Ok, So, ATT offers unlimited data like Verizon right? Wrong. They charge an additional $15/month for tethering (which is included in the $30 unlimited data fee for Verizon)
So, anyway, I was on the phone with ATT, thinking I might switch, when I asked him "Well how do you know when/if I am tethering and when I am not, if it is unlimited data?"
He said they have to send a "special cable and a piece of ATT Software on CD". Hmm, this makes no sense, since in a custom ROM (or after you have installed the internet sharing CAB) all you have to do is go to Internet Sharing, and click "Connect", and you are good to go. Activesync will recognize your phone the first time as Windows Mobile Device Modem, then you are online, that's it.
So, is ATT charging $15 extra because people are ignorant about the process? Hoping that they don't figure out you can do it already and don't need to pay for it? They are basically charging $15 a month for a 50 cent cable. Am I missing something here? anyone can get the InternetSharing CAB file installer, and never send ATT an extra cent.
crobs808 said:
Ok, So, ATT offers unlimited data like Verizon right? Wrong. They charge an additional $15/month for tethering (which is included in the $30 unlimited data fee for Verizon)
So, anyway, I was on the phone with ATT, thinking I might switch, when I asked him "Well how do you know when/if I am tethering and when I am not, if it is unlimited data?"
He said they have to send a "special cable and a piece of ATT Software on CD". Hmm, this makes no sense, since in a custom ROM (or after you have installed the internet sharing CAB) all you have to do is go to Internet Sharing, and click "Connect", and you are good to go. Activesync will recognize your phone the first time as Windows Mobile Device Modem, then you are online, that's it.
So, is ATT charging $15 extra because people are ignorant about the process? Hoping that they don't figure out you can do it already and don't need to pay for it? They are basically charging $15 a month for a 50 cent cable. Am I missing something here? anyone can get the InternetSharing CAB file installer, and never send ATT an extra cent.
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They're charging $15/mo extra because they know folks tethering are generally going to use more data. There might also be quota differences when tethering, that I'm not sure about.
Stop pretending to be obtuse about a "50 cent cable".
Read the TOS, tethering is not unlimited, it is limited to 5Gb per mo. and this is what is against the rules in your unlimited plan on Verizon:
Examples of prohibited uses include, without limitation, the following: (i) continuous uploading, downloading or streaming of audio or video programming or games; (ii) server devices or host computer applications, including, but not limited to, Web camera posts or broadcasts, automatic data feeds, automated machine-to-machine connections or peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing; or (iii) as a substitute or backup for private lines or dedicated data connections. This means, by way of example only, that checking email, surfing the Internet, downloading legally acquired songs, and/or visiting corporate intranets is permitted, but downloading movies using P2P file sharing services and/or redirecting television signals for viewing on laptops is prohibited. A person engaged in prohibited uses, continuously for one hour, could typically use 100 to 200 MBs, or, if engaged in prohibited uses for 10 hours a day, 7 days a week, could use more than 5 GBs in a month.
For individual use only and not for resale. We reserve the right to protect our network from harm, which may impact legitimate data flows. We reserve the right to limit throughput or amount of data transferred, and to deny or terminate service, without notice, to anyone we believe is using an Unlimited Data Plan or Feature in any manner prohibited above or whose usage adversely impacts our network or service levels. Anyone using more than 5 GB per line in a given month is presumed to be using the service in a manner prohibited above, and we reserve the right to immediately terminate the service of any such person without notice. We also reserve the right to terminate service upon expiration of Customer Agreement term.
You heard them, use more than 5GB per month and they will "immediately terminate" your service "without notice." You know, if you're going to sell an "unlimited access" plan, shouldn't it not limit your access?
$ 15 tethering plan doesn't seem so bad now ?
denco7 said:
Read the TOS, tethering is not unlimited, it is limited to 5Gb per mo. and this is what is against the rules in your unlimited plan on Verizon:
Examples of prohibited uses include, without limitation, the following: (i) continuous uploading, downloading or streaming of audio or video programming or games; (ii) server devices or host computer applications, including, but not limited to, Web camera posts or broadcasts, automatic data feeds, automated machine-to-machine connections or peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing; or (iii) as a substitute or backup for private lines or dedicated data connections. This means, by way of example only, that checking email, surfing the Internet, downloading legally acquired songs, and/or visiting corporate intranets is permitted, but downloading movies using P2P file sharing services and/or redirecting television signals for viewing on laptops is prohibited. A person engaged in prohibited uses, continuously for one hour, could typically use 100 to 200 MBs, or, if engaged in prohibited uses for 10 hours a day, 7 days a week, could use more than 5 GBs in a month.
For individual use only and not for resale. We reserve the right to protect our network from harm, which may impact legitimate data flows. We reserve the right to limit throughput or amount of data transferred, and to deny or terminate service, without notice, to anyone we believe is using an Unlimited Data Plan or Feature in any manner prohibited above or whose usage adversely impacts our network or service levels. Anyone using more than 5 GB per line in a given month is presumed to be using the service in a manner prohibited above, and we reserve the right to immediately terminate the service of any such person without notice. We also reserve the right to terminate service upon expiration of Customer Agreement term.
You heard them, use more than 5GB per month and they will "immediately terminate" your service "without notice." You know, if you're going to sell an "unlimited access" plan, shouldn't it not limit your access?
$ 15 tethering plan doesn't seem so bad now ?
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$15 for tethering on TOP of the already $30 charge is ridiculous, and the sole reason I will never go wth ATT. That is not the case with Verizon. I tether everyday, using my phone as my primary modem. I download about 2-3GB a day (not a month) of data. I have been doing this for the past 8 months. I actually specifically asked the representative if there was a bandwidth per month cap, and he said "there used to be, but not anymore".
Is sprint more lenient? Because i heavily stream and download through my phone and they have never even sent me anything...
sycorange said:
Is sprint more lenient? Because i heavily stream and download through my phone and they have never even sent me anything...
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Exactly my point...Sprint and Verizon actually mean "unlimited" when they say it, lol. It appears that only the GSM carriers get all uppity about it, specifically ATT.
P.s. - when my Verizon contract was about to expire a week ago, I called up ATT, because I had been thinking about switching for a while because it might be cheaper...well boy, was I wrong. The EXACT plan that my wife and I have on Verizon, would have been $240/month on ATT. Right now we pay $150 for 1400 minutes/unlimited text/unlimited data (both my wife and I have PDA phones), tethering included. On ATT they wanted almost $100 more?? Wow. glad I stayed with Verizon. I called up Sprint, and they were the same as Verizon, cheap If I ever switch it will be to another CDMA carrier.
What I quoted was Verizons current TOS. The fact that you get away with 2-3GB a day doesn't make it right.
And just because you haven't gotten caught doesn't mean that some day they won't review your bill and send you a $2,000 dollar charge for overages and throw the TOS in your face,
.......................I'm just saying....................................
denco7 said:
What I quoted was Verizons current TOS. The fact that you get away with 2-3GB a day doesn't make it right.
