AT&T Responds To FTC Throttling Allegations

[exfileme]

AT&T is accused by the FTC of throttling customers with unlimited data plans.

AT&T Responds To FTC Throttling Allegations : Read more

 

[XaveT]

As one of the affected users:

No, AT&T, you are not transparent. You lie about your transparency as well. What does that say to everyone else? (I know, everyone does it, yadda yadda yadda...)

They also do not seem to know what the word unlimited means. I would love for the courts to bring this out and say, "No, you cannot redefine common words to mean something else in your contracts. If you mean something else, say it. Otherwise, we will hold you to it."

I have had some terrible experience with AT&T, so I am certainly biased however.

 

[punahou1]

They also do not seem to know what the word unlimited means. I would love for the courts to bring this out and say, "No, you cannot redefine common words to mean something else in your contracts. If you mean something else, say it. Otherwise, we will hold you to it.".

Is not your issue with how they define "speed" as opposed to "unlimited"?

 

[vertigo_2000]

I'm not up on this whole issue, were they offering "Unlimited Data" or "Unlimited Data at however quickly you can consume it"?

I like salad, if I go to a buffet offering "Unlimited Salad", I expect to enjoy it at the rate I can consume it. But if I can have all the salad I can eat as they bring it out to me at a rate of 1 serving every hour, then I may not be too happy, but technically, the restaurant hasn't lied to me or misadvertised... I can stay there and eat all the salad I want.

 

[TeamColeINC]

AT&T is for sure NOT transparent with their customers. Just a couple months ago I had to yell at one of their representatives because they had my grandmother paying $36 a month for 2 Mbps internet through U-verse, after that she got 12 Mbps for $25.

 

[mr grim]

That's why I love my current provider, they advertised their plan as unmetered and that's exactly what it is, I have true unlimited unlike what my previous provided that cost more and throttled your connection to dial up speeds.

 

[r0llinlacs]

I've had Boost (which I've heard uses AT&T's network) for almost two years now, and I received a text about 5 or 6 months ago (Not in 2011, as they say) that stated any data usage over 2Gb would result in throttling of my data service (Mind you, on my "unlimited" everything plan). It kind of ticked me off because well, obviously, that's not unlimited anymore, that's a 2Gb data plan. I'm not too mad about it, and I'm not tied to a contract, so I can't complain much about the service terms changing. I never even come close to using 2Gb in a month anyways.

But... I feel even more sorry for the contracted AT&T users, and this is just one more reason to avoid contracts like the plague.

 

[maddad]

First of all, they require you to buy a data plan for a smartphone whether you want/need one or not. Then they advertise that their network has 4G LTE speed to get you to buy a device that also has that speed capability. Unlimited data should mean unlimited data at the speed of the device you sold me. If I am on a 30 gig plan it wouldn't be 15 gig at full speed and then we drop you down to dialup speed for the other 15. These companies want to advertise falsely to get people to sign contracts and then complain when people expect to get what they signed up for. I have StraightTalk which uses AT&T's network. They also advertise 4G LTE speed, it works pretty well during the day, but at night sometimes it's less than dialup speed. I only use about 200mb a month of my 3g limit (high speed), my point is they don't deliver what I pay for. Next month I will no longer be a StraightTalk customer!

 

[Neog2]

Snake I have the big three and I have one of the AT&T old unlimited plans as well as Verizon's old unlimited plan, and Sprints $99 unlimited everything old plan. The terminology in the terms and conditions for each of those plans says nothing about throttling. But in order to keep these plans I have had to not renew my contracts and just buy my phones out right full retail price which isn't big a deal when you consider I get to keep my true unlimited data. At a price point where others are paying considerably more for a limited amount of data.
(Now all current newer terms in conditions on those carriers include a throttling clause.)


I own my own businesses and I'm on my phones alot on my Sprint account which has the newest phone Note 3 for the past year I have averaged about 40GB a month. I do have Wi-Fi at home and at my office and I auto connect to those when I'm there but more than not I'm out and about. If I counted wifi data I'm sure together I average 80-90GB a month but my phone only tracks cellular data.

I have a screen shot if you wish to see.

I point this out to say that you say you're on your phone on average 18 hours a day which basically means you have your phone in your hand every awake moment. I average my 40GB/month on my note 3 with about 4-5 hrs a day. People use their devices and service differently than the next person.

Picture:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/8prza77pp8yl33l/2014-09-19%2014.21.28.png?dl=0

 

[Neog2]

Snake I have the big three and I have one of the AT&T old unlimited plans as well as Verizon's old unlimited plan, and Sprints $99 unlimited everything old plan. The terminology in the terms and conditions for each of those plans says nothing about throttling. But in order to keep these plans I have had to not renew my contracts and just buy my phones out right full retail price which isn't big a deal when you consider I get to keep my true unlimited data. At a price point where others are paying considerably more for a limited amount of data.
(Now all current newer terms in conditions on those carriers include a throttling clause.)


