AT&T may penalize iPhone users who hog data

[Viva Las Espuelas]

This couldve gone in the geek forum, but...........................
If no grandfather clause is included, I'm bailin'. Thank heavens for Geohot.

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IPhone users guilty of hogging data could see their phone bills fattening.

In a presentation to investors Wednesday, AT&T's head of consumer services, Ralph de la Vega, said that just 3% of iPhone users generate 40% of the data traffic on AT&T's cellphone network.

As such AT&T, the exclusive carrier of the iPhone, is likely to introduce a pricing system that would penalize heavy data users, encouraging them "to either reduce or modify their usage so they don't crowd out the other customers in those same cell sites," he said.

De la Vega did not offer specifics on pricing changes.

By using data-intensive applications such as streaming audio and video services, a small number of iPhone users have been putting a huge burden on AT&T's network, causing lackluster performance in New York City, San Francisco and other major markets.

"We've got to get to those customers and have them recognize that they need to change their patterns or have to face other things," De la Vega told investors at UBS.

In general, smart-phone users pay a fixed monthly rate for unlimited data, but AT&T and other companies have found that the explosion of phone applications that must connect to the Internet has caused a surge in the amount of data users are consuming.

De la Vega said AT&T will have added 2,000 cell sites this year and plans to continue investing heavily to keep its networks fast.

"What we're seeing in the U.S. today, in terms of smart-phone penetration and 3G data," he said, "nobody else is seeing on the rest of the planet."

[JudynTX]

It's all that porn you're downloading. :D

[mrsmaalox]

It's all that porn you're downloading. :D

D'oh!!

[Viva Las Espuelas]

It's all that porn you're downloading. :D

Uh no.

[leemajors]

Their network sucks in areas like NY because it sucks. This is just an excuse to milk people.

[JudynTX]

Uh no.

So are you saying you've NEVER downloaded porn before?

[Viva Las Espuelas]

D'oh!!

Tend to your ray gun

[leemajors]

Also, the fact they are charging for the femtocell thing to boost their own network coverage is stupid. They should offer that for free.

[mrsmaalox]

So are you saying you've NEVER downloaded porn before?

No he'd never say that.

[thispego]

fucking bastards hogging all my data

[Viva Las Espuelas]

Their network sucks in areas like NY because it sucks. This is just an excuse to milk people.

Amen, brother. I was so frustrated with my phone while I as in NYC a couple months ago. I don't know how they are still in business over there.

[Viva Las Espuelas]

So are you saying you've NEVER downloaded porn before?

Uh I'm posting through my iPhone and you're breaking up.


Can you hear me now?

[Dex]

As such AT&T, the exclusive carrier of the iPhone, is likely to introduce a pricing system that would penalize heavy data users, encouraging them "to either reduce or modify their usage so they don't crowd out the other customers in those same cell sites," he said.

:lmao weak.

[Viva Las Espuelas]

Also, the fact they are charging for the femtocell thing to boost their own network coverage is stupid. They should offer that for free.

Yeah. They're pretty much in desperation mode now. Interesting to see what happens if the iPhone exclusivity expires. I have a family member that works for AT&T tell me with a straight face that "we(AT&T) made them (apple) so much money". I almost spit wine in her face.

[mrsmaalox]

Also, the fact they are charging for the femtocell thing to boost their own network coverage is stupid. They should offer that for free.

What is femtocell?

ATT is the devil. And I loooove my iphone, but I'm not a heavy data user I don't think. So many businesses are using iphones now that ATT should milk the corporate accts first.

[JudynTX]

Uh I'm posting through my iPhone and you're breaking up.


Can you hear me now?

I know the answer. :lol

[BacktoBasics]

Give me back my data

http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk247/ladydays/mel-gibson.jpg

[Viva Las Espuelas]

I know the answer. :lol

Lies and hearsay

[leemajors]

Yeah. They're pretty much in desperation mode now. Interesting to see what happens if the iPhone exclusivity expires. I have a family member that works for AT&T tell me with a straight face that "we(AT&T) made them (apple) so much money". I almost spit wine in her face.

Well AT&T does pay them $550 for each iPhone, and supposedly only starts making money off the 17th month of the contract. They eat about $375 per phone, it costs Apple around $180 to make each. With as many as they have sold, that's a nice profit.

[Viva Las Espuelas]

Well AT&T does pay them $550 for each iPhone, and supposedly only starts making money off the 17th month of the contract. They eat about $375 per phone, it costs Apple around $180 to make each. With as many as they have sold, that's a nice profit.

oh I understand all that, but I think if they had an exclusive arrangement with Cricket they would've done the same. The iPhone pretty much sells itself is what I'm getting at.

[leemajors]

oh I understand all that, but I think if they had an exclusive arrangement with Cricket they would've done the same. The iPhone pretty much sells itself is what I'm getting at.

I was just surprised it took them that long to make a profit off of it, what with the exorbitant fees.

[PM5K]

Do they even have PR people at AT&T? With all the crappy PR they've gotten lately with the 3G map commercials from Verizon and the Consumer Reports survey that listed AT&T as the worst carrier in the U.S., you'd think they'd have someone in their PR department telling them not to do this, at least not now.

I'll always be against a change that penalizes higher bandwidth users, but does not reward lower bandwidth users, it's simply unfair. If the people that use too much should be charged more, the people that use too little should be charged less. Either tier the shit or let it be what it's supposed to be: "unlimited".

And by the way, they always make it sound like such a small amount (Maybe they do have PR guys). 3%, with 17 million iPhones sold that could potentially be almost half a million people affected. That's just a guesstimate because I believe 17 million is a world wide number, but 3% is still a good chunk of people.

[koriwhat]

looks like im switching sprint to verizon and getting a droid phone soon... was going to get an iphone but fuck it!

[phxspurfan]

That's weak how the same people they're penalizing for using the network (with apps like streaming XM radio, for example) are victim to the app-holding companies raising rates (XM, Sirius). These companies claim that the reason for raising the rate is to bring such apps to their customers.