And just because you haven't gotten caught doesn't mean that some day they won't review your bill and send you a $2,000 dollar charge for overages and throw the TOS in your face,
.......................I'm just saying....................................
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You apparently didn't hear me...the Verizon reps themselves have told me (on multiple occasions now), both reps in the store and on the 800 number, that there is no more cap, and they do not care if we use it tethered all day long or not, lol. I think I will go by what Verizon told me rather than an outdated TOS that has not been updated by their webmaster obviously.
If they told me, on the phone and to my face that what I am doing is fine, then they have no recourse to send me a $2,000 bill. i think maybe you're mad that verizon allows it and ATT doesnt. Everyone already knows Verizons data plans and speeds are way better, so why have this argument. I know what the VZW employees told me, and I am going with that. The same applies to Sprint, they honestly do not care if you use your phone as a modem 24/7 either. It's only ATT that has a stick up their butt about it.
Related
So... about that $7 unlimited plan with bell...
WHOO DOGGY... what a story.
so my friend is the cell phone guy at future shop. one of the other employees there just got a touch with that plan. accoring to them and their rep. the plan is unlimited "mobile browser" but for the touch the mobile browser is data use with the exception of tethering. now we looked at the touch, there was no special browser or anything, just IE like the Titan. so...
i have had issues with my phone for over a year... im on my 5th phone (under future shop warranty) and im still dropping calls and calls dont come it. im 100% sure its not the phone.. im on my 2nd Titan and still... anyways... in a pissed off rant with customer service on saturday about all this i asked if i could get the unlimited $7 data plan offered with the touch. i said i would pay for it, i just want it. they said it was not an issue and it was done. i had it.
now before i saw the post about this plan, i heard all over the radio in kamloops here that the touch comes with a $7 unlimited data plan. and the bell dealers backed this up. so i browsed the internet all night. was streaming video and music etc. i checked my data useage through TCARE... i waited 2 hrs and texted TCare... it came back as 2.9 mb.. which is what i had before i started browsing. perfect... so i downloaded via torrent a 10 mb file... waited 4 hrs or so.. checked TCare.. still at 2.9 mb...so i proceed with some serious downloading cause i was sure it was all good now...
that was this weeked.
so this morning i checked with bell on another billing issue.. when she saw my current charges for this month she choked, coughed and sputtered, and put me on hold to talk to her manager. I had racked up $19,000 in data use in a weekend. this was because data devices do not have the capability to use the mobile browser service.
after a few hours of "dealing" with bell. they realized this was their **** up and will fix my account.
fair warning to any bell customers (or potential bell customers) regarding this plan.
skylinegts said:
I had racked up $19,000 in data use in a weekend. this was because data devices do not have the capability to use the mobile browser service. after a few hours of "dealing" with bell. they realized this was their **** up and will fix my account.
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So where is the scam, they fixed the problem didn't they? I will also add that you gigabyte downloaders ruin it for everyone. All you can eat doesn't mean you can or have to stuff your jacket pockets, you know
How exactly is this a scam? As much as I hate bell, they realized they made a mistake and they fixed it. I assume you didn't pay a penny of that $19000 bill?
This is standard fare for bell customer service. No news here...
the scam is that they are offering a $7 Unlimited data plan that isnt a data plan. its mobile browser. and data devices cant use mobile browser, they use data. and how do us "gigabyte downloaders" ruin it for everyone? unlimited is just that, with out limits... i should be free to do with it as i please. if i wasnt going to use an unlimited ammount of bandwith.. why would i get an unlimited plan. yes they did credit me the $19,000. but bell is now telling me there is no unlimited data.
skylinegts said:
but bell is now telling me there is no unlimited data.
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That is a fact you did not include in your original story and I hope someone can come back a confirm it. Your limitless comment makes me glad they shut you down
I'm not going to argue about the definition of "unlimited". but this is just the same old crap they pulled with broadband DSL. Advertise "unlimited bandwidth" but with a maximum cap per month.
You should take them to court since they obviously advertise "unlimited mobile browser", but they make no attempts to define what "mobile browser" is. As we all know, http data/torrent data/ftp data/etc.... is all the same and everyone that signs up is signing under the pretense that it's unlimited data since they have at least clearly said that mobile browser is *not* "only WAP data".
I saw this coming from a mile away. I bet they left the definition of "mobile browser" open so that they can arbitrarily cut off the heavy users like you. Good riddence IMO. who in their right mind is going to d/l a torrent via a cellphone connection? I bet you didn't even limit your upload limit so you were uploading constantly 24/7...
mr_yellow said:
Good riddence IMO. who in their right mind is going to d/l a torrent via a cellphone connection? I bet you didn't even limit your upload limit so you were uploading constantly 24/7...
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Amen to that, it's so ridiculous it shouldn't even be mentioned
mr_yellow said:
You should take them to court since they obviously advertise "unlimited mobile browser", but they make no attempts to define what "mobile browser" is.
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The mobile browser thing is something that came up this morning. All weekend they have been advertising here in town "Unlimited DATA". On the radio, in the stores, no mention of mobile browser. Everyone is being told that this plan is unlimited data. That is why I said its a scam. The fact that I went about using the plan's "unlimited" feature is beside the point. Had I only used 100mb i would have been billed for that 100mb. The point of this thread is that Bell is offering an unlimited data plan, which is really unlimited mobile browser, for a device that cannot use mobile browser. Please stop flaming my excessive data useage, when thats not the issue at hand.
Well.. bell just called me regarding an issue I am having with text messages. This guy sounded like he knew what he was doing... so I asked him about this data issue. The Bell touch has been provisioned to connect to the internet VIA the mobile browser connection. The connection is the same as data, but it just connects to the $7 unlimited mobile browser plan, and doesnt bill data. That way they can offer unlimited data on the phone for now until they get unlimited data plans. Its been provisioned that way from HTC. The idiot who signed me up should have known this and not signed me up. Quick ending to the story.
If you go to this Bell page and click on the ALL tab then the Touch, a sub menu on the left says "Email & Internet" for 7$ a month.
EDIT: Then you've got the Media who, as usual, is completely confused and confuses everyone.
borealcool said:
Your limitless comment makes me glad they shut you down
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Why? Isn't unlimited just that? Why would anyone pay for an unlimited plan if they can't use it unlimited?
borealcool said:
Amen to that, it's so ridiculous it shouldn't even be mentioned
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Actually, I think the fact that clowns are telling some guy that his unlimited surfing shouldnt be unlimited is laughable.
The OP does have a legitimate concern (though he went about it completely wrong).
Facts:
1) There is a promo for the HTC touch w/ a $7 unlimited "data" plan
2) OP misuses the unlimited data/mobile browser plan
3) OP gets pissed off when bell charges him $$$
4) Bell reversed the charges, but in the end, Bell's Unlimited "data" plan is not really "unlimited" nor is it for "data".
EDIT: purelitium pointed out the OP was using a titan. The $7 plan clearly says this only applies to non-PDA phones (which includes the touch), so I'm in the wrong. Thanks!