I own my own businesses and I'm on my phones alot on my Sprint account which has the newest phone Note 3 for the past year I have averaged about 40GB a month. I do have Wi-Fi at home and at my office and I auto connect to those when I'm there but more than not I'm out and about. If I counted wifi data I'm sure together I average 80-90GB a month but my phone only tracks cellular data.

I have a screen shot if you wish to see.

I point this out to say that you say you're on your phone on average 18 hours a day which basically means you have your phone in your hand every awake moment. I average my 40GB/month on my note 3 with about 4-5 hrs a day. People use their devices and service differently than the next person.

Picture:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/8prza77pp8yl33l/2014-09-19%2014.21.28.png?dl=0

 

[hoofhearted]

We have to treat bandwidth like it is some precious resource the we need to minimize, all to make these monopolistic cellular CEO profits high. So much for innovation in the USA. This country used to be great.

 

[red77star]

Someone has to step on these carrier including Verizon Wireless...It is <Mod Edit> insane how much they charge people...absolute <Mod Edit>.

 

[hitman40]

FYI guys, unlimited data doesn't mean unlimited speed.

AT&T specifically tells you that you have X amount of data before we throttle the speed.

 

[Wisecracker]

AT&T has not changed a bit in my lifetime ... and I'm really old.

They'll hide behind their massive legal department for years before shelling-out tens of millions of dollars in settlement costs ... that they will subsequently write-off on their taxes.

Just wait for them to bring AT&T 'service' to DirectTV (rolling eyes).

It is well past time for the FTC/FCC to crack-down on the provider Clown Posse practice of throttling bandwidth under the guise of 'network management'

There is a special place in Hell for these dirt bags ....

 

[ClemsonEE]

As someone affected every single month by this throttling, it is very telling how AT&T treats their longest and most loyal customers (as we've had our unlimited plans for several years now...).

They are NOT transparent. I do NOT receive a text message whenever I'm about to be throttled, it just occurs. And they throttle more than 90%.

I go from 56Mbps/Mmbps whenever not throttled to .23Mbps/.47Mbps whenever throttled. They throttled over 99% of your typical speed. My phone becomes practically useless, and usually for more than an entire week as I hit 5GB pretty early.

There is absolutely no reason AT&T cannot reasonably throttle their unlimited users. Throttle my phone to 5Mbps, that's acceptable, and still gives me the ability to freaking use my phone. But throttling my phone to dial up speeds is unacceptable, and I hope the FTC skewers you.

 

[tricksy]

I've had AT&T's unlimited plan for years now, and I've never received a text message saying I've exceeded a certain data amount and they are now throttling me. I noticed the throttling clause is stated on their website for the unlimited plan, but it was never clearly communicated to me when, or down to what speed, throttling would be applied.

 

[punk_and_goth]

as a "grandfathered in" unlimited plan user since the very first iphone i go over the "5gb limit" all the time ( one month i managed 27gb ) and at&t throttling is so bad i can't even use my phone as a <Mod Edit> gps or stream music and lets <Mod Edit> forget just googling something unless you have 30 minutes to spare
And here is my speed test ( while in the at&t store at that ! )

https://imgur.com/WcBeNGu

View: http://i.imgur.com/WcBeNGu.png

 

[87pathfinder]

Neog2, tell me your screen shot of 40GB in a month has to be on Sprint, right? I think of the 3 carriers you mentioned they are the only one whose unlimited plan means unlimited amount and unlimited speed. No way Verizon's or ATT's "unlimited" plans will get you 40GB at full speed unless you are buying 40GB.

 

[Dookiebomb]

Tmobile doesn't throttle either on unlimited. I've used over 100gb in a month and I wasn't throttled.

 

[JackNaylorPE]

I also long predate the 2011 throttling announcement.... my 1st exposure was when my son out attending flight school in Tulsa.... got slapped twice with having him kicke of the plan because of alleged "tethering". They said that "tethering" was using your cell phone on your laptop to surf over wireless..... so we made sure he didn't do that again. The 2nd time he was slapped for tethering for using Pandora to play music over his car stereo. a practice that in our previous conversation was described as perfectly acceptable.

We than got the usage text warning about throttling .... again, I argued that our unlimited plans go back to the Treo 650 (circa 2005 ?) and therefore were grandfathered. But 3 of our 4 phones never get near throttling. If they are gonna bitch, they should be basing it on the package, not each phone .... what's worse for the network 4 x 2 Gb or 1 x 5 GB.

The real bitch is the mandatory data plan....I can deal with the if you take the subsidy , you gotta pay for it w/ data plan. What I can't deal with is having an unused old paid for iPhone sitting here that my wife can't use for just texting and phone calls.

 

[f-14]

more democrat political backlash against the tea party & their supporters. AT&T and Verizon both donated almost $400,000 to rand paul and the tea party... the iTard users were furious when they found this out.