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Reminder: AT&T data throttling begins Oct. 1

by Kelly Hodgkins Sep 30th 2011 at 11:00AM

Just a reminder that starting Saturday, AT&T will begin throttling customers who use excessive data on their unlimited plans. Customers identified as bandwidth hogs will have their speeds reduced for the remainder of their billing cycle. Once a new cycle starts, full service will be restored.

AT&T says these changes should affect only 5 percent of its customers. It will send out notices and give customers a grace period before it throttles an account. AT&T is not the only carrier with a throttle policy. Both Virgin Mobile and Verizon Wireless recently introduced similar bandwidth throttling policies.



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Just a reminder that starting Saturday, AT&T will begin throttling customers who use excessive data on their unlimited plans....
 

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Steve Martin

Why isn't anyone talking class action lawsuit against AT&T involving all those folks like myself who are grandfathered into unlimited plans?? To so blatantly and unilaterally breach the original contract has a name, it is FRAUD. I am not a huge bandwidth user, but I think it sets a horrible precedent for companies like this to just be able to change a contract when it becomes uncomfortable for them to honor it, and not be held liable. I am a Realtor®, and my clients would get sued in a heartbeat if they tried to do that on a home purchase!

February 16 2012 at 8:44 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
S S

I would love to get throttled speeds. My speed now is so slow throttling might actually help.

October 03 2011 at 3:39 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
daryl

You mean it hasn't been throttled for the last several years? Sure felt like it...

September 30 2011 at 6:18 PM Report abuse +1 rate up rate down Reply
Jaegu Yoon

I guess I won't be able to watch slingbox while stuck in traffic anymore.... T.T

September 30 2011 at 5:24 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
H

I don't know about anybody else, but I could use a good throttling.

September 30 2011 at 5:19 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Wheat Williams

Um, you're talking about phone customers, aren't you? Your article never used the term "phone." At first I thought you were referring to AT&T home DSL customers, of which I am one. How could you leave this crucial fact out of your article?

September 30 2011 at 3:12 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
2 replies to Wheat Williams's comment
Jon

"AT&T is not the only carrier with a throttle policy. Both Virgin Mobile and Verizon Wireless recently introduced similar bandwidth throttling policies."

Probably should have been your clue this was wireless related.

September 30 2011 at 5:01 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
puhsitch

Go go gadget context!

September 30 2011 at 6:32 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Ben

so there's a 2G limit and throttling?

I don't understand

September 30 2011 at 2:25 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
david schloss

Hey, this corresponds nicely with when a new iPhone comes out and I leave AT&T forever. Thanks AT&T for taking me, a loyal customer of many years with an unlimited plan on 4 devices and making me a customer of your competitor. CYA.

September 30 2011 at 2:15 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
2 replies to david schloss's comment
govemyes

Be happy you even have the unlimited plan... Why does everyone think that by rage quitting your gonna cause the company harm. Infact I would bet that they want you to leave.

September 30 2011 at 3:22 PM Report abuse +1 rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to govemyes's comment
Shannon Doherty

So don't quit? Keep paying them money and make them profit despite being unhappy and unsatisfied with their policies? Smart!

October 01 2011 at 2:45 PM Report abuse rate up rate down
CcarterRun

Trust me David, I understand your frustration. I think its a joke that any of us are being throttled, but Its NOT like its exclusive to this carrier. Verizon is doing it too(not to mention a few others). The difference is, we WON'T be charged the $10 for every GIG used after the 2GIG limit is reached. It still makes me feel at ease that I avoid those stupid charges. Point is, dont bite the hand that feeds you, the grass isn't always greener on the other side.....
I'm just sayin...

September 30 2011 at 6:08 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to CcarterRun's comment
Shannon Doherty

Sprint. At least for the time being and when they get the iPhone 5

October 01 2011 at 2:46 PM Report abuse rate up rate down
Andrew

So at the risk of getting flamed here...but with throttling AT&T is not limiting the amount of bandwidth you can use just the speed at which you receive it.

Besides, the 3G network in Atlanta has gotten so bad in the last 2 years, I don't think I'd notice if I was being throttled!

September 30 2011 at 1:27 PM Report abuse +2 rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to Andrew's comment
Actionable Mango

Let's say someone offered you and I an UNLIMITED amount of money, but capped the rate to one penny a month. You'd celebrate your new found winnings of UNLIMITED amounts of money. I would sit there and think, 12 cents a year?

September 30 2011 at 3:44 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to Actionable Mango's comment
puhsitch

I suppose that could be a sensible comparison if AT&T were throttling users down to like 300 baud.

September 30 2011 at 6:21 PM Report abuse -1 rate up rate down
Todd Kelly

I don't see how it is legal to to alter my plan when I've signed a contract. If my contract says unlimited, it should BE unlimited. It's why I never changed my account - I was promised it would stay this way.

I wonder what the fine print of my contract says...

September 30 2011 at 12:49 PM Report abuse +1 rate up rate down Reply
2 replies to Todd Kelly's comment
DoctorofGallifrey

Oh, your data will be unlimited....but the SPEED which you recieve that unlimited data shall be altered.

September 30 2011 at 1:52 PM Report abuse +3 rate up rate down Reply
Rob O'Dell

Having worked customer service for Verizon, and having actually read my AT&T 2 year agreement - Your contract and your plan are in no way related. You don't sign a two year contract to always have your exact plan, only that you'll have 2 years of service as long as you keep paying your bill. If you were agreeing to a specific plan then every time you made a change then you'd have to sign a new contract. You'd never be out of contract. Also, throttling your speeds does not change the amount you're afforded. It's not unlimited allowance at x-speed. Relax. Think about it. If you want, call and complain - they'll tell you exactly the same thing. Change is scary, I know. You'll be okay.

September 30 2011 at 1:53 PM Report abuse +3 rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to Rob O'Dell's comment
cbrg148

You're wrong, it does change the amount of Data I use. Let's take the example of a car driving down the road. The car=iPhone and the distance =data.

If I have a car that will drive 60 miles in a day, in the course of 30 days, I'll drive 1800 miles. Now, if Ford adds a device that throttles speed so that I can only drive 30 miles in a day, then in the course of 30 days, I'll only drive 900 miles. I have covered less ground i.e. used less data.

So it's not unlimited data anymore. It's limited by my speed.Throttling inhibits me from using data. Period. It makes the AMOUNT of data I can use in a month less by slowing down my bandwidth.

Common sense.

February 16 2012 at 8:40 AM Report abuse rate up rate down
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