[News] AT&T warns of clamping down on data hogs
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AT&T warns of coming clamp-down on iPhone data hogs
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Users who consume more than their fair share of bandwidth
on AT&T's wireless network could have a higher monthly bill
in the future, one company executive said Wednesday.
Speaking to investors at a UBS conference in New York,
Ralph de la Vega, head of consumer services for AT&T, said
that the nation's second-largest wireless provider has been
working to improve its network as bandwidth-hungry devices
like the iPhone 3GS have resulted in poorer quality service.
But he also said, according to The Associated Press, that it
is inevitable that high-bandwidth users will be charged for
what they use.
The report noted that 40 percent of the network capacity for
AT&T is used by just 3 percent of smartphone users. Most
of the bandwidth goes to activities like streaming audio and
video, available through various applications for download
on the iPhone.
De la Vega also revealed that the company intends to
improve its network coverage in major metropolitan areas
like New York and San Francisco, where there is a higher
concentration of smartphone users.
Earlier this year, the iPhone was referred to as the
"Hummer of cellphones" as AT&T's network struggled with
dropped calls and slow data following the launch of the
iPhone 3GS. A report said that the average iPhone user
consumes 10 times the bandwidth of a typical smartphone
user.
AT&T is spending $18 billion this year, part of it to
upgrade and expand its 3G network. But at the moment,
it does not have a data cap for iPhone users.
De la Vega reportedly said that AT&T will give
bandwidth-hogging users incentives to "reduce or modify
their usage." He said the company also, in the future,
hopes to make it easier for subscribers to determine how
much data they use each month.
"We've got to get them to understand what represents a
megabyte of data," he said. "We're improving all our
systems to let consumers get real-time information on
their data usage."
Competitor Verizon, America's largest wireless provider,
has recently taken aim at AT&T's 3G network coverage.
AT&T has fired back and insists that its 3G network is
faster than its competitors' networks.
Multimedia messaging functionality failed to meet its
deadline for iPhone users this past summer after AT&T
was concerned its introduction could have further impact
on its network performance. The wireless provider has
also held off on allowing data tethering, stating that
more work needs to be done on its 3G network to
support the additional bandwidth.
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News
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:-(
News
> Apologies for the triple post. Vodafone is a hopeless Internet Provider.
> :-(
>
>
Data hog... ;-/
Robert Haar
> From AppleInsider.com ...
>
> AT&T warns of coming clamp-down on iPhone data hogs
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------
> -----------
> Users who consume more than their fair share of bandwidth
> on AT&T's wireless network could have a higher monthly bill
> in the future, one company executive said Wednesday.
Huh? My plan is for unlimited data usage. How can any finite number be
considered excessive? What is my fair share of infinity?
Translation - they didn't expect that there would be much usage of the
unlimited data plan. Now they are discovering that it will cost more to
support than they expected. Boo Hoo , they made a bad bet.
DevilsPGD
was claimed to have wrote:
>Huh? My plan is for unlimited data usage. How can any finite number be
>considered excessive? What is my fair share of infinity?
>
>Translation - they didn't expect that there would be much usage of the
>unlimited data plan. Now they are discovering that it will cost more to
>support than they expected. Boo Hoo , they made a bad bet.
That's more or less my estimation. I've also got no particular pony in
this race, I'm on a 6GB plan and generally use less than 500MB, so I
don't really care.
However, it bothers me that some carriers seem to be blaming users here.
I don't see a lot of sympathy from carriers when a user decides they
want to get out of their contract a few months in without penalties, so
I'm not sure why carriers think they should get to make a bet and have
someone else cover their loss.
On the other hand, that does seem to be the name of the game these days.
Larry
> AT&T warns of coming clamp-down on iPhone data hogs
>
WiMax...WiMax...WiMax...WiMax...WiMax
The sooner the better!
Then they can take their hobbled up data shit and shove it up their greedy
asses.....
$2000/GB my ass.....
News
> Last time on alt.cellular.attws, News <Ne...@Groups.Name> said:
>
>> Your Name wrote:
>>> From AppleInsider.com ...