No he doesn't have any legitimate concern
1. He was trying to use a feature designed only for the Bell Touch(Vogue) on his Titan.
2. I've never seen it advertised as "unlimited data", it's unlimited Mobile Browsing, there is a difference.
3. Bell figured out their mistake, corrected it.
I don't see where there's a problem.
I'm on the $7 plan on Bell, and I've had no problems, because I'm using the proper equipment (Touch).
stay away from big damn corporations.. especially in regard to phones!
stay away from big damn corporations.. especially in regard to phones!
go with pcmobile... don't people read about this crap? i only have like 4 providers in my area but everyone is too hick and uneducated to know that there is a fifth one!!! 20 cents pay as you go. 5 bucks unlimited internet... no caps as far as i know of... sure u gotta use their small collection of non-pda phones, but if their best one is a nokia (it is), fine by me (their operating system is a must for all non-pda phones that are go onto the internet.) (for compatibility reasons and otherwise) stay the HELL away from samsung phones... (oh my word). i think u can download to the external storage... but even if you can't (i haven't gotten to try)... pcmobile is the best for any person that doesn't talk their ass off (strictly short business calls) and looking to browse their internet and check the mail constantly... read wikipedia... facebook... google maps... msn... etc. youtube is sweet... it's like your one stop video place on the net anyways, so who cares if you can't do serious torrent sh!t or approach the entire pc replacement department
skylinegts said:
the scam is that they are offering a $7 Unlimited data plan that isnt a data plan. its mobile browser. and data devices cant use mobile browser, they use data. and how do us "gigabyte downloaders" ruin it for everyone? unlimited is just that, with out limits... i should be free to do with it as i please. if i wasnt going to use an unlimited ammount of bandwith.. why would i get an unlimited plan. yes they did credit me the $19,000. but bell is now telling me there is no unlimited data.
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It was only unlimited browsing. not data. now for $30 you can have unlimited data with them.
skylinegts said:
Please stop flaming my excessive data useage, when thats not the issue at hand.
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It is . You guys screw it up for everyone with downloading your torrents and crap on a phone connection.
chancet said:
ok... i subscribed to this forum just for comments like these... my question is WHO THE HELL are these people that get unlimited internet usage and don't have it downloading sh!t 24/7. you should have the fackin torrents going non-stop... it's unlimited... that's what is says... SO USE IT!!! get your money's worth... damn lightweights... some of these *****-moneywasters shouldn't even have home internet... with the weak online simple website crap they do they could all save more time and money just paying 5 cents a page or some sh!t from a cellphone... ok... onto the next comment...
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spare us the rhetoric.
flaming
it stops here!
ill remove all flaming posts here.....any more ill close thread
and issue warnings.....or bans.....you have been warned.
have a good weekend all.
bartybet said:
spare us the rhetoric.
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There was nothing with what chancet said, other than (based on common sense) 'ruining' it for other people by having torrents, streaming non-stop 24/7. While I do agree that one should respect other users and understand that hogging network space is just going to cause other users to experience crapper service, the issue here is that Bell is stating that the plan is "unlimited" when in fact, it is not.
THAT's the main issue. I don't understand why people are so quick to defend Bell (or any company) as if they're going to get a reward or something.
Plain and simple, if using data isn't unlimited, don't advertise it as UNLIMITED.
Also, just because those of you 'experts' check out the forums 24/7 and know all the details, doesn't mean the average joe does! So you may know that they "never" advertised it as unlimited DATA but rather unlimited browser. Well I suppose the average joe is supposed to know the difference between data and browser? Let's see we have bad Bell reps who don't seem to know what they're talking about and do a good job of misinforming others (due to lack of supervision or simply lack of training). We have radio stations, newspapers, all calling it unlimited DATA (do a google search), etc. Please don't speak as if your knowledge due to being on these forums (as well as the fact that you're generally INTERESTED in telecommunications stuff) is the same as what the average user should know.
I bet if a users sends 10,000 emails or something Bell would still send em a letter for 'abuse' even though they are technically following the 'do's and don'ts' for unlimited mobile browser (no streaming, VOIP etc.).
It's definitely not unlimited. Stop advertising it as unlimited!
AT&T has just changed Unlimited Internet Usages terms, can I cancel without fees now?
At&t has changed their internet usage terms to include the banning of audio/video streaming and data tethering. This means Skype, Slingbox, and other video streaming services possibly youtube...
http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/03/...s-terms-of-service-to-forbid-video-streaming/
While I do like their coverage I find all these limiting factors extremely frustrating. I did not agree to these terms when i signed up, the only thing i agreed to was 5GB cap which I was not happy with either... I use skype a lot to call my family who live in Canada and enjoy the occasional slingbox stream but if i can't do these things anymore what the point of 3G, crappy web browing on a 2.8" screen? What I do with my bandwidth is my buisness as long as I don't break that cap i agreed to right?
Since they changed the terms of usage am I allowed cancel my service without early cancelation fees? If so I will be taking my buisness to T-Mobile and getting the new Touch Pro 2 when that comes out but until then I will be using a non 3G month to month payment plan
Tekka said:
At&t has changed their internet usage terms to include the banning of audio/video streaming and data tethering. This means Skype, Slingbox, and other video streaming services possibly youtube...
http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/03/...s-terms-of-service-to-forbid-video-streaming/
While I do like their coverage I find all these limiting factors extremely frustrating. I did not agree to these terms when i signed up, the only thing i agreed to was 5GB cap which I was not happy with either... I use skype a lot to call my family who live in Canada and enjoy the occasional slingbox stream but if i can't do these things anymore what the point of 3G, crappy web browing on a 2.8" screen? What I do with my bandwidth is my buisness as long as I don't break that cap i agreed to right?
Since they changed the terms of usage am I allowed cancel my service without early cancelation fees? If so I will be taking my buisness to T-Mobile and getting the new Touch Pro 2 when that comes out but until then I will be using a non 3G month to month payment plan
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Honestly, I believe a lot of TOS agreements are like this, no matter who the carrier is.
As long as you stay under the 5gb cap you should be fine. I think the reason they put this in there is because those are the things that use the most bandwidth.
You can always call their retentions department and tell them why you want to cancel and talk to them. I believe if they changed the TOS and the TOS was a part of your contract then they're voiding the contract, but I'm not sure about that since they're not changing rates on you.
Well I realized that there isn't really a way for them to track what i'm actually doing but I think this is just rediculous, ATT should really take out Unlimited wording in their advertising.
Another reason I want to cancel is month after month I have to deal with bills that absolutely make no sense, I was happy with T-mobile for over 4 years with no problems and the only reason I went back to ATT was because of the FUZE.
My area has a lot of competition for wireless contracts and that how I scored a free ATT Fuze, I bet with a little patience I can get a free Rhodium if I look hard enough...
ok when u meant unlimted internet usages are you talking bout the "personal PDA plan?" or the "tethering plan"??? cuz i got personal PDA plan on mine and i go on youtube through my fuze alot i dont see any changes whatsoever...plz someone tell me
Just a thought..... they are NOT going to enforce that because they have 3 services that they offer that include it... Cellular Video (CV), Mobi TV, and whatever the Mobi XM radio service is...
