AT&T killing unlimited data plan for new users

[whmurray]

We don't know that "tethering" means a mifi app on the iphone. I really doubt it will. If that's the case, you won't be tethering an ipad to your iphone.

I take it to mean using USB on a PC or Mac.

I've not seen AT&T even mention wifi tethering.

At this point, they still have not talked about the service, only the application surcharge. I hope that this surcharge kills the app, lest we encourage them to surcharge other applications.

 

[whmurray]

Why, you can still keep your unlimited plan! :/

I cannot keep my unlimited plan without extending my contract or committing to a $375- early termination fee.

 

[whmurray]

i bet now Video Calls over 3G (IF Possible) will have a separate fee a month now as well?

Bite your tongue!

 

[whmurray]

Penny Wise and Pound Foolish

I guess this is great news for low data users.

I do not agree. It establishes the principle of metered data and fixes the price. Five years ago, I did not use any wireless data at all. This year my data use doubled over the previous year. I expect it to continue to rise. The pundits have been all over the networks today talking about how we are shifting our data usage from wired, "all you can eat," to wireless, now metered, at least by AT&T.

How is this good news even for those who will get a smaller bill for a few months?

AT&T's cost per bit will drop a thousand fold when they deploy 4G. While Verizon users will enjoy the efficiency of 4G as well as the higher speed, we may enjoy the higher data rate, we can use more data in the same amount of time, but AT&T users will not enjoy any of the benefit of AT&T's reduced cost per bit.

This is bad news whoever you are.

If they succeed in imposing the surcharge on tethering, then they will have established the principle that they can surcharge any application they like. That is bad new for everyone. This is how they plan to take money from developers. This is why the developers of PDANet say that they are not planning a product for the un-JB iPhone. AT&T is doing in the wireless space what the FCC has warned them not to do in the wired Internet space, surcharging applications and devices. If they can impose a surcharge on tethering, why not on Skype, Sling, Google, or TomTom traffic?

This is bad news for everyone.

If they want to discourage traffic, they should price bits, not apps. If they want to price apps or services, they should develop them and offer them in competition with everyone else. They should not take advantage of the investment of others.

Imagine that you are thinking of developing an iPhone service. You calculate the cost to yourself, the value to the user and based upon that, you invest. You announce your service and AT&T imposes a surcharge on it. You do not get any of the revenue generated by the surcharge and you lose customers unwilling to pay it. Perhaps confronted with the uncertainty as to whether or not AT&T will surcharge your product, you decide that the risk reward is too high and you do not invest at all.

This is bad for everyone. Even those who enjoy a slight price break early, AT&T's bait, will suffer in the long run, AT&T's hook.

We had better hope that AT&T's competitors seize the opportunity to take subscribers from AT&T rather than try to take more revenue from their existing subscribers.

 

[west3man]

I am incredibly surprised that the tech analysts aren't giving AT&T more hell for this bait and switch. I kinda wish these threads hadn't been merged because now here, like so many places, people are talking about iPhone usage much more than iPad usage. This is quite a blow for device that just debuted - which I guess now applies to the iPhone 4 device to a degree but the iPad was announced with this plan and now it is not available to anyone who didn't get the device within the first 30 days.

This is incredibly dirty pool. I hope AT&T's Facebook page is still on fire with critics.

In fact, I think I'll drop by there, right now.

 

[whmurray]

I am incredibly surprised that the tech analysts aren't giving AT&T more hell for this bait and switch. I kinda wish these threads hadn't been merged because now here, like so many places, people are talking about iPhone usage much more than iPad usage. This is quite a blow for device that just debuted - which I guess now applies to the iPhone 4 device to a degree but the iPad was announced with this plan and now it is not available to anyone who didn't get the device within the first 30 days.

This is incredibly dirty pool. I hope AT&T's Facebook page is still on fire with critics.

In fact, I think I'll drop by there, right now.

Does AT&T ever read it? Any evidence that they care?

 

[whmurray]

The Federal Trade Commission is reportedly beginning a formal investigation into Apple's decision to block out certain software from its iOS (previously known as iPhone OS) and whether it qualifies as an antitrust violation.

 

[solius]

the most ive ever used was just above 200mb guess im gonna save some cash . I for one thing the new data plans are great. heck my mom is even upgrading to the new iphone 4 because of it

 

[whmurray]

This happens to coincide with them allowing Skype to work over their 3G network. I think that they could be worried that VOIP will take away from their voice revenue. Why not just give the option for people who want to use VOIP to have an additional charge?

The real problem is that they are the only provider for the iPad at this point. If you could get a data plan from Verizon, sprint, or t-mobile the AT&T crackdown wouldn't be such a big thing.

In the sixties an AT&T executive told me that data would never be a significant market. They do not have a good record for "the vision thing." On the other hand, if they do not see VoIP coming, they are in denial. The cost of voice telephony to the consumer has been dropping for two generations, since the Carter-Phone decision.

AT&T needs a new business model. If they continue to defend the old model, they will pursue it into oblivion. There are some feeble signs that they are trying, at least on the wireless side. They seem to understand that all voice telephony will be digital and wireless. They do not seem to know how to value it or price it.

On the other hand, pricing and rationing the Micro-cell and restricting its use to a location and to registered handsets, suggests that they do not get it. Attempting to surcharge applications that they think compete with their POTS business model will simply drive subscribers to competitors.

AT&T just does not get it.

 

[1adamiphone]

AT&T data limits

As an avid iPhone fan, I tend not to look at the bad in AT&T or Apple, but look at the positive and enjoy what they have given us iPhone users. Even though I currently have the unlimited plan, and hope to keep it, I am miffed about the cap on data usage. One point to make is, ?who is paying for the data that is piped to our phones by advertisers?? It seems to me that the advertising that gets pushed to our phones (banners in games and web sites), should not be counted in the data that is sent to our phones. Another option would be to collect credits for looking at the ads. With all that is coming down the pike with mobile devices, the 2 gig cap will surely not be enough. Bottom line is that you can?t fight city hall. Don?t waste time blogging about it. Send a message to where it matters; Stop using their network and iPhone. If enough people are that mad at it, and they put their money were your mouths are, they may see results. The only way corporations will listen is when you hit their pocket book. Start a boycott of Ma Bell. Switch to an HTC. And if Verizon is so good, go there and you should never have any complaints again. For me?I just don?t sweat it. The iPhone is the best that I have had, hands down. So I get a dropped call every once in awhile. I?m not a doctor and my patients won?t die because of it. Just remember what you had before the iPhone! Now that period of time SUCKED!

 

[thinkTwice]

Don't really care- I know that when I used an iPhone, I used less than 2gb/month... because the phone was in "no service" status for 1/2 of the time!

I kid, I kid! Well, not really. Where I live, nobody will ever go above 2gb. It's technically impossible since you're never on the network for more than 10min at a time with a generous break in between.