AT&T Says Its Only Throttles in Areas Where Capacity is Insufficient

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Posted February 10, 2012 at 12:44am by iClarified

AT&T is telling the New York Times that they are only throttling users in areas with insufficient network capacity or spectrum.

The statement follows outrage over a report that revealed AT&T's throttling of unlimited data plan users once they exceeded 2GB of data usage.

Mr. Siegel said that even if you do exceed 2 gigabytes of data usage and qualify as one of the top 5 percent, that doesn't absolutely mean you're going to be throttled. AT&T will only reduce speeds for the top 5 percent of users in areas where network capacity or spectrum is insufficient, he said. In other words, throttling is done on a case-by-case basis, not based on a hard number, according to AT&T's claims.

"There's a very good chance you wouldn't be slowed," Mr. Siegel said. He added that in the last month, less than 1 percent of AT&T smartphone customers were affected by the policy.

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AT&T Says Its Only Throttles in Areas Where Capacity is Insufficient

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Shrek81 - February 10, 2012 at 10:45pm

What they need to ask AT

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icewolf08 - February 10, 2012 at 8:23pm

I find the whole situation a little rediculous. My broadband ISP at home charges me only for the bandwidth tier that I am on (i.e. 15Mbps), there in no cap on actual data consumed. AT&T seems to be a little confused about data caps and throughput/bandwidth caps. I interpret unlimited data as meaning I can DL/UL as much data as I want/can within the billing cycle. It shouldn't matter if I use 2GB or 20GB. The total amount of data I use has no real affect on the network unless I was continuously DL/UL at the maximum bandwidth of the 3G connection. So, AT&T, learn the difference between bandwidth and usage!

surfgon - February 10, 2012 at 6:09pm

I filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau, and I highly encourage you to do the same as well. They WILL do something about this. And if you feel the same as me then feel free to copy and paste this at their website. And help spread the word. Show me where its the 5%??????????????????

Snrlvr - February 10, 2012 at 4:44pm

Unfortunately, the current throttling practice that AT&T is implementing has NOTHING TO DO WITH RELIEVING CONGESTION on their network. It has everything to do with trying to force custers of thereby

Snrlvr - February 10, 2012 at 4:36pm

Unfortunately the current throttling practice AT&T is implementing has nothing to do with relieving congestion on their network... It has more to do with trying to get people off the " Unlimited" data land.....

Bull - February 10, 2012 at 2:20pm

Only 1% get affected????!!!. Im in New York and every one I know has this problem now at 2 GB. Im sure New York alone is more than 1%. Money hungry, lying.

Randy - February 10, 2012 at 8:47am

Plain & Simple: I signed a contract with AT&T saying that I would pay $30 a month for "Unlimited 3G data speeds" They are now knowingly and purposefully slowing down my speeds to well below acceptable 3G Standards. Where I come from, when you promise someone something, take their money, and don't fulfill it, it is called stealing. I do not abuse my network, I am an average consumer. I email, browse the web, navigation, and watch videos. This is what my phone was advertised to me it would do. And the $30 a month I pay for Unlimited 3G data speeds was suppose to support that. But here I am halfway through my billing cycle and AT&T cannot fulfill their end of the contract. But they still take my money. They tell me that I can use Wi Fi or switch to a tiered plan. Non of these options address the issue that you are stealing. Using Wifi is a diversion from using what I pay for. A tiered plan means that you hope that I am not educated enough to know the difference between Unlimited 3G data and 3GB of 3G data... If I offered you a lifetime supply of water for $30 or 3 months worth of water at the same price, which would you choose? I filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau, and I highly encourage you to do the same as well. They WILL do something about this. And if you feel the same as me then feel free to copy and paste this at their website. And help spread the word by posting this at other websites/blog/news/ etc. Feel free to change it anyway you see fit. Thank you

Randy - February 10, 2012 at 8:24am

Plain and simple. I signed a contract with AT

Jaedre - February 10, 2012 at 4:41am

Thats true because i average about 3.5gb a month and i havent been throttled yet *crosses fingers*

merliner - February 10, 2012 at 4:05am

listen guys/gals. you and i both know this is ssscrap. why the fluck aren't some investigative journalist taking on this expose? i mean, come on! i'm sure they've exposed even harder stuff then this.

randy - February 10, 2012 at 4:00am

I live in Orlando and I usually use 2.5 to 4 GB a month. And Now I am being throttled after 2 GB. It is sooo slow that I don't think I will ever reach 3GB by the time my next billing cycle starts. So essentially it seems that I am paying $30 for 2GB...

Tony - February 10, 2012 at 3:04am

So does that mean AT&T is claiming that Los Angeles one of the biggest cities in the world has insufficient network capabilities? So for once AT&T is admitting to having a crap network?

Cleve - February 10, 2012 at 2:15am

I have a Family plan with 3 phones. 2 iphones 4s and 4 and a regular phone. I spend $198 per bill. My iphone got capped at 2Gb on the minute I reached 2Gb. My wife's iPhone 4 never reached 2Gb (she's always on wifi) and didn't get capped. Several of my friends had the SAME THING happen to them. We cannot all be in the top 1% of the top 5% of all data users. Thats Ridiculous I filed a complain with the FCC at: http://esupport.fcc.gov/complaints.htm?sid=&id=d1e419 and the BBB at: https://www.bbb.org/consumer-complaints/file-a-complaint/get-started and you should do the same, its only way to win against these crooks.

randy - February 10, 2012 at 4:26am

I just complained on the BBB. thanks for the link

angel_92701 - February 10, 2012 at 4:39am

Same here. I have iPhone 4gs w/ unlimited and my wife 4 w/2gigs plan, Se never reach One gig. Where is The rest.are AT&T rolling back the unused data to my wife. Or even me. Sometimes I reach the 2 gigs. But most of the time. Not. And the network on my area is slow. I hardly reach 1.5 mb/s. imagine. Get throttle. Hope AT&T. Read this comments. And pay attention. I being with since the first iPhone. And in my house. Like 15 years,

Sha - February 10, 2012 at 2:01am

This is another lie by AT&T. They will throttle you once you go over 2gb unless they just realized what kind of BS that is and quickly pulled back. Siegel was probably like "oh shit" after he saw all the negative comments and outrage about AT&T.

Sign This! - February 10, 2012 at 1:26am

Petition for AT&T 2GB throttle. not sure if it'll work but its a shot! http://www.change.org/petitions/att-data-throttle#

BS - February 10, 2012 at 1:24am

This is total BS, i have a coworker(in my area) that uses 5GB a month on AT&T, no throttling. while im throttled at 2.08GB, his theory was because he has a family plan and he spends $100+/month on his mobile bill. i asked him if he just started using a lot of data and he said "no, ive always used this much data for the past 3 years."

Cleve - February 10, 2012 at 2:13am

Your friends theory is wrong. I have a Family plan with 3 phones. 2 iphones 4s and 4 and a regular phone. I spend $198 per bill. My iphone got capped at 2Gb on the minute I reached 2Gb. My wife's iPhone 4 never reached 2Gb (she's always on wifi) and didn't get capped. I filed a complain with the FCC at: http://esupport.fcc.gov/complaints.htm?sid=&id=d1e419 and the BBB at: https://www.bbb.org/consumer-complaints/file-a-complaint/get-started and you should do the same, its only way to win against these crooks.

Rod - February 10, 2012 at 1:17am

Im going to see how many movies streams on netflix i can do b4 they cap me... they we will know, because I'm in a small town... i want to see that happening...