Just don't go over 5GB and if you do, chances are you can get out of it. If you get charged, PM me and I can tell you how to get out of that one.... ALSO, for those of you who don't know, a change in your TOS is a way to get out of your contract and cancel service without paying the cancellation fee... just a thought... Google it for specifics on what to say on the phone... their TOS has a loophole for you that will allow you out if they change something....
Read the latest news: http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/03/atandt-retracts-new-terms-of-service-apologizes/
At&T realized that this change in policy was absurd and have retracted the changes.
XERO_Racer said:
ok when u meant unlimted internet usages are you talking bout the "personal PDA plan?" or the "tethering plan"??? cuz i got personal PDA plan on mine and i go on youtube through my fuze alot i dont see any changes whatsoever...plz someone tell me
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You won't see any difference until you go over the 5 GB per month limit.
Well it doesn't really matter what plan your on since this pretty much affects all 3g wireless connections and the 5GB limit applies to everything including broadband usb connect thingy.
Nowadays it easy to stream large videos, like yesterday while i was waiting at the doctor's office i decided to watch a short 30 minute episode of "Better off Ted" and that easily went over 130mb. I never used more than 2GB a month but there are alot of people who use their phone's 3g much more than me so i imagine they get pretty close to that 5GB.
The way I see it is since they revised their TOS it will make it harder to argue your way out of a large bill.
DrzNight said:
Read the latest news: http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/03/atandt-retracts-new-terms-of-service-apologizes/
At&T realized that this change in policy was absurd and have retracted the changes.
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LOL WOW that came in only after a couple hours of the original announcement...I bet they were getting so many calls from bandwidth hungry iphone users lol...guess i gotta wait till Dec 2010 to cancel my contract now lol
Tekka said:
You won't see any difference until you go over the 5 GB per month limit.
Well it doesn't really matter what plan your on since this pretty much affects all 3g wireless connections and the 5GB limit applies to everything including broadband usb connect thingy.
Nowadays it easy to stream large videos, like yesterday while i was waiting at the doctor's office i decided to watch a short 30 minute episode of "Better off Ted" and that easily went over 130mb. I never used more than 2GB a month but there are alot of people who use their phone's 3g much more than me so i imagine they get pretty close to that 5GB.
The way I see it is since they revised their TOS it will make it harder to argue your way out of a large bill.
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seems like at&t has a problem now...but im always on MSN messenger, and surfing on opera, myspace, here, youtube at times etc....u think i might reach pass my limit by the time my billing cycle ends? i mean i wont be surfing 24/7 on it but ill be on msn messenger constantly oh and also i listen to the internet radio like 2-3 hours a day...i need ur advice thanks
UPDATE: ok soo i called in AT&T about this and well they only said its gonna against the Tethering and USB broadband services NOT the Unlimted PDA Personal plan that u can get for $30 a month, soo i guess its all good...for now
My friend just got out of his contract because they changed the TOS and he wanted the g1 (android) phone so he called them up told them he didn't agree and if they didn't let him go without the fee he would sue. They dropped him like a hot potato lol
Last mont I went way over 5GB tethering, torrenting and watching hulu all the time. No word from att yet. already paid my bill. No extra charges.
I have unlimited PDA personal+200 txts. No tethering. I reviewed on att website and as far as I understand that lingo, 5GB limit pertains only to PDA+tethering plan and to Dataconnect (for laptop cards).
See it yourself here: http://www.wireless.att.com/cell-phone-service/cell-phone-plans/pda-personal-plans.jsp
Here is my data usage directly from my bill page:
Internet/MEdia Net
UNLIMITED
Used 11054.71MB of Unlimited
Is it possible to change the tethering application built into most roms so that it won't deincrement the ttl value?
where did you get this info at?
http://osxdaily.com/2011/03/17/att-cracking-down-on-unofficial-iphone-tethering-mywi-users/
http://www.electronista.com/articles/11/03/18/att.clamps.down.on.unofficial.tethering.users/
If you dig through the comments on those articles, it appears that the people who receive the letters are using in excess of 5GB on their unlimited data plan.
Case in point: One of the comments was from a guy who said that his wife was sent the notice from AT&T. From what he says, she hasn't ever tethered, but she's always listening to streaming audio or watching streaming video.
This is nothing new for AT&T. They have long held that 5GB is 'effectively unlimited' for a smartphone, and that anyone who uses more must be using a computer tethered to the phone. With the phones we have now, that simply is not the case anymore. But AT&T is using that as an excuse to try and get people off of the unlimited plans and on to something where they can charge customers more money.
Krynn! said:
If you dig through the comments on those articles, it appears that the people who receive the letters are using in excess of 5GB on their unlimited data plan.
Case in point: One of the comments was from a guy who said that his wife was sent the notice from AT&T. From what he says, she hasn't ever tethered, but she's always listening to streaming audio or watching streaming video.
This is nothing new for AT&T. They have long held that 5GB is 'effectively unlimited' for a smartphone, and that anyone who uses more must be using a computer tethered to the phone. With the phones we have now, that simply is not the case anymore. But AT&T is using that as an excuse to try and get people off of the unlimited plans and on to something where they can charge customers more money.
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I hope you're right.
Also just saw this......I personally dont tether much but have used mobile AP. Might be worth looking into for those that do tether.
http://www.mobilecrunch.com/2011/03/18/att-shutting-down-unauthorized-tetherers/
cnigro1279 said:
Also just saw this......I personally dont tether much but have used mobile AP. Might be worth looking into for those that do tether.
http://www.mobilecrunch.com/2011/03/18/att-shutting-down-unauthorized-tetherers/
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If they are using ttl to detect tethering, then mobile ap would be effected. I'm not sure if usb tethering does deincrement ttl. All the reports seem to be mentioning WiFi tethering.
i think its a scare tactic.
I don't think they are detecting tethering. I think they are targeting people going beyond a certain threshold of usage as suspected tethereres (4gb or 5gb or more likely)
bames said:
i think its a scare tactic.
I don't think they are detecting tethering. I think they are targeting people going beyond a certain threshold of usage as suspected tethereres (4gb or 5gb or more likely)
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+1
Just a scare tactic. I'm on my 11th day of this months cycle, and between tethering, mobile ap, and downloads, I'm sitting at 9gb of data usage and haven't heard anything from AT&T. Yet
vunuts said:
+1
Just a scare tactic. I'm on my 11th day of this months cycle, and between tethering, mobile ap, and downloads, I'm sitting at 9gb of data usage and haven't heard anything from AT&T. Yet
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WOW what are you doing to use 9gb of data lol.
