of the feature of watching movies. so go ahead At&T take it away and people will get rid of ther iphones and you can deal with Apple. I'll just go back to sprint. At&T you have a great product but your ruining it with your greed.

Manowar37
29 July, 2011 08:22

Reply Vote
Better than a complete cutoff IMO.

I'd rather be throttled than cut off completely X(.

Bandwidth is a limited resource, period. It ain't infinite, even if they're promising "unlimited."

CobraA1
29 July, 2011 08:22

Reply Vote
- RE: Report: AT&T preparing to throttle heavy users on 'unlimited' plan
  
  @CobraA1 -- What part of "unlimited" do you not understand?
  
  sackbut
  29 July, 2011 14:26
  
  Reply Vote
  - RE: Report: AT&T preparing to throttle heavy users on 'unlimited' plan
    
    @sackbut What part of the laws of physics do you not understand?
    
    CobraA1
    29 July, 2011 15:30
    
    Reply Vote
  - RE: Report: AT&T preparing to throttle heavy users on 'unlimited' plan
    
    @CobraA1
    Limited by physics != throttled by the carrier
    AT&T has the most unused bandwidth, if they'd stop squatting and improve their infrastructure they'd have more than enough bandwidth to allow for their top 5% of consumers.
    
    ibuyskub
    1 August, 2011 10:38
    
    Reply Vote
RE: Report: AT&T preparing to throttle heavy users on 'unlimited' plan

One Question.... WHY! don't worry, I'll wait for an answer

Can we as customers throttle down on our bill? yeah...NO!

shoot.. I pay my ****ing bill and have been with AT&T since they were little cell company.

evanino
29 July, 2011 08:22

Reply Vote
RE: Report: AT&T preparing to throttle heavy users on 'unlimited' plan

AT&T just keeps pushing itself closer to the top of my "hope you rot in he||" list.

It should be illegal to call a plan unlimited, when it is limited in so many ways.

As for the "limited available bandwidth issue," a cell phone can only transmit and receive a specific amount in any given time period. It is limited by the transmission speed. The future has consumers needing more of that bandwidth, not less. We can't keep paying more and more money for less and less bandwidth. The FCC and transmission engineers need to solve that issue now, not later. The analog TV frequencies need to get re-allocated toward a faster, larger pipeline with restrictions placed on how much carriers can charge consumers for full unlimited access. The FCC serves the public. It's about time they acted like it.

BillDem
29 July, 2011 09:03

Reply Vote
- RE: Report: AT&T preparing to throttle heavy users on 'unlimited' plan
  
  @BillDem Always eager top blame the cellphone companies eh? They didn't force you to say that "cheap" to sign up for that new phone at "low" monthly payments, with that great plant for two years did they? Anyone who uses a cellphone for anything other than calling someone derserves a "shellacking"
  
  Charles_B
  29 July, 2011 09:31
  
  Reply Vote