AT&T data throttling for biggest users

[upnorth]

Quote:

AT&T tinkers with customers' 'unlimited data' plans

AT&T roughly has 17 million customers with “unlimited data” plans that can be subject to slowing, representing just under half of its smartphone users.

NEW YORK — Mike Trang likes to use his iPhone 4 as a GPS device, helping him get around in his job. Now and then, his younger cousins get ahold of it and play YouTube videos and games.

But in the past few weeks, there has been none of that, because AT&T Inc. put a virtual wheel clamp on his phone. Web pages wouldn't load and maps wouldn't render. Forget about YouTube videos — Trang's data speeds were reduced to dial-up levels.

“It basically makes my phone useless,” said Trang, an Orange County, Calif., property manager.

The reason: AT&T considers Trang to be among the top 5 percent of the heaviest cellular data users in his area. Under a new policy, AT&T has started cutting their data speeds as part of an attempt to manage data usage on its network.

So last month, AT&T “throttled” Trang's iPhone, slowing downloads by roughly 99 percent. That means a Web page that would normally take a second to load instead took almost two minutes.

AT&T has some 17 million customers with “unlimited data” plans that can be subject to throttling, representing just under half of its smartphone users. It stopped signing up new customers for those plans in 2010, and warned last year that it would start slowing speeds for people who consume the most data.

What's surprising people like Trang is how little data use it takes to reach that level — sometimes less than AT&T gives people on its “limited” plans.

Trang's iPhone was throttled just two weeks into his billing cycle, after he'd consumed 2.3 gigabytes of data. He pays $30 per month for “unlimited” data. Meanwhile, Dallas-based AT&T now sells a limited, or “tiered,” plan that provides 3 GB of data for the same price.

Users report that if they call the company to ask or complain about the throttling, AT&T customer support representatives suggest they switch to the limited plan.

“They're coaxing you toward the tiered plan,” said Gregory Tallman in Hopatcong, N.J. He hasn't had his iPhone 4S throttled yet, but he's gotten text messages from AT&T, warning that he's approaching the limit. This came after he had used just 1.5 GB of data in that billing cycle.

John Cozen, a Web and mobile applications designer in San Diego, hasn't been throttled, but he's been so disturbed by a warning that he's “almost scared to use the phone,” he said. Complaining to AT&T got him nowhere, and now he's looking to switch to another carrier.

“I don't think two to three gigabytes is an exorbitant amount,” he said. “Really, I'm just looking at pictures and text once in a while.”

AT&T spokesman Mark Siegel said that as of last summer, the top 5 percent of data users were using 2 GB of data per month. But he also said the company doesn't throttle all of the top 5 percent “unlimited” data users. Last month, the figure was 0.5 percent, or about 200,000 people, he said.

That's because AT&T only throttles users in areas where the wireless network is congested that month, Siegel said.

Siegel also said that aside from moving to a tiered plan, “unlimited” plan users on the cusp of being throttled can use one of AT&T's 30,000 Wi-Fi hotspots, where usage is unmetered.

The unlimited plan worked fine for AT&T a few years ago, when the iPhone was new. The company had ample capacity on its network and wanted to lure customers with the peace of mind offered by unlimited plans. Now, a majority of AT&T subscribers on contract-based plans have smartphones, and the proportion is growing every month. That's putting a big load on AT&T's network.

The limited data plans force subscribers to keep an eye on their usage, so they don't overwhelm AT&T's network. Verizon Wireless has adopted similar plans. But the two companies differ in how they manage their remaining “unlimited” subscribers.

Verizon doesn't slow down the “5 percent” unless the cell tower their phone is connected to is congested at that moment, and it slows them down by the minimum amount necessary. By contrast, once AT&T has decided to throttle your phone, it will be slow for the rest of the billing cycle, even if it's 3 a.m. and there are no other cell phones competing for the capacity of that particular cell tower.

Verizon's measures have drawn few complaints and, indeed, may have gone unnoticed, even by the “5 percent.”

T-Mobile USA is up front about the level at which it starts throttling: 5 GB. AT&T subscribers have no idea if they might be among the top 5 percent until they get the warning, which soon is followed by throttled service. While Trang was throttled at 2.3 gigabytes, he knows other iPhone owners who are using 5 or 6 gigabytes per month with impunity.

“It seems very random,” Trang said.

Sprint Nextel Corp. is hanging on to unlimited data plans without throttling, alone among the “Big Four” national wireless carriers.

Tallman sees few prospects for a lawsuit against AT&T. The company still is providing unlimited data usage to throttled customers, even if the speeds are so low as to make the phone useless for anything but phone calls and text messages. The company made no promises that “unlimited” data would always be coupled with high speeds, he notes.