Even though i think its more of a scare tactic i think it can be done...its just not cost efficient to do it wide scale unless their is a huge red flag...like oh say 9gb of data usage . I won't be surprised if you get a letter if your usage rates continually reach anywhere near that later as i suspect that is the type of red flag that may cause them to actually take the time to audit the account and look at the ttl/packet data more closely.
if you have a 2gb or even unlimited and tether never going over 2gb i seriously doubt you would received letter or raise an eyebrow.
This goes back to my initial thought on how stupid their marketing team and management decisions are.
ALLOW FREE TETHERING
Pay for the extra data you need. It breaks down to the same cost...they are just being short sighted and greedy hoping people will think oh...2gb more data for 20bucks and then continue to not even fully use the 2gb they already had paid for on their smartphones plan (they are playing on peoples ignorance of how much data they are actually using). Part of good business and sales is fitting the client with their needs so they can afford it and continue to be a good longterm customer rather than bilking them for services they don't need or use (much like requiring all smartphones to have data plans when some smartphone users could be completely happy with a smartphone and wifi only usage).
If i have $25 2gb plan and want to tether and don't go over 2gb DON'T CHARGE EXTRA or REQUIRE TETHERING. If i go over charge me by the GB just like you would if i used all the data on my smartphones. 2gb Plan + 2gb overage =$45 for that months data (shouldn't matter whether it was used tethered or untethered). If i have a 2gb plan and tether and only use 3gb for the plan why not allow my to pay for 3gb data instead of forcing me to pay for 4gb/tethering. Let people police and pay for their usage. DATA IS DATA and it doesn't cost more for att to deliver 4gb to a tethered user than it does to someone using the 4gb downloading torrents or streaming movies on their smartphone.
Seems like it would be great customer relations, marketing, and a blow to verizon if ATT and came out with a marketing campaign that said Free Mobile AP/Tethering. Use as much data as you need....pay for the data you use. If those still grandfathered under unlimited plans are the concern you could easily audit those accounts if the usage is excessive and either throttle or require tethering for unlimited plans only which might encourage more people to give up the unlimited and take one of the tiered plans. They talk about tethers using all the data while i suspect those doing a combination of significant streaming and downloading torrent using in an untethered state.
A good question is why is one industry being allowed wipe their A** with net neutrality (with so little backlash)
bames said:
WOW what are you doing to use 9gb of data lol.
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Lol, I just opened my own auto shop, and we have yet to get internet hooked up in there, so I'm tethered to my desktop there for about 5-8 hours a day. I wouldn't be surprised if I do hear from AT&T, but they can't do anything to me. They've tried before and I fought them and won. I have unlimited text and data and I'm going to use it to my advantage. If they want to try and blow smoke up my ass, go for it. I'll blow it right back
Funny how this coincided with the new bandwidth cap for cable customers... AT&T is slowly trying to eliminate all unlimited customers. I wish they spent as much time working on increasing signal strength across the US as they do finding ways to squeeze more money from their customers.
vunuts said:
+1
Just a scare tactic. I'm on my 11th day of this months cycle, and between tethering, mobile ap, and downloads, I'm sitting at 9gb of data usage and haven't heard anything from AT&T. Yet
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I thought my 3 -4 gb / month was a lot.
Isn't a byte of data still a byte of data no matter how you view your porn.
what they are doing with tethering would be akin charging us $10 per month to use google navigation.
They could say "hey our navigation per att nav with your device is $10 per month.....if you want to use navigation on your phone you must have a navigation plan add on and if you try to use another free navigation program we can tell and will change your plan without your permission"
I don't get any letters, but I get a "friendly call" from AT&T about every other month asking why I use so much data. I've been on unlimited since it first came out and I'm taking full advantage of it. When I get the call about my usage, I start downloading on my phone, just to eat more data. I've downloaded several ISOs of Linux distros and MS ISOs from the MSDN. Is it my fault I signed up for 'unlimited data' or is it there fault they didn't look into the future? ComCast tried to complain when I pulled down over 300gb in a month and wanted to charge me for it. Sent off a copy of the original contract and there was no bandwidth cap in it. It becomes a breach of contract if you haven't physically signed anything new accepting and agreeing to the new changes.
If you don't mind switching carriers (which isn't that attractive because they all suck and use the same ploys pretty much)
but if they change your plan (for example adding a tethering plan to your account) you have 30 days to cancel your contract WITHOUT penalty no matter how many months you have remaining.
bames said:
If you don't mind switching carriers (which isn't that attractive because they all suck and use the same ploys pretty much)
but if they change your plan (for example adding a tethering plan to your account) you have 30 days to cancel your contract WITHOUT penalty no matter how many months you have remaining.
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This is true. You can avoid any early termination fees and essentially end your contract in good standing credit wise.
pbclst said:
I don't get any letters, but I get a "friendly call" from AT&T about every other month asking why I use so much data. I've been on unlimited since it first came out and I'm taking full advantage of it. When I get the call about my usage, I start downloading on my phone, just to eat more data. I've downloaded several ISOs of Linux distros and MS ISOs from the MSDN. Is it my fault I signed up for 'unlimited data' or is it there fault they didn't look into the future? ComCast tried to complain when I pulled down over 300gb in a month and wanted to charge me for it. Sent off a copy of the original contract and there was no bandwidth cap in it. It becomes a breach of contract if you haven't physically signed anything new accepting and agreeing to the new changes.
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For every time they call and ask you you should place 20 calls to their customer support line asking them why someone called you again and telling them you just wanted to make sure they knew you had an unlimited data plan because someone keeps calling.
vunuts said:
Lol, I just opened my own auto shop, and we have yet to get internet hooked up in there, so I'm tethered to my desktop there for about 5-8 hours a day. I wouldn't be surprised if I do hear from AT&T, but they can't do anything to me. They've tried before and I fought them and won. I have unlimited text and data and I'm going to use it to my advantage. If they want to try and blow smoke up my ass, go for it. I'll blow it right back
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I'm sorry, but this attitude just rubs me raw. Cell phones were never designed to be ISPs. It's abusers like you that have made it hard for the rest of us by forcing AT$T to eliminate unlimited plans and by slowing down the network with your extreme usage. Why do so many feel the need to squeeze whatever they can however they can out of a company? If you think they're screwing you then simply take your business elsewhere.
People receiving the letter today are iphone users? am i correct? Did any android user receive it?
Is it ethical to use tethering without paying for the "tethering service plan"? If I pay for xGb/month shouldn't I be able to use that bandwidth in anyway I see fit?
Ethical? Nope. It's part of your contract you agreed to when you signed up for a service plan. If you want to tether, you've got to pay.
Now as to whether or not you care, that's up to you.
omegafiler said:
Ethical? Nope. It's part of your contract you agreed to when you signed up for a service plan. If you want to tether, you've got to pay.
Now as to whether or not you care, that's up to you.
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Just because it's part of your contract doesn't mean it's ethical. That's like saying "Because you signed a contract saying you will give me your first born child in exchange for this Evo 3D, it must be ethical".