>>>
>>> AT&T warns of coming clamp-down on iPhone data hogs
>
>
> Whoever did NOT see this coming, raise your hand.
Whoever at AT&T waited this long, line up for firing...
News
The bad bet was on the iToy and its wasteful fanboi "users".
Todd Allcock
"DevilsPGD" <Death...@crazyhat.net> wrote in message
news:68p0i55bjdpklr5ni...@4ax.com...
There's no way this will affect any one in a current contract. This, if and
when implemented, will likely apply only to new users and anyone renewing a
contract (e.g. buying their next iPhone.) The real problem here for AT&T is
that, at least in America, consumers tend to avoid limted data ploans like
the plague. Not because we're data hogs, but because we can't wraps our
heads around how much data activities actually use. Is 100MB enough? 500?
1GB? Voice minutes are a tangible concept- an hour of talking is 60
minutes. But what's an hour of eBaying or Twittering equal?
I remember when AT&T Wireless Services (one of the carriers that, along with
Cingular, eventually became what now is AT&T Mobility) first launched GSM
service and offered data in monthly packages (2MB, 8MB, etc. per month!)
They had all these brochures with little charts that attempted to explain
how much data 2MB or 8MB was (e.g. "1000 emails," or "100 mobile web pages,"
etc.)
People certainly don't want to go back to metered data. so AT&T has to tread
a fine line "selling" this new limitation as no big deal to most customers.
(And frankly, it isn't.) I've always found it ironic that AT&T and Verizon
both have 5GB caps built right into their PC card data plans, but describe
their phone data plans as "unlimited," since they were secure in the
knowledge, until recently, "phones can't use much data." Ooops!
Simply applying the 5GB "laptop cap" to phones would probably solve the
problem. I personally, however, like T-Mobile's solution the best. They
offer unlimited data on thier phones, but threatens to cap transfer speed to
50kbps for the rest of the month if you exceed their "fair use" cap (which
is currently 10GB- I guess if you deploy a brand-new 3G network years after
everyone else, and sell only a half-dozen devices that can access it so
almost no one is using it yet, you can be generous with the bandwidth!)
As an aside, I reset the data counter on my wife's iPhone the other day, and
it read she'd used about 2.5GB of data. The last time I reset it was about
year ago. 250MB/month seems on the light side to me.
Larry
news:kf9Um.583$Z%1....@newsfe02.iad:
> The real problem here for AT&T is
> that, at least in America, consumers tend to avoid limted data ploans
> like the plague.
Perhaps $2,000/GB is a bit too pricey, even for Americans....??
DevilsPGD
What makes you think WiMax will be any better/different?
>$2000/GB my ass.....
If you're into that sort of thing, who am I to stop you?
Here Comes The Next Generation iPhone 4
> In message <Xns9CDD261647A1noonehome...@74.209.131.13> Larry> >"Your Name" <your.n...@isp.com> wrote innews:hfovsm$qf9$1...@lust.ihug.co.nz:
>
> >> AT&T warns of coming clamp-down on iPhone data hogs
>
> >WiMax...WiMax...WiMax...WiMax...WiMax
>
> >The sooner the better!
>
> >Then they can take their hobbled up data shit and shove it up their greedy
> >asses.....
>
> What makes you think WiMax will be any better/different?
>
> >$2000/GB my ass.....
>
> If you're into that sort of thing, who am I to stop you?
Off course Larry hasn't a clue.
I investigated WiMax, around here it is known as CLEAR.
On paper it sounds good but I discovered that they strictly data cap
the thing like most cell phone plans at unrealistic low points for my
thpe of use. The other problem is the radio frequency they use doesn't
penetrate glass and walls all that well when you get away from the
closest towers.
AT&T 3G works fine inside and at the lowest levels of the house. I
rely on it when the cable Internet goes down for some reason.
AT&T 3G works in most areas I travel in too with only a few tiny dead
spots which is to be expected. I even see dead spots with ham radio on
2 m or 70 cm which have better coverage than cellular frequencies. It
all depends on where the nearest tower is.
