AT&T To Cap DSL Internet Data Usage At 150GB

**min0 lee** · 03-14-2011, 07:05 AM

So it begins....

Ladies and gentlemen, the days of unlimited broadband may be numbered in the United States, and we're not talking wireless this time -- AT&T says it will implement a 150GB monthly cap on landline DSL customers and a 250GB cap on subscribers to U-Verse high speed internet starting on May 2nd. AT&T will also charge overage fees of $10 for every additional 50GB of data, with two grace periods to start out -- in other words, the third month you go over the cap is when you'll get charged. DSLReports says it has confirmation from AT&T that these rates are legitimate, and that letters will go out to customers starting March 18th.

How does AT&T defend the move? The company explains it will only impact two percent of consumers who use "a disproportionate amount of bandwidth," and poses the caps as an alternative to throttling transfer speeds or disconnecting excessive users from the service completely. Customers will be able to check their usage with an online tool, and get notifications when they reach 65 percent, 90 percent and 100 percent of their monthly rates.

We just spoke with AT&T representative Seth Bloom and confirmed the whole thing -- rates are exactly as described above, and the company will actually begin notifying customers this week. He also told us that those customers who don't yet have access to the bandwidth usage tool won't get charged until they do, and that AT&T U-Verse TV service won't count towards the GB cap.

Update: What prompted this change to begin with? That's what we just asked AT&T. Read the company's statement after the break.

We are committed to providing a great experience for all of our Internet customers. Less than 2 percent of our Internet customers could be impacted by this approach - those who are using a disproportionate amount of bandwidth. We will communicate early and often with these customers so they are well aware of their options before they incur any additional usage charges.

The top 2 percent of residential subscribers uses about 20 percent of the bandwidth on our network. Just one of these high-traffic users can utilize the same amount of data capacity as 19 typical households. Lopsided usage patterns can cause congestion at certain points in the network, which can slow Internet speeds and interfere with other customers' access to and use of the network. Our new plan addresses another concern: customers strongly believe that only those who use the most bandwidth should pay more than those who don't use as much. That's exactly what this does – and again, 98% of our customers will not be impacted by this.

**klc9100** · 03-14-2011, 07:10 AM

well that's bullshit. I have been hearing for a few years now that the government is figuring a way to tax internet usage too.

**DOMS** · 03-14-2011, 08:00 AM

This isn't the 80s, there are other companies. What'll happen now is the AT&T users will go to competitors and boost their profits and AT&T's will suffer.

Companies only care about making profits. AT&T has over subscribed the shit out of their services and now only sees the short-term financial benefits of not having to build more infrastructure. They're going to lose out long-term to other Internet providers.

**min0 lee** · 03-14-2011, 09:29 AM

Originally Posted by DOMS

This isn't the 80s, there are other companies. What'll happen now is the AT&T users will go to competitors and boost their profits and AT&T's will suffer.

Companies only care about making profits. AT&T has over subscribed the shit out of their services and now only sees the short-term financial benefits of not having to build more infrastructure. They're going to lose out long-term to other Internet providers.

I didn't buy the Iphone because of AT&T's bad rep and now they want to also charge for internet usage. Fugettaboutit!

**LAM** · 03-14-2011, 09:30 AM

Originally Posted by DOMS

This isn't the 80s, there are other companies. What'll happen now is the AT&T users will go to competitors and boost their profits and AT&T's will suffer.

Companies only care about making profits. AT&T has over subscribed the shit out of their services and now only sees the short-term financial benefits of not having to build more infrastructure. They're going to lose out long-term to other Internet providers.

depending on where you live there aren't really any choices...AT&T is back to owning 75% of the telecom market through various mergers over the years since the break up in the mid 70's. The rest is split between Verizon and Qwest.

you can't look at the brand on things any more as that doesn't tell you who the actual parent company is.

take Reebok they are a subsidiary of Adidas but I think they also own Greg Norman, Ashworth, Rockport, etc.