I agree with carriers that computers use data at a faster rate than phones (as in they are more capable), but they don't give us many choices. With carrier such as AT&T, without a doubt you should be able to use your 2GB as you see fit. It's not a lot to begin with and it's capped. With unlimited data carriers, we should be given a bucket of data for tethering each month. It's stupid to pay for tethering when you have unlimited data.
Product F(RED) said:
Just because it's part of your contract doesn't mean it's ethical. That's like saying "Because you signed a contract saying you will give me your first born child in exchange for this Evo 3D, it must be ethical".
I agree with carriers that computers use data at a faster rate than phones (as in they are more capable), but they don't give us many choices. With carrier such as AT&T, without a doubt you should be able to use your 2GB as you see fit. It's not a lot to begin with and it's capped. With unlimited data carriers, we should be given a bucket of data for tethering each month. It's stupid to pay for tethering when you have unlimited data.
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Agreed. The label "unlimited" is BS in general.
If $30 buys me unlimited data, then why does my family member (same house and account) have to pay another $30? Do you pay for each device you connect to DSL? Of course not. (Heard this argument on cnet...Molly Wood, I think.)
You are definitely breaking their arbitrary rules, but I wouldn't call it unethical. Assuming you're still limited to 2GB, how is it harming the carrier? Why are they entitled to the extra revenue? Are they doing anything to allow you to tether? How did consumers lose this argument?
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA Premium App
agreed.
ethics and contractual obligations are two different things in usa.
omegafiler said:
Ethical? Nope. It's part of your contract you agreed to when you signed up for a service plan. If you want to tether, you've got to pay.
Now as to whether or not you care, that's up to you.
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Just like how it's not ethical to charge people extra for the ways that they're using the data that they PAID for.
What's next? Internet service providers start charging people extra for using streaming services (ala netflix) or watching copious amount of youtube videos? I know XDA don't have the power compare to lobbyists, but don't be stupid enough to think that it's somehow illogical and unethical for using the data that you signed up for (be it on your phone or on your laptop). Bandwidth cap I can understand (because if you use more than 5gb a month on your phone, you need psychological help), but dictating HOW a user can use their data is absolutely not.
Product F(RED) said:
Just because it's part of your contract doesn't mean it's ethical. That's like saying "Because you signed a contract saying you will give me your first born child in exchange for this Evo 3D, it must be ethical".
I agree with carriers that computers use data at a faster rate than phones (as in they are more capable), but they don't give us many choices. With carrier such as AT&T, without a doubt you should be able to use your 2GB as you see fit. It's not a lot to begin with and it's capped. With unlimited data carriers, we should be given a bucket of data for tethering each month. It's stupid to pay for tethering when you have unlimited data.
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I suppose it just depends on your personal view point here. There isn't a right or wrong answer to the question. Some may feel it's wrong, some may not. Personally I think it's dumb. I'm just saying you agreed to a contract. So if you then decide some of the fine print was dumb and would rather disagree, that's up to you.
But it's pretty easy to make an argument for it being "unethical" to ignore portions of a contract you agreed to because you don't like it.
lude219 said:
Just like how it's not ethical to charge people extra for the ways that they're using the data that they PAID for.
What's next? Internet service providers start charging people extra for using streaming services (ala netflix) or watching copious amount of youtube videos? I know XDA don't have the power compare to lobbyists, but don't be stupid enough to think that it's somehow illogical and unethical for using the data that you signed up for (be it on your phone or on your laptop). Bandwidth cap I can understand (because if you use more than 5gb a month on your phone, you need psychological help), but dictating HOW a user can use their data is absolutely not.
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Net Neutrality prevents that but lately it's been losing to asshole lobbyists that are on ISP and Cell Phone network payrolls. Verizon and MetroPCS specifically voted against it. Verizon is officially going to start tiering and throttling data in the summer and MetroPCS already charges you $10 more for being able to visit YouTube and other sites.
If I am paying for unlimited data i deserve to get unlimited data and use it however I wish
Product F(RED) said:
Net Neutrality prevents that but lately it's been losing to asshole lobbyists that are on ISP and Cell Phone network payrolls. Verizon and MetroPCS specifically voted against it. Verizon is officially going to start tiering and throttling data in the summer and MetroPCS already charges you $10 more for being able to visit YouTube and other sites.
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I can't believe this is even a political issue...it's embarrassing. Just one more thing that causes the rest of the world to look at us and laugh.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA Premium App
Is it ethical to use your home internet on 1 device or on a few trough a router?
I have seen a few ISPs who thought it wasn't, and can you imagine what happened to them?
Yes, they went bankrupt
It's a no-brainer...YES
All they are trying to do is preventing from using too much data and so they don't have to pay for it. And anyways the companies are out to make money and they find anyway possible to make consumers pay for things that at times doesn't cost them anything, why should you worry about your contract a lot of times they break the rules all the time. I remember I was in a two year contract and when sprint and nextel merged my unlimited text messages went from 5 dlls to 15 I went in to the store and called over the phone and they didn't do anything about it they just changed my plan without me knowing and their excuse was that "Now text messages are consider a feature and not part of the contract and my text are not part of my contract anymore" right there who cares what you do with with the amount of data usage. Don't think if it is ethical or not, they aren't always ethical either, to put it in another perspective to look at it! (sorry for the long story there)
johnston9234 said:
If I am paying for unlimited data i deserve to get unlimited data and use it however I wish
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I agree with you there, I had a problem with an ISP once that I was using too much bandwidth on an unlimited plan(Cable Internet). They felt the need to cap my dl speeds to 50kbs from 300kbs. There explanation was that they put me in the "dog house" and said I was using the network for things other than personal use to be consuming all that bandwidth. I ended up arguing with them and they disconnected my service and refused to provide me any. So in the end the ISP or the phone company can screw you over no matter what.
wow. it's ridiculous that they'd even think of charging someone for tethering a phone. it's always been about money, when a greedy moron runs a multi-billion dollar company all they want is money. money money money.
Unlimited data should mean Unlimited data. And this means texting should also be included since it is, in fact, data. It's all data! It all comes down to corporate greed, and nickle & diming the consumers. Why do you think so many people are switching to Vonage (and similar) these days.
Bandwidth cap I can understand (because if you use more than 5gb a month on your phone, you need psychological help), but dictating HOW a user can use their data is absolutely not.[/QUOTE]
How is using more than 5Gb on your phone indicative of psychological instability? I'm not talking about using 20 Gb per month (maybe not even 10). I will
say however that I like to listen to two podcasts a day. That, combined with a few emails,maybe downloading some apps and web surfing I hit the cap almost every month. Back when T-mobile had a 10 Gb cap it was much more comfortable for me and I didn't have to monitor every kilobyte. I'm definitely not talking about copious amounts of data here, and I'm not talking about using it for a replacement for my home broadband. That said, I do feel your remark is offensive.
Sent from either my Nexus S, N1 or telepathically using two tin cans and some string.