Larry
news:j4s4i5pkvi2vosodc...@4ax.com:
> What makes you think WiMax will be any better/different?
>
>
I guess I was wrong. It worked great in Atlanta when I tested it, but
others have different opinions like they do with ATT....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaaN2yqTYik&NR=1&feature=fvwp
Larry
> What makes you think WiMax will be any better/different?
>
>
The more I read, the worse it gets. WiMax is doomed:
http://clearwiresucks.com/blog/2009/01/07/leaked-internal-cancelation-
process-document/#comment-17455
Larry
news:56558cb7-4ddf-4c98...@y24g2000yqb.googlegroups.com:
> I investigated WiMax, around here it is known as CLEAR.
>
>
I'd like to apologize. The more I read, the worse it gets:
http://clearwiresucks.com/blog/2009/01/07/leaked-internal-cancelation-
process-document/#comment-17455
Just another asshole sellphone company like the rest of them.....
Your Name
"Larry" <no...@home.com> wrote in message
news:Xns9CDE9911BB0...@74.209.131.13...
> DevilsPGD <Death...@crazyhat.net> wrote in
> news:j4s4i5pkvi2vosodc...@4ax.com:
>
> > What makes you think WiMax will be any better/different?
>
> I guess I was wrong.
Well that's absolutely no surprise. You're ALWAYS posting half-assed garbage
that is wrong, nonsense and complete lies. :-\
Marc Stibane
Exactly. I pay 5ￜ/mo for 3GB of data, which is enough for me even though
I also use this data on my MacBook (tethering is legal and free!) - in
fact this is my only internet and phone connection, I don't have a
landline or cable modem anymore.
Oh, and Skype is also included, free and legal...
www.drei.at
--
In a world without walls and fences,
who needs windows and gates?
Larry
news:1jalzj5.fi...@marc.my-fqdn.de:
> Exactly. I pay 5�/mo for 3GB of data, which is enough for me even though
> I also use this data on my MacBook (tethering is legal and free!) - in
> fact this is my only internet and phone connection, I don't have a
> landline or cable modem anymore.
>
> Oh, and Skype is also included, free and legal...
> www.drei.at
>
>
>
Geez, Marc, EASY! That hits us poor bastards stuck with American carriers
pretty hard! You're liable to cause a RIOT at some company stores
wondering why Americans can't get service for what Deutchland can....
Really wide pipe broadband is so cheap in Asia, I have to plug my ears and
cover my eyes when they brag about it....(c;]
Have pity! Pity!
Marc Stibane
>>>> Perhaps $2,000/GB is a bit too pricey, even for Americans....??
> > Exactly. I pay 5ￜ/mo for 3GB of data, which is enough for me even though
> > I also use this data on my MacBook (tethering is legal and free!) - in
> > fact this is my only internet and phone connection, I don't have a
> > landline or cable modem anymore.
> >
> > Oh, and Skype is also included, free and legal...
> > www.drei.at
> Geez, Marc, EASY! That hits us poor bastards stuck with American carriers
> pretty hard! You're liable to cause a RIOT at some company stores
Of course, this tarif doesn't include an iPhone. Though you can get
other UMTS phones for 3ￜ (yes, three. Once, not per month).
I bought my iPhone directly from the AppleStore Italia, where by law all
phones mustn't have SIMlocks, and so can be used with any 3G-carrier
world-wide. 599ￜ for a 16GB 3GS, plus 24*5ￜ for 2 years adds to 719ￜ,
roughly $1000. I could get 15GB/mo for 15ￜ, or unlimited for 25ￜ, but
3GB for 5ￜ is enough for me, since I download larger files at work.
> wondering why Americans can't get service for what Deutchland can....
.at = Austria
.de = Deutschland
Germany is still quite expensive compared to Austria - a friend of mine
pays 79ￜ/mo for unlimited data plus 1000 minutes talk-out (talk-in is
free in Europe - callers pay more to ring a cellphone than a landline).
The iPhone was included, so she pays 24*79 = 1896ￜ in two years, after
that she can get the SIMlock removed and sell her 3G for 350ￜ.
But she needs that 1000 minutes...