AT&T Starts Throttling Wireless Users This Week Only Unlimited Smartphone Users in Top 5% of Usage Back in August, AT&T stated they'd begin throttling some wireless customers this fall -- most notably unlimited data plan smartphone users in the top 5 percent of the heaviest data users in a billing period. "This step will not apply to our 15 million smartphone customers on a tiered data plan or the vast majority of smartphone customers who still have unlimited data plans," AT&T said at the time. According to the company, those impacted use 12 times more data than the average of all other smartphone data customers -- and they're now being notified of the changes. Specifics, however, remain a little elusive.

"I got an email from AT&T claiming they were updating my account," writes in user Uncle Paul . "Since I didn't change my account I contacted them to see what was going on," he says. "Turns out that my brother in law who streams Netflix to his IPhone has placed us in the top 5% of ATT's data users and beginning October 1st will be throttling data speeds for the remainder of the billing cycle if they are still in the top 5%. When asked, they couldn't give me any information about how much throttling, if it were per tower or moved with you, etc." A little more than a year ago AT&T and if a local tower is suffering from congestion: A little more than a year ago AT&T killed the unlimited plan , replacing it with a new lower cap and high ($10 per gigabyte) overage model. Existing unlimited users were grandfathered (for now) a perk that is eliminated should you try to tether unofficially . AT&T obviously isn't alone in ramping up throttling on these users. Verizon implemented a new "network optimization" system earlier this month , but only for unlimited users on the company's 3G (EVDO) network. Verizon's system only de-prioritizes user packets if that user is in the top 5% of the heaviest usersif a local tower is suffering from congestion:







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bobgwen

join:2001-07-07

Bartow, FL 2 recommendations bobgwen Member Using smart phones So if a person uses their smartphone with the apps you will get treated as an offender?? Why even have the ability to stream netflix if you're going to get treated as a criminal? Why even make smart phones at all if you use them AS a smart phone and get throttled?