AT&T has been facing a lot of pressure from the FTC lately regarding their unlimited data throttling policy. Previously, the company started throttling data off users subscribed to the unlimited plan after 5GB in congested areas. The customers who are on the plans were allowed to keep their old plans once AT&T eliminated the option.
Advertisement
AT&T’s reign of terror over legacy unlimited data plan holders is coming to an end. As AT&T and other carriers have attempted to phase out unlimited data options with new plans, some customers have stubbornly clung to the grandfathered plans.
AT&T calls the throttling a ‘speed reduction, ‘ and says it will now only happen when the phone is connected to a particularly congested network, and only when the 22GB threshold has been passed. The previous limit was 5GB, but AT&T will now wait until you hit 22GB before they throw the sirens on. While it remains an unlimited data plan that’s not really “unlimited”, this is a much better approach. AT&T for its part said that the FCC’s 0 million fine was “plucked out of thin air” in addition to being “arbitrary and excessive”. According to PC World, AT&T is likely feeling the pressure after having numerous lawsuits come against them from both the Federal Communications Commission and the Federal Trade Commission.
Unlimited data users will get a warning at the 75 percent mark (or 16.5 GB). At first, that 5-GB threshold was hard and fast, with throttling occurring as soon as a user went over the limit. While T-Mobile and Sprint still offer unlimited data.
For its part, AT&T stays far from the “data throttling” nomenclature, instead calling it “network management”.
Advertisement
The FCC’s net neutrality rules, approved earlier this year, ban most throttling but permit it for some network management.