Well I'm an AT&T customer and I actually agree on them cracking down on people tethering without paying for it...if people weren't jail-breaking their iPhones to use tethering services without paying for them I think unlimited data might still have been an option for their customers today...I wish they would started doing it a couple years ago... Just because you have unlimited data the TOS that you agreed to has the fine print saying that Unlimited Data applies only to data used on the device by that device not any other connected devices
steezee said:
Well I'm an AT&T customer and I actually agree on them cracking down on people tethering without paying for it...if people weren't jail-breaking their iPhones to use tethering services without paying for them I think unlimited data might still have been an option for their customers today...I wish they would started doing it a couple years ago... Just because you have unlimited data the TOS that you agreed to has the fine print saying that Unlimited Data applies only to data used on the device by that device not any other connected devices
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Of course, that's your opinion, and your entitled to it, as everybody else is on this forum.
steezee said:
Well I'm an AT&T customer and I actually agree on them cracking down on people tethering without paying for it...if people weren't jail-breaking their iPhones to use tethering services without paying for them I think unlimited data might still have been an option for their customers today...I wish they would started doing it a couple years ago... Just because you have unlimited data the TOS that you agreed to has the fine print saying that Unlimited Data applies only to data used on the device by that device not any other connected devices
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Ugggghhhh. When was it ever truly unlimited? The iPhone data plan was 5GB when I got one in 2009. That's a set amount...people should have been allowed to use it in any way. Tethering didn't get you more data in this case (don't think anyway? Did they charge extra or throttle?)...it simply guaranteed that you'd probably use the ACTUAL AMOUNT that you paid for. 5GB is 5GB...they just didn't expect people to actually use it. And when people actually did get their money's worth, AT&T completely screwed everyone with the extra fees.
If you're going to blame anyone, blame AT&T shareholders for demanding outrageous profits.
Not trying to be a jerk, but embracing their viewpoint really doesn't help the consumer cause.
Edit: Assuming Unlimited means Unlimited, I think you're absolutely correct about tethering costing extra. But unlimited in the iPhone's case meant 5GB...they had no right to complain about people using something they already paid for. Isn't this thread addressing whether or not tethering within the cap is ethical?
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA Premium App
Just got HATE mail from at&t to stop tethering before Dec 31st or they will change my Unlimited data plan to the 4GB $45 tethering data plan. I am running the Cleardroid ROM! Does anyone know of a ROM that I can run that will let me tether without getting the HATE mail or allow them to detect?
thanks P!
Well, you could try using another ROM if you wanted to (such as an ASOP-base), but the best advice I would give you is to watch your total usage. If you keep your total usage in a normal range, then you wouldn't raise any red flags for AT&T.
Here's a really wild and very radical Idea. Not for the faint of heart. DON"T TETHER WITHOUT A TETHERING PLAN! If you do, there is no one to blame but yourself. You agreed to their TOS when you signed up to use their network. Live with it or move to another carrier. Its that simple. Have a nice day
I'm pretty sure no one here is going to tell you how to circumvent AT&T's policies as this is a development site. Your best bet would be to use google.
pc09 said:
Just got HATE mail from at&t to stop tethering before Dec 31st or they will change my Unlimited data plan to the 4GB $45 tethering data plan. I am running the Cleardroid ROM! Does anyone know of a ROM that I can run that will let me tether without getting the HATE mail or allow them to detect?
thanks P!
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I used the Android Revolution rom for over 6 months with no issues and I downloaded OSX10.7 via wifi tether. I averaged 8-12GB/month.
---------- Post added at 01:11 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:09 PM ----------
gflare said:
Well, you could try using another ROM if you wanted to (such as an ASOP-base), but the best advice I would give you is to watch your total usage. If you keep your total usage in a normal range, then you wouldn't raise any red flags for AT&T.
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This is false I have a friend/customer that is at 2.51GB on an Unlimited plan and she just got the text stating that she will be throttled due to being in the top 5% of data users. Which is BS as I am already at 7.24GB myself and have not recieved any messages from AT&T.
Noodles5666 said:
I used the Android Revolution rom for over 6 months with no issues and I downloaded OSX10.7 via wifi tether. I averaged 8-12GB/month.
---------- Post added at 01:11 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:09 PM ----------
This is false I have a friend/customer that is at 2.51GB on an Unlimited plan and she just got the text stating that she will be throttled due to being in the top 5% of data users. Which is BS as I am already at 7.24GB myself and have not recieved any messages from AT&T.
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The top 5% text is for using data too much on your cell which is completely different from being warned about switching to a tether plan for getting caught tethering.
I tethered using ARHD rom and never got flagged, used as much as 9gb for a month but barely use tethering, only when on the road or out of the city.
Funny thing is now that I'm not tethering at all I get 2 text from att for being top 5% at 2gb on the second week of my cycle, throttled now at .15kbps...WTF is going on here!!! I think they just want everyone one off the unlimited plans for good.
Really mad here >
I suspect I got flagged because I downloaded GTA3 overnight which is only 500mb. At 7am I had gotten the hate texts. They should just put a Max cap at 5gb and not bullsh!t about location based 5% nobody knows...if everyone whose unlimited gets off wifi, top 5% will increase..but wait foh'gee is not fast enough so we must use wifi.
Sent from my Inspire 4G using XDA App
And here we go again. There have been tons of threads about this already guys, did we really need another one?
Simple fact of the matter is that ATT is cracking down and with the way they are doing it there is no work around for tethering. ATT will end up removing all unlimited data plans, it is just a matter of time. If you want to tether then get a tethering plan. Simple.
I acquired over 15 gigs of usage in less than a month tethering, and never got the hate mail from AT&T. My average is around 6gigs a month though... Sounds strange that you are getting that letter.
lol, we dont have this issue in australia.. yet
Here they dont care if we teather.. but they dont offer unlimited plans either....
im guessing that alot of people just assume that there data is private. Truth is they can tell easily what data is being transmitted unless it is encrypted. They only need look for a few tell tell signs, for instance they can see if a pc is at the end. There is alot of information they can get if they want to. They can tell u the os version mac id etc... So no rom can make it where att isnt aware of what is going on.
Its not the amount of data they are looking at to know if your tethering. Its data packets themselves. All isp have this ability or anyone with alot of computer knowledge.
Well hey, at least we know that ATT has limits. A friend of mine uses C-Spire, formerly Cellular South, (a regional carrier for southern US) and the constantly advertise no data limits and how they won't implement data limits. they are soon to start charging for streaming from pandora, youtube, etc. But the data plans are still unlimited. False advertising?
Haha it is safe to say cell phone companies are far dirtier than politicians.
AT&T is a bunch of liars. I got grandfathered into an unlimited plan. Who the hell are they to tell me how I use my data. Its none of their business. But because it stops them from making another 20-30 bucks off of me, I'm not allowed to use my data as I want. Its a joke
Sent from my HTC Inspire 4G using xda premium
As a ex AT&T employee the simple answer is that it's against the Terms of Service that you clicked thru when you activate a phone.
