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AT&T to throttle data speeds for 'unlimited' hogs

Fri Jul 29, 2011 5:28 PM EDT
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Peter Svensson, AP Technology Writer
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NEW YORK — AT&T Inc. said Friday that it's going to start limiting speeds for the 5 percent of its customers with "unlimited" data smartphone plans who clog the airwaves the most.

The measure will take effect Oct. 1, AT&T said, and is intended to alleviate congestion on the network.

T-Mobile USA already throttles users who go over certain limits for data consumption.

AT&T stopped signing up new customers for "unlimited" plans last year. Instead, it now lets heavy users pay extra when they go over a certain data allotment.

Verizon Wireless also recently stopped signing up new customers for unlimited service.

AT&T says it will warn users when they are approaching joining the top 5 percent, and anyone subject to the speed limits will experience them until the next billing cycle starts.

The Dallas-based phone company says that what puts someone in the top 5 percent is usually streaming video or playing some online games.

AT&T won't count data use over Wi-Fi, just usage over the cellular network.

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Online:

AT&T statement: http://bit.ly/r4JTVp

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Peter Svensson can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/petersvensson

© 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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AmusedinVa

How nice of them to come up with something so novel as to charge more for poorer service. It's easy to see how so many companies make record profits when instead of upgrading their service to met demands they just downgrade the service for the customers who already pay the most.

  • 4 votes
Reply#1 - Fri Jul 29, 2011 6:48 PM EDT
Shosyn

If you do not like the service provided then disconnect.

Nothing more to be said. I do not keep paying for products that I think have no value or are to expensive for the value offered.

Vote with your wallet and not your mouths.

  • 1 vote
Reply#2 - Sun Jul 31, 2011 9:59 AM EDT
RebootIt

If you do not like the service provided then disconnect

.

It's not that simple for professionals who need to be connected to work 24/7.

  • 1 vote
Reply#3 - Mon Aug 1, 2011 12:24 AM EDT
katrix

They only have so much bandwidth available. If they don't throttle back some customers, a lot more of their customers will experience slowness eventually, and maybe bail. It does reek of bait and switch, though - they should have considered that this would happen from the beginning.

All the carriers wish they had never offered unlimited data plans and that they could cancel their existing ones. Legally they can't, I guess, so they'll find another way to screw people over.

  • 1 vote
Reply#4 - Mon Aug 1, 2011 12:44 PM EDT
28az

With the profit they are making the could come up with faster bandwidth, just like the foreign country. You offer one thing and then turn around and change, there is something wrong with that.

First AT&T does have poor service I left them two years ago now I use my I-phone for a alarm clock, glad I left and enjoy the company I am using now for half the price along with better service.

    Reply#5 - Mon Aug 1, 2011 4:32 PM EDT
    Jeremiah-2094437

    This is B.S!

    I pay for "unlimited" not "limited with unlimited limits" wtf!? this has to be illegal!!

    I bought, signed a contract... somewhere in there I know there's some f'ed up provision saying they can do this but dam it....

    it's not in english!!! /sacasm

    • 1 vote
    Reply#6 - Wed Aug 3, 2011 5:41 PM EDT
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