**DOMS** · 03-14-2011, 10:06 AM

Originally Posted by min0 lee

I didn't buy the Iphone because of AT&T's bad rep and now they want to also charge for internet usage. Fugettaboutit!

I've always been of the opinion that AT&T blows. I've been with Verizon for 15 years. I've always had great coverage and great customer support.

The closest that I've had to a bad experience was when my phone died two months before I was able to get a free one. I called in and asked the level 1 guy to give me a phone early. He said that he couldn't. I asked for the supervisors. She took one look and my account and okayed it right there.

No company is perfect, but they've treated me very well over the years.

**DOMS** · 03-14-2011, 10:09 AM

Originally Posted by LAM

depending on where you live there aren't really any choices...AT&T is back to owning 75% of the telecom market through various mergers over the years since the break up in the mid 70's. The rest is split between Verizon and Qwest.

you can't look at the brand on things any more as that doesn't tell you who the actual parent company is.

take Reebok they are a subsidiary of Adidas but I think they also own Greg Norman, Ashworth, Rockport, etc.

I get what you're saying. Even if the people don't have an option, another company will show up to fill the void of unlimited access. Thankfully the government hasn't messed up that part of capitalism. Hell, breaking up the origianl AT&T helped a lot in that regard.

**min0 lee** · 03-14-2011, 10:10 AM

Originally Posted by DOMS

I've always been of the opinion that AT&T blows. I've been with Verizon for 15 years. I've always had great coverage and great customer support.

The closest that I've had to a bad experience was when my phone died two months before I was able to get a free one. I called in and asked the level 1 guy to give me a phone early. He said that he couldn't. I asked for the supervisors. She took one look and my account and okayed it right there.

No company is perfect, but they've treated me very well over the years.

I've had verizon, Sprint, Nextel and now T-Mobile, the only one I didn't like was when Sprint and Nextel merged.
I had a bunch of drop calls when that happened, Verizon was great and so far no problems with T-Mobile.

**phosphor** · 03-14-2011, 10:19 AM

I just fume when I hear about this crap. Instead of innovating and increasing speeds, they have to go the comcast route and cap - going backwards. I expect the provider I work for to jump on this bandwagon sooner or later - and I will be beside myself pissed about it. I run game servers and a few other things that sometimes reach that limit and beyond - not to mention some of the worthless movie downloads. I mean really. Whomever watched some of the garbage flowing out of hollywood over the past few years and bought some of it (like me), it isn't worth the time wasted on watching it or the cost of the disk it's printed on - let alone what they charged for it. They are no better than the thieves selling bogus gear. If the movie is good, I'll buy it and watch it with the mrs. That is my justification and I'm rolling with it.

**min0 lee** · 03-14-2011, 10:22 AM

Don't even get me started on Cable TV.

**phosphor** · 03-14-2011, 10:34 AM

It's funny you mention that, min. My provider told everyone that has their service a month back that at the end of our term they are raising rates by $30 - either eat it or take a crap deal with directv. Now we were just informed that any new installs, there will be a charge of.... wait for it....

$500.00

They are frickin nuts. Guess they want out of the market. Too bad, it's a damned good product. Hopefully they keep the internet portion good and not capped, cause it's blazing fast and reliable.

**min0 lee** · 03-14-2011, 10:40 AM

Wow, right now there is a battle at home whether to cut or get rid of our cable provider.
I'm paying $230.00 a month for Cable/phone/internet service, the house phone is never used and cable has a lot of nothing on it while I can get free internet service by tethering my cellphone.

**DOMS** · 03-14-2011, 11:05 AM

Originally Posted by min0 lee

Wow, right now there is a battle at home whether to cut or get rid of our cable provider.
I'm paying $230.00 a month for Cable/phone/internet service, the house phone is never used and cable has a lot of nothing on it while I can get free internet service by tethering my cellphone.

I had Direct TV. I ditched in favor of Netflix and haven't looked back.

Now my children spend more of their time watching educational shows than the usual inane stuff they used to watch. The watch stuff like National Geographic.

They've also started watching the cartoon that I watched as a child.

