AT&T Adjusts Data-Throttling Policy in Response to Customer Complaints

[Kaykaykay]

AT&T Adjusts Data-Throttling Policy in Response to Customer Complaints | Gadget Lab | Wired.com

 

[freebirdforever]

Still a crock of ****e imo. Unlimited data should be just that. Greedy companies are greedy.

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[jsh1120]

Aa a liberal Democrat I find socialization of some services to make a lot of sense; education and health care, for example. What doesn't make sense is to make me pay for the massive consumption of data by other people. And that's what a truly unlimited data plan amounts to. Don't get me wrong. I find all cell phone carriers to be blood sucking leeches devoted to emptying my bank account. But in this case I'm on what I would assume is the conservative side of the issue: pay for the data you use.

 

[Kaykaykay]

Aa a liberal Democrat I find socialization of some services to make a lot of sense; education and health care, for example. What doesn't make sense is to make me pay for the massive consumption of data by other people. And that's what a truly unlimited data plan amounts to. Don't get me wrong. I find all cell phone carriers to be blood sucking leeches devoted to emptying my bank account. But in this case I'm on what I would assume is the conservative side of the issue: pay for the data you use.

I don't think any customer who signed up for unlimited was expecting a free ride.

 

[Mickey330]

Aa a liberal Democrat I find socialization of some services to make a lot of sense; education and health care, for example. What doesn't make sense is to make me pay for the massive consumption of data by other people. And that's what a truly unlimited data plan amounts to. Don't get me wrong. I find all cell phone carriers to be blood sucking leeches devoted to emptying my bank account. But in this case I'm on what I would assume is the conservative side of the issue: pay for the data you use.

But that's the thing! Unlimited data plan users signed up for (contract) and ARE paying for unlimited data. That was what was offered and what both they and the carrier agreed to at the time of contract.

At the time of signing, unlimited data contracts were valid and the customer agreed to pay X amount of money for unlimited data. How is that NOT "paying for the data you use"?

Marilyn

 

[Destroyer]

is not a free ride you still pay for usage, that a time it was a pretty good deal thats different.

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[jsh1120]

Folks,

I didn't say that those with unlimited data plans (of whom I'm one, by the way) are getting a "free ride." No more than those who have six kids in school are getting a "free ride" in terms of paying taxes for education. However, a family with six kids is relying upon families with a single child to pay the same amount of taxes to support the local schools. That's what "socialism" is; equality of payments even in the face of inequality of outcomes.

I happen to believe that for services like education that approach is an excellent model. Even childless families derive a benefit from having an educated citizenry and those with six kids should not be expected to pay a "user-based" fee for their kids' education.

On the other hand, I don't see the social benefit of one person who downloads email, surfs the web, and occasionally watches a YouTube video paying the same level of support for a cell network as someone who downloads 30 gigabytes of movies every month. If those folks want to clog the network with their downloads, it seems fair to me to ask them to pay for the privilege. Of course I understand that those with unlimited data plans are loathe to give them up. When I purchased a new cell phone a couple of weeks ago I was happy to find that my grandfathered unlimited data plan carried over to it. But the fact that I benefit from this inequity doesn't make it a good policy.

As noted above, I think cell carriers are blood sucking leeches. And the fact that they've found themselves with a problem is, as far as I'm concerned, their just desserts. I just find it somewhat amusing that many folks who find any sort of "socialism" abhorrent are more than willing not only to accept its benefits for themselves and are even willing to defend it as a fair allocation of benefits in relation to costs.

 

[Kaykaykay]

I really don't care whether unlimited data plans bother other users. The carrier offered a service, which I pay for, and I'll use it as I please. If they change their offerings, I'll pay accordingly. I don't see any linkage to politics here.

 

[Cobra Jet]

They are back peddling now, because people are taking them to small claims court, suing AND winning! So far, 2 people have won - $850-$1200 respectively. AT&T is afraid of more followers going to small claims courts, rather than the common "class action" suits, which do not net actual owners hardly anything but a pittance offering from the company.... Sue and win in small claims court, and if enough do it, that's a lot of money the company will be nailed for when more and more are jumping on the band wagon to do it... To avoid this, they are adjusting their throttling position....

 

[tlbaker]

"As noted above, I think cell carriers are blood sucking leeches. And the fact that they've found themselves with a problem is, as far as I'm concerned, their just desserts. I just find it somewhat amusing that many folks who find any sort of "socialism" abhorrent are more than willing not only to accept its benefits for themselves and are even willing to defend it as a fair allocation of benefits in relation to costs."

Ha ha!!!!

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[Kaykaykay]

"As noted above, I think cell carriers are blood sucking leeches. And the fact that they've found themselves with a problem is, as far as I'm concerned, their just desserts. I just find it somewhat amusing that many folks who find any sort of "socialism" abhorrent are more than willing not only to accept its benefits for themselves and are even willing to defend it as a fair allocation of benefits in relation to costs."

Ha ha!!!!

Sent from my Tricked Out Glittery Verizon Black 32GB iPhone 4 Tethered to iPad 2 w IOS 5.1 Update using iPF

I find this funny, too, because I support socialism and am prepared to pay more taxes. It's irrelevant to my preference for unlimited data, tough. I'll always buy that as long as it's available.

 

[KevinJS]

I find this funny, too, because I support socialism and am prepared to pay more taxes. It's irrelevant to my preference for unlimited data, tough. I'll always buy that as long as it's available.

And if the carriers don't like it, they shouldn't offer it. "Unlimited" has a very specific meaning, and if that's not what they meant, they should have chosen their words more carefully.

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[Kaykaykay]

And if the carriers don't like it, they shouldn't offer it. "Unlimited" has a very specific meaning, and if that's not what they meant, they should have chosen their words more carefully.

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That's what I figure.

 

[tlbaker]

And if the carriers don't like it, they shouldn't offer it. "Unlimited" has a very specific meaning, and if that's not what they meant, they should have chosen their words more carefully.

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Absolutely. I don't get it at all!!! Guess they decided along the way that this is no longer profitable for them so now they want to ween people off of it.

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[k7lvo]

I see NO similarity between a company VOLUNTARILY offering an unlimited plan and a customer VOLUNTARILY purchasing said plan and the government FORCIBLY taking my money in the form of taxes and giving it to someone else in the form of health or education benefits, etc.

In fact, when AT&T says that you're still getting unlimited data... it's just s-l-o-w... Is when they sound a lot like what I'm used to hearing from the government...