Hey AT&T!

If AT&T really has a capacity problem why is that my problem anyway?

I have a smartphone from AT&T. I am on their unlimited plan. I use my phone incessantly usually via WiFi. That’s about to change!

AT&T has begun taking the top 5% of their wireless users and throttling their data service. Instead of getting 3G or 4G service they are reduced to dial-up speed. Reports say this slowdown is happening at around 2GB downloaded.

AT&T, you’ve managed to piss me off even though I’m nowhere near the cutoff point!

Over time we will all demand more data. Putting limits on data now will inhibit innovation in new services. It protects AT&T’s interest at the expense of ours.

If things are really bad AT&T has the ability to be more flexible in who gets cut off and when. What purpose is there cutting someone off in the middle of the night or on an underutilized cell? They’re able to separate day from night on cell calls and even roll over unused minutes. Doing the same for data seems a trifle.

If AT&T really has a capacity problem why is that my problem anyway?

As a service to my fellow AT&T subscribers I’ll be turning off WiFi for data and using cell service instead. If each of us increases our usage the 5% threshold will increase as well. It’s the least I can do.

11 thoughts on “Hey AT&T!”

  1. Geoff, heres a screenshot of my data usage.

    http://twitpic.com/6e6pep

    An important detail about AT&Ts practice atleast for the time being is that they are only throttling in major markets where data capacity struggles to meet demand.

    Luckily, suburbs of Connecticut aren’t major data hogs–yet.

  2. One kid throws an eraser at the back of the teacher’s head while she is writing on the blackboard. No one will confess, so she gives the entire class a detention. 29 of those 30 kids did absolutely nothing wrong, and none of them had the power to make it right by confessing, either.

    1. This is an excellent analogy, but why advertise it as “unlimited” if it isn’t.. Shame on the data hogs, but also shame on ATT for selling something they can’t fulfill..

      They’ve also started capping their home internet users (50gb a month – if I run a full data backup on my websites, that’s half that..)

  3. Geoff
    I believe that AT&T is only doing this to people who still have an unlimited plan in an effort to make them switch to a tiered date plan. Just hope that doesn’t happen with Verizon because I love my unlimited data!

    1. I too have Verizon with the unlimited plan and I plan to keep it that way by not renewing when my 2 years are up and going month to month instead. The bad news is you have to stay with the phone you have now, but as far as I know they can’t change your plan until you renew.

      1. I’m on Verizon, unlimited, just renewed in November, old plan carried over, unlimited data and all. (and got a fancy new HTC Rezound)

  4. This goes along with the practice of charging extra for text messages. A text message uses a very small fraction of what a voice call uses, yet they chage extra for it. Just another way to take our money!

  5. This goes along with the practice of charging extra for text messages. A text message uses a very small fraction of what a voice call uses, yet they chrage extra for it. Just another way to take our money!

  6. Former co-workers of mine were AT&T Mobility customers. When I needed to borrow their phones as my Sprint PCS phone was dead or in use by someone else, I frequently had my calls or data usage attempts fail due to network busy. I vividly remember one afternoon: around 3pm, in Norwalk, I was attempting to call my parents’ house (“old SNET” service) in Danbury. Multiple attempts were blocked. Calling Dad’s Sprint PCS phone was no problem. Does AT&T have limited voice circuits between their own wireline and wireless switches?? I also heard of many, many problems with their poor data service. After I got my Sprint 4G phone that could be a “Mobile Hotspot”, most of my AT&T co-workers would ask to use my phone’s hotspot so they didn’t have to deal with AT&T’s poor network. I have been a happy customer of Sprint PCS for nearly 13 years. A good number of people need to leave AT&T mobility for them to get the hint, though I bet they won’t. I like Geoff’s suggestion of only using the mobile macronetwork instead of his own internet to make a greater number of “Top 5%”, but this will likely lead only to user frustration. Even during Geoff’s “office” time of 1AM-4AM, the mobile network is significantly slower than what Comcast can provide, even at peak loading.
    Disclosure: I am not compensated by, employed by, nor a stock holder of any telecommunications network provider!

  7. The City of San Antonio, TX, the former Headquarters city of AT&T, recently changed their wireless service to Sprint from (ex-SBC)AT&T. As the news release said, the City had been a customer of (the corporate forerunners of “New”) AT&T for over 20 years! I wonder if they took any notice?? Again, I don’t work for Sprint, but I am a fan.

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