“They just guaranteed the highway. They didn't guarantee the speed limit,” he said.

[Scott K]

I have gotten emails and notes in my bill that they were going to start doing this to the top users over a year ago. With letters explaining the top users some people using more then 100gigs a month. But it was going to be limitied in busier networks. I wasnt overly concerned, Henderson area wont be having any outages from over use anytime soon. I can understand ATT gripe, since there are abusers out there, and they have a contract too, so they need to try to ween the abusers out. I cant imagine they are actually going after people that use less then 5 gb a month though.

[upnorth]

I doubt the 5 gig users are going to see anything either, but to me you sign an unlimited contract you sign an unlimited contract.

[LwnmwnMan2]

I "THINK" we've been seeing this with our Frontier service.

Lately it seems like when we start getting later into the billing period, our internet slows WAY down, to the point where 1/3 of the time we can't get pages to load, 1/3 of the time they are about 1/2 speed and the last 1/3 it's fine.

I spoke with Frontier, but of course they aren't doing it, nor is it a problem on their end, it's all my equipment.

I've done all of the modem and router power cycles and resets, cleared all cache / cookies on the computers, etc., but it still happens.

Also, I've been waiting for the above from Verizon. I use about 40-60 gb / month on my phone, my wife about 10 gb.

[CAMAN]

All service providers do it, just some do it more drastically that others. I've heard rumors VZW throttles you back on your home tower and other towers you use most of your data on, and I have personally noticed it. When I am anywhere near my home tower I usually can't get anywhere over 8mbps, but the moment I leave the home tower and find the next tower speeds jump to 15-30mbps download speeds.

[upnorth]

Normal ISP performance is affected by how many users on are on at the same time. Their bandwidth is just like a water main with a bunch of small feeders on it, turn them all on at the same time and you will get less pressure on all of them. I am not saying an ISP won't throttle your usage, just not heard of one doing it yet.

[LwnmwnMan2]

Normal ISP performance is affected by how many users on are on at the same time. Their bandwidth is just like a water main with a bunch of small feeders on it, turn them all on at the same time and you will get less pressure on all of them. I am not saying an ISP won't throttle your usage, just not heard of one doing it yet.

If that's the case, then someone has come online in the last 2 months and REALLY started to use bandwidth between 5 pm and 10 pm, and again from about 8 am to noon.

[upnorth]

5 to 10 would be pretty normal high usage. Just think about everyone gets home from school work etc and checks email, FB and HSO some news site etc and then kids doing whatever kids do online.

I would try a few different internet speeds sites at different times of the day if it is all the same throughout the day they maybe throttling or just over sold their capacity.

[SkunkedAgain]

Hmmmm, I just checked my usage for the first time. I've got an unlimited plan but my job foots the bill. Since I upgraded to the iphone4 last June, I've received 3.8GB total - apparently I've never checked or reset the usage statistics. I don't watch movies or anything on my phone but surf the web, get work emails, and use the GPS functions.

How people can use that much in a month seems crazy but AT&T and others should honor "unlimited" plans. My guess is that there was language in the fine print that put limits on usage and they merely marketed it as unlimited. Still sounds like you could have a class action lawsuit since the marketing was inconsistent with the contract.

[itchmesir]

From my understanding At&t's "unlimited" data was already limited to like 5gb?.. why is this a surprise to anyone?

[Scott K]

From my understanding At&t's "unlimited" data was already limited to like 5gb?.. why is this a surprise to anyone?

They honored their unlimited plan for previous customers, but the new customers are limited to 5gb. I had the unlimited plan.

[itchmesir]

Well I'm glad sprint doesn't pull this non-sense.. at work i will stream music from my phone for 5-8+hrs... 5 days a week... plus throw in music downloads and webbing.. gps.. and by the end of the month i'm usually around 5-8gb of data

[lotsofish]

Well I'm glad sprint doesn't pull this non-sense.. at work i will stream music from my phone for 5-8+hrs... 5 days a week... plus throw in music downloads and webbing.. gps.. and by the end of the month i'm usually around 5-8gb of data

Are you sure? http://mashable.com/2012/01/05/truly-unlimited-data-throttle/

[Dave S]

I went over to Owatonna yesterday afternoon and as soon as I was far enough from the MN River Valley, I lost internet service on my phone. I could text and make calls but no surfing. As soon as I got home, my service was restored. I had 4 of 5 bars showing all the way to the Big C-Store and back.

Now rarely do I travel East from home. VZ is my service provider and Jr's phone did the same thing. I've gotten messages before stating that I have used 50% of my allowed 2gb but it's been within a week of the end of my billing cycle.

I was starting to think it was my phone but now I have my doubts. It seems as though the servers tied to the towers between here and O-Town were hosed up.