Sent from my HTC Inspire 4G using Tapatalk
nmbr1ctrman said:
AT&T is a bunch of liars. I got grandfathered into an unlimited plan. Who the hell are they to tell me how I use my data. Its none of their business. But because it stops them from making another 20-30 bucks off of me, I'm not allowed to use my data as I want. Its a joke
Sent from my HTC Inspire 4G using xda premium
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Let me guess, you didnt read the TOS? I dont understand signing something without reading it. That is just plain stupid. Mainly when your liable for it.
willwalk93 said:
Well hey, at least we know that ATT has limits. A friend of mine uses C-Spire, formerly Cellular South, (a regional carrier for southern US) and the constantly advertise no data limits and how they won't implement data limits. they are soon to start charging for streaming from pandora, youtube, etc. But the data plans are still unlimited. False advertising?
Haha it is safe to say cell phone companies are far dirtier than politicians.
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ATT was the same way with their unlimited plan from the beginning. There was a 5GB fair use clause in the TOS. At that time 5GB was an almost unlimited amount of data. If you went over 5GB you were just doing something excessive. As technology developed (iphone to the forefront) 5GB may have seemed easily reachable by many. But the fair use clause was still there.
Also on your ATT unlimited plan TOS there was a clause that you could not stream video and audio. How many of you saw that? This was very hard to enforce and was mostly ignored.
Also from the beginning you were not allowed to tether without a tethering plan. What is so difficult to understand this?
nmbr1ctrman said:
AT&T is a bunch of liars. I got grandfathered into an unlimited plan. Who the hell are they to tell me how I use my data. Its none of their business. But because it stops them from making another 20-30 bucks off of me, I'm not allowed to use my data as I want. Its a joke
Sent from my HTC Inspire 4G using xda premium
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Did you read my responses above? They have EVERY right to tell you how to use your data. You agreed and signed the contract. Nowhere has ATT lied to their customers. The issue is that they didn't enforce their rules and allowed too many to take advantage of the system. So now that they are getting some balls and trying to keep data use in line, people are crying foul. Well it is because of you that abuse the system that ATT is cracking down. You have only yourselves to blame.
Agoattamer said:
Also on your ATT unlimited plan TOS there was a clause that you could not stream video and audio. How many of you saw that? This was very hard to enforce and was mostly ignored.
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This is not entirely true. There was more to that clause that specified to another device, like your PC or television screen. It was specific to not using your device as an access point, which, you are correct, covered tethering. You are also correct about the about the 5gb soft cap. It basically stated if one continued to go over 5gb, they could take your unlimited plan away. Streaming to your phone has never been a violation.
Sent from my HTC Inspire 4G using Tapatalk
I have a copy of the original TOS since it is no longer available on ATT's website. I just have to find it. It was revised at one point in time to state what you are saying. I have found parts to that TOS on the web. They are quoted below. But I still stand behind that at one point in time it also forbid audio and video streaming from the web. That was quite a few years ago. But needless to say with or without the streaming part the TOS was laid out and some just did not pay attention to it.
The parties agree that AT&T has the right to limit throughput or amount of data transferred and/or deny, disconnect, modify and/or terminate Service if you use more than 5 gigabytes in a month. If you require more than 5 gigabytes per month, ask us about our DataConnect 5GB Overage plan.
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AT&T RESERVES THE RIGHT TO TERMINATE YOUR SERVICES WITH OR WITHOUT CAUSE, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, UPON EXPIRATION OR TERMINATION OF YOUR WIRELESS SERVICE AGREEMENT.
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Except as may otherwise be specifically permitted or prohibited for select data plans, data sessions may be conducted only for the following purposes: (i) Internet browsing; (ii) email; and (iii) intranet access (including access to corporate intranets, email, and individual productivity applications like customer relationship management, sales force, and field service automation).
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While most common uses for Intranet browsing, email and intranet access are permitted by your data plan, there are certain uses that cause extreme network capacity issues and interference with the network and are therefore prohibited. Examples of prohibited uses include, without limitation, the following: (i) server devices or host computer applications, including, but not limited to, Web camera posts or broadcasts, automatic data feeds, automated machine-to-machine connections or peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing; (ii) as a substitute or backup for private lines, landlines or full-time or dedicated data connections; (iii) "auto-responders," "cancel-bots," or similar automated or manual routines which generate excessive amounts of net traffic, or which disrupt net user groups or email use by others; (iv) "spam" or unsolicited commercial or bulk email (or activities that have the effect of facilitating unsolicited commercial email or unsolicited bulk email); (v) any activity that adversely affects the ability of other people or systems to use either AT&T's wireless services or other parties' Internet-based resources, including "denial of service" (DoS) attacks against another network host or individual user; (vi) accessing, or attempting to access without authority, the accounts of others, or to penetrate, or attempt to penetrate, security measures of AT&T's wireless network or another entity's network or systems; (vii) software or other devices that maintain continuous active Internet connections when a computer's connection would otherwise be idle or any "keep alive" functions, unless they adhere to AT&T's data retry requirements, which may be changed from time to time. This means, by way of example only, that checking email, surfing the Internet, downloading legally acquired songs, and/or visiting corporate intranets is permitted, but downloading movies using P2P file sharing services, redirecting television signals for viewing on Personal Computers, web broadcasting, and/or for the operation of servers, telemetry devices and/or Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition devices is prohibited. Furthermore, plans (unless specifically designated for tethering usage) cannot be used for any applications that tether the device (through use of, including without limitation, connection kits, other phone/PDA-to computer accessories, BLUETOOTH® or any other wireless technology) to Personal Computers (including without limitation, laptops), or other equipment for any purpose.
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There's a copy of your contract, accessible through your att account online. Read it. Love it. Live it. Or go to another carrier. That simple.
Ze, is it time to shut this down?
Agoattamer said:
I have a copy of the original TOS since it is no longer available on ATT's website. I just have to find it. It was revised at one point in time to state what you are saying. I have found parts to that TOS on the web. They are quoted below. But I still stand behind that at one point in time it also forbid audio and video streaming from the web. That was quite a few years ago. But needless to say with or without the streaming part the TOS was laid out and some just did not pay attention to it.
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Hah, you jolted my memory with that. I remember that now. It wasn't that long of a period that AT&T had that in the TOS. After it was inserted in the TOS, AT&T received so much negative backlash over it, it had to later remove it.
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Contract and TOS are 2 separate items. At the bottom of your contract it reads...
I HAVE READ AND AGREE TO BE BOUND BY THIS
AGREEMENT WITH ITS SEPARATE TERMS OF SERVICE,
RATE PLAN AND FEATURES BROCHURES (including
but not limited to, their Changes to Terms and Rates,
Limitations of Liability, and Arbitration clauses).
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Terms of Service is not linked to your account or contract. It is separate and not available anymore for the grandfathered unlimited account.
fernandezhjr said:
Hah, you jolted my memory with that. I remember that now. It wasn't that long of a period that AT&T had that in the TOS. After it was inserted in the TOS, AT&T received so much negative backlash over it, it had to later remove it.
Sent from my HTC Inspire 4G using Tapatalk
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I imagine TOS was changed quite a few times over the years. As technology changes so does the rules.