Metered Data Plans - Why Existing iPhone Users Don't Have To Worry

Andy
Andy Posts: 1,127
via Wordpress in iPhoneHacks.com
imageMetered Data Plans - Why Existing iPhone Users Don't Have To Worry

AT&T Mobility CEO Ralph de la Vega recently stirred up a hornet's nest by explicitly suggesting that usage based pricing could soon kick in as a means to counter the high bandwidth consumption by smartphone users who have played a big role in congesting the AT&T network infrastructure. So as...

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  • Jeff
    Jeff Posts: 126
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    I believe a class action lawsuit needs to take place with respect to carriers using the words "unlimited use"

  • iShaun 3.84
    iShaun 3.84 Posts: 10
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    ok...first off, if they go this route, I will jump ship asap. They have fucked with me for too long and if not for the iPhone, I would have left a couple years back. Secondly...let's say they go through with this and, not that it would likely happen, everyone decides to pay per usage, but still uses the same amount of data...you're network is still under the exact same congestion and is falling apart as before. The only difference being...you have more money, we have less. We are still in the same fucking boat! Fix the god damn network you fucks!

  • Steve
    Steve Posts: 326
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    Seems like this is all one big scam. They claim that we use so much data on our iPhones...how can this be? Not everyone is streaming video to the web or watching you tube videos. They claim the network is strained by a pretty constrained form of web browsing. We cannot download torrents/files/directly to the phone (werent we just barely allowed to download songs directly from iTunes to the iPhone?). The phone is not a computer. I can't play on xbox live via my iPhone. I cannot stream HD movies via netflix or iTunes (through to my appletv).

    At the same time AT&T/comcast are pushing towards a metered use of regular cable/dsl based Internet. Meanwhile they push us towards using wifi at home on our iPhones? I have dsl through AT&T and my iPhone. I think $125 a month is quite enough for my small tube to the Internet.

    Another thing, why don't they switch to metered phone usage (talk time) instead of making us by bundles of minutes? I don't give a **** about minutes. That the flipside to the data usage - voice usage declines. Granted data clogs **** more than voice....

    End rant.

  • Sean
    Sean Posts: 138
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    We are still in the same fucking boat! Fix the god damn network you fucks!

    Agreed and couldn't have stated it any more eloquently myself.

  • Wolverinemarky
    Wolverinemarky Posts: 518
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    you said it perfectly, they know apple is gonna jump ship sooner or lady to expand their market share so they figure screw us with this metered pricing while at the same time dont fix the problem until you actually have to. why sink 65 million dollars in one city thats a lot of money and according to new stories it didnt help one bit.

  • ELECTRO
    ELECTRO Posts: 2
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    Looks like ATT made their money already and they are getting ready to burn the bridge in a reasonable way so they dont have to pay back the people that still have the contract. I dont think ATT even care what apple do anymore.

  • Buff
    Buff Posts: 3
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    droid he i come if this goes threw!!!!!!!!

  • Jerry G
    Jerry G Posts: 4
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    +-++-++-++-+ +-++-++-+ +-++-++-++-+
    |F||U||C||K| |Y||O||U| |A||T||&||T|
    +-++-++-++-+ +-++-++-+ +-++-++-++-+

  • Harsha
    Harsha Posts: 84
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    Hold on! Does anyone know.. if Apple pays ATT for any app download??

  • steven
    steven Posts: 113
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    Ok, so why does your title state "Why existing iPhone users don't have to worry"? It sounds like we do. I was expecting to read that you had some kind of news such as if we already have a contact it won't affect us. Bad choice of title... Existing iPhone users still includes those who use a lot of bandwidth. I mean, I don't use much, but it's the principle. I have "unlimited" for a reason. I would like to know that I can use all I want without having to watch or worry about it. What does AT&T expect? There will always be that small percentage that use their unlimited plan 24/7.

    Now...I really doubt that anyone is able to consume 20GB like one user claimed to have done unless they are tethering. I'm guessing that people are tethering without AT&T being able to tell. That is going to happen though. If the phone is capable, there will always be some hack that allows users to break the rules. With that said, paying $30 a month should be enough to be allowed to tether. I'm sure many users barely use any data at all some months, like around 100MB or less. I'm talking about the older people who have an iPhone but mainly just talk on it. So AT&T can stop crying about usage. They never talk about how great it is to get $30 a month from people who don't even use data. I believe that it balances out. They say that 3% consume close to 40%. I'm betting that an even larger percentage like around 10% consume less than 1% - 5%. AT&T was just counting on forcing everyone to pay for an unlimited plan whether they used it or not hoping that most would be on the losing end. Now that they are the ones being hurt by their own plan, they want to change the rules. Ok, I'm done...

  • Dean
    Dean Posts: 125
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    155 dollars a month and they want more. att are u gus out of your minds.

  • Dean
    Dean Posts: 125
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    steven iphonehacks gonna charge by words for this long text same as att

  • Dan
    Dan Posts: 348
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    Well if they do start metering it at least it gives me a good reason to opt out of my "unlimited" contract and switch to another carrier. If they do pull this crap I'm goin right into AT&T and getting rid of them.

  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 0
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    2011, hmm,, it is good time to leave AT&T.

  • Asdf
    Asdf Posts: 37
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    Read the contract....that won't get you anywhere.

  • Flame Red
    Flame Red Posts: 42
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    Make sure you have your ad-blocker working so you don't pay for them eating up your 'unlimited' bandwidth!

  • Yacko
    Yacko Posts: 1
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  • Ejr9090
    Ejr9090 Posts: 6
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  • James
    James Posts: 258
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    this is bullshit...the only reason i'm with at&t is the iphone. if this goes through, i'll terminate my contract and go for the Droid.

  • Tankueray
    Tankueray Posts: 18
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    IANAL, however... If AT&T changes current in-contract users from unlimited to a cap, then it would be a material change in the contract that you could opt out of - meaning you can tell them to GDIAF and walk away with your iPhone without paying an ETF. Most people won't, because they are afraid to unlock, but we know better.

    In addition, I had two data cards that were unlimited. They started putting a 5GB/mo cap on data with new contracts, but my old contracts still stay at unlimited. This has been almost two years now.

  • Tankueray
    Tankueray Posts: 18
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    See my above reply to electro. Hopefully only new contracts will have the cap or we'll get to opt out.

    But you're right, we're already all paying a premium for data. My DSL is only $30 a month. I also pay AT&T $60/mo for a data card. I pay more per month for internet access than I do for electricity for a 3/2/1 house. Ridiculous.

  • Tankueray
    Tankueray Posts: 18
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    And the three newest phones on my account are iPhones. I could easily opt out them and pay the ETF for the one contract phone left on the account. Slight problem... I don't have T-Mobile in my area... So, sell the iPhones and get shiny new google phones yay!