AT&T Confirms They'll Throttle Starting October 1

Verizon has said that they throttle their heaviest users on their EvDO network. I'll bet AT&T's throttling is going to affect a lot more people though.

Are you willing to pay more to fund network upgrades?

Are you willing to pay more to fund network upgrades?

Are you willing to pay more to fund network upgrades?

Are you willing to pay more to fund network upgrades?

So they are outright admitting their network stinks? Also I wonder how many people are still on the unlimited plan....

"But even as we pursue this additional measure, it will not solve our spectrum shortage and network capacity issues.  Nothing short of completing the T-Mobile merger will provide additional spectrum capacity to address these near term challenges."

They have $39 billion to spend on T-mobile because it's an enormous value to them. If T-mobile had to be replicated by AT&T, it would cost far far far more than $39 billion to do that. When the sale was first announced, there were many that indicated there could be somewhere near $40 billion in cost savings alone. i.e. AT&T basically gets T-mobile for free.

Plus they get all that done immediately without waiting years for a real build out.

If you were a business executive in AT&T, there's little alternative but buying T-mobile. Keeps the investors happy, your fat compensation keeps rolling in, compatible technologies, and the customers have little choice with only two other primary competitors.

They could just buy Spectrum from one of the spectrum hoarding company.

All they are going to do is turn around and shut down T-Mobiles HSPA+ infrastructure and migrate everyone over ASAP.

They claim they are doing it for the AWS spectrum. But thats pathetic, its not like they are going to build out rural areas with AWS spectrum anyways. 700Mhz is needed, they are already behind Verizon and this isn't going to help.

buying t-mobile will not accomplish any rural return for at&t. T-mobile is city oriented with contracts with rural carriers to suplement their lines. In eastern Colorado, we use a Cross-tie with Viaero for service. Their network is shakey at times and service goes from excelent to marginal in a heartbeat. spectrum has less to do with it than poor distribution oif towers and maintenance on that equipment. They just do not want anyone else getting their hands on the system as it will impact their size ratio to Sprint and Verizon. Both companies need t- mobile also. Their signal structure sucks out here. The viaero contract and many others like it are the pursued portions for these giants in communications.

Do you know anything about high end optical switches or routers? Let me clue you in on them. I work for a company that does about 1billion dollars or more in sales to AT&T and Verizon in terms of upgrading their backhaul and wireless network. We have thousands and thousands of patents on this technology and continually improve and revolutionize this product to the point that data transmission costs are becoming insanely cheap. Also to power that equipment is getting cheaper and cheaper.

This metered billing and data scarcity crap that providers are pulling now is an utter joke and just like when text messaging first came out nothing but a money grab. Their costs for data transmission are dropping year after year, no data scarcity exists nor does it need to be metered to the levels it is now.

So basically what I am saying is when these companies control 80% of the market it's ridiculous to set such rules. Both you and them can shove it if you think it's fair by any stretch.

Ok please tell me why in rural spots the bandwidth cost so freaking high then?

because for 10x10 meg line from cable company is freaking 1600 dollars.

for a full 45meg DS3 connection to me would cost me 5-6k so dont tell me me the crap is getting cheaper because its not!!!!

Ok please tell me why in rural spots the bandwidth cost so freaking high then?

because for 10x10 meg line from cable company is freaking 1600 dollars.

for a full 45meg DS3 connection to me would cost me 5-6k so dont tell me me the crap is getting cheaper because its not!!!!

You know something I am getting sick and tired of everybody bitching and complaining that they want more bandwidth but not willing to pay for higher bandwidth. Just think these companys have to pay more and more money for equipment to handle the higher bandwidth. Yes it does cost alots of money for newer and faster technology to handle Larger Bandwidth and Users.

Also just think if they upgrade the equipment and bandwidth pipe how do you think they are going to get there ROI back? I dont care how much they have they would have to get it back some how that means they would charge more for higher bandwidth.

I dont blame these mobile carriers for throttling it just going to show if you want more bandwidth your just going to pay more for higher bandwidth end of story.

Translation: There's still some spectrum that we're not squatting on and that could allow a possible competitor to enter the field so we will use millions of dollars to pay lobbyists and donate millions of dollars to the campaigns of Congressmen (and women) to make sure that we control as much spectrum as possible even though we are using way less than half of what we control.

Side note: There is also some spectrum currently being wasted on free OTA television broadcasts. We see no need for broadcast television and believe that it should be ended in favor of giving us that spectrum as well so we can squat on it too because that would give us more possible customers for our overpriced U-Verse TV service.

End result: Check the donor information of possible politicians in upcoming elections. If they are heavily lobbied by or receive donations from AT & T - DON'T VOTE FOR THEM. CONSIDER ANY CONNECTIONS TO AT & T THE PLAGUE.

That's how things get fixed. Make sure politicians know if you side with AT & T (or any big Telco) that their job won't exist come next term. Isn't it time we end Corporate America's influence on US policies?

They don't need to throttle anyone, their service is already slow.

I want to see proof of the congestion that is the supposed need for the throttling.

I have two college friends who work fairly high up in AT&T and when we all get together for beers they claim there is no real congestion except for peak hours and only in the very largest cities and that minimal network upgrades to those towns could alleviate the problem.

This is ANOTHER cash grab, pure and simple.

I want to see proof of the congestion that is the supposed need for the throttling.

I have two college friends who work fairly high up in AT&T and when we all get together for beers they claim there is no real congestion except for peak hours and only in the very largest cities and that minimal network upgrades to those towns could alleviate the problem.

This is ANOTHER cash grab, pure and simple.