It's also nice not to have commercials in my home.

I don't believe that I'll ever go back to broadcast TV.

**min0 lee** · 03-14-2011, 11:08 AM

Originally Posted by DOMS

I had Direct TV. I ditched in favor of Netflix and haven't looked back.

Now my children spend more of their time watching educational shows than the usual inane stuff they used to watch. The watch stuff like National Geographic.

They've also started watching the cartoon that I watched as a child.

It's also nice not to have commercials in my home.

I don't believe that I'll ever go back to broadcast TV.

I don't even watch that much TV anymore, I think Google TV may be something worth looking into.

**DOMS** · 03-14-2011, 11:10 AM

I had to to do this.

**KelJu** · 03-14-2011, 11:37 AM

AT&T is so full of shit. They won't offer tiered service for those who stream and download a lot. They take over an area making it to where customers have to go with them, because there is no alternative. If they were really honest about the so called 2%, then they would offer packages for people who don't want to be bothered with caps, and don;t mind paying a premium for it.

AT&T is full of shit, they customer service is a joke, and their network is caving in on itself.

**Gena Marie** · 03-14-2011, 11:40 AM

I hate corporate greed

**keith1569** · 03-14-2011, 12:12 PM

damn that does blow..comcast caps at 250gb a month..havent had problems with that but still sucks ha

**awhites1** · 03-14-2011, 03:52 PM

AT&T can go to hell and so can there kids. mother f'in bull shit 2 gig data plan on iphones. they rip people off.

jesus they're a rip off. i love how companies aren't allowed to use common sense.
my condesnsed conversation sunday at the store yesterday:

Me: My wifes phone has used 85% of her 2 gig monthly data usage and we've only had these phones one week. She doesn't use the internet a lot on apps or safari
AT&T: lets look up you acct... ok looks like shes using the internet a lot
Me: well i know thats what the system says but shes isn't watching HD movies streamed net flix. other than words with friends for 30 mins for the past couple of nights and facebook shes barely on her phone
AT&T: looks like the system is showing she uses internet a lot
Me: why is she using it alot?? is her phone messed up? is there an app that is secretly conneting and using it all?
AT&T: I dont know but it looks like shes using it a lot
Me:how much is it to cancel my contract since theres no resolution and you can't do anything?
AT&T:well since its less than 30 days no fee. just return the phones and pay your bill
Me:ok i think i'll do that.
AT&T: ok
great customer service. im one in a million so screw me right?

**min0 lee** · 03-14-2011, 04:15 PM

Originally Posted by awhites1

AT&T can go to hell and so can there kids. mother f'in bull shit 2 gig data plan on iphones. they rip people off.

jesus they're a rip off. i love how companies aren't allowed to use common sense.
my condesnsed conversation sunday at the store yesterday:

Me: My wifes phone has used 85% of her 2 gig monthly data usage and we've only had these phones one week. She doesn't use the internet a lot on apps or safari
AT&T: lets look up you acct... ok looks like shes using the internet a lotMe: well i know thats what the system says but shes isn't watching HD movies streamed net flix. other than words with friends for 30 mins for the past couple of nights and facebook shes barely on her phone
AT&T: looks like the system is showing she uses internet a lotMe: why is she using it alot?? is her phone messed up? is there an app that is secretly conneting and using it all?
AT&T: I dont know but it looks like shes using it a lotMe:how much is it to cancel my contract since theres no resolution and you can't do anything?
AT&T:well since its less than 30 days no fee. just return the phones and pay your billMe:ok i think i'll do that.
AT&T:ok
great customer service. im one in a million so screw me right?

Wow, was the customer rep even from America or was it India?

**ZECH** · 03-14-2011, 06:20 PM

Just at the time when blockbuster is going out and net flix wants you to stream everything over blu ray players now instead of getting a physical movie. Guess that will put a big kink in those plans.

**lifterjaydawg** · 03-14-2011, 06:57 PM

Corporations have been trying to figure out for years how to do this. Make even more money on the internet. Hope this never passes.

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