AT&T rethinks unlimited iPhone data plans

I think its AT&T's fault for not thinking ahead and having the right network to support an agreement with Apple and the iPhone. I live in a unsaturated market and I can tell you, I love my phone but hate my service. Its spotty at best. If they change this, I predict a land slide of iPhone users leaving AT&T and hacking the phone to go with a different provider or switching to the Droid.

both are to blame, but wait droid is now here and wal-mart is coming!

If they take my unlimited data plan, I'm going to get the Droid from Verizon. The contract states that if anything changes on AT&T's end to lower my service, I can walk.

yep

What?! AT&T isn't always the fastest 3G network!?

Slander! Preposterous!

AT&T sucks if they try and charge me more for data plans I will just chip my Iphone and go off the grid. I have been with this company since it was pac bell and customer service has gone down with every company change.

ATT…Poor customer service, Drop calls, lack of coverage now reduced service, Trumps me wanting to buying an IPHONE. Man…I hope Apple Drops their exclusive contract with them like ATT drops calls. So I am going to Droid. Man…Apple WAKE UP you losing a lot of customers like me that will not go back to ATT.

If the unlimited usage is unsustainable in certain markets, I am ok with usage based pricing, but only if you have sliding scales up and down. It would not be fair for someone to be charged more for extreme use when someone who uses very little is still charged the base $30 data plan. Also, AT&T should only be allowed to change contract terms upon renewel, not mid-contract.

AT&T shouldn't be giving people unlimited data plans if they can't handle the iPhone. It is unlimited for a reason and its their own fault for not being able to keep up with demand. They're too worried about the iPhone that they can't push out faster networks like T-Mobile and Verizon.

They need to change it to where you can buy certain amounts. Either way I hope they do change it so I can jump from ATT.

I want to know where it states that if AT&T reduces your plan, you can break early. I read the contract and couldn't find anything about it.

c'mon, What does it mean when you say "Unlimited plan ? We pay for it ! $30 bucks a month and ATT is telling us that we over use it ! Why dont ATT own up to it and put more bandwith up and stop putting the blam on the end user ? Now ATT is going to not offer Unlimited plan or better yet jack up the price for it. I will cut my phone off ! I really dont need it. Better yet If that happens I will just go with verizon !!

ATT executives lack foresighteness and are shameless whiners. They wanted IPHONE with exclusive contracts and Unlimited plan 59.99 per month at least >the Vaga gut should be fired for not doing enough. I mean in Metro area like Sanfran,LA and NY,Chicago and Atlanta etc you are going to have more people hogging thru Iphone.Why this is surprise???lack of proactiveness in business and infrastructre developments? They shold know how many IPHONE users are in certain zip code and that should determine number of cell towers.They customer service suck and theri netowk suck and they bblame customers not themselves. They have no problem cashing in big checks every months from IPHONE users... Here Comes FTC to kick their but....

Is it fair for us to play by the rules and for big biz to change them when they cant deliver ? I think not... They will loose lots of customer if they do this ! Oh well.... Im over it !!

I promise you that the issue AT&T is facing is not data users but a lack in investment on their networks and the incapacity to foresee what they were getting into. Greedy investors and having to fill the coffers of the stockholders in order to beat Wall Street expectation has driven cost up and services down. If AT&T was to forgo just one year of big profit margin and invest that capital to upgrade the network they would margin well ahead of the other big wireless carriers. But, they can't, because they don't want to. Less $ and a lack of it will break their backs when users like myself would leave and go to Verizon or T-mobile as an alternative to high prices, lack of services and customer loyalty. It’s sad that it must get to this point before the investors cry the blues and decides to finally give in and upgrade the network to win back customers. A little to slow for progress and the company instead of being ahead falls back two steps in order to play catch up. Why wouldn’t they just invest now to get it done right and reap the rewards later? Thereby achieving 99.999% customer satisfaction? But of course I am living in lala land and prices just continue to go up for the crap I have now.

Im not sure it states it in the contract i havnt really looked. I just know from past experience they send you the new terms in the mail, usually stupid changes you dont care about. But they would have to send a thing in the mail saying you have 30-60 days to respond if you do not accept the new terms. If you dont reply its assumed you accept. If you reply they either say ok terms stay the same or ok contract is breached its your call to stay or leave at that point. It might not be in contract its just prob understood in contract law that if its breached you have the right to walk.

If they pull the unlimited plan I will move BACK to Verizon in April when my contract comes up. AT&T retains exclusive rights to the iPhone and should have planned for this demand. The iPhone is more of a computer than a phone. Get it together AT&T!!

ATT sure will make huge mistake if they decide to change the data plan. ATT should improve its network to fit the needs of users other then blaming Iphone users for consuming too much bandwidth. Mr De la Vega is crazy !

Cry me a river AT&T! You charge 100 bones as it is. If you charge me more for my iPhone, I'm going to iCancel my plan and go with Verizon or something and pay 40 bucks a month...

This will have horrible effects on their customer base. If AT&T decideds to cap data, I am out.

iPhone had a hard time getting in the market here (Scandinavia) because it was too slow compared to the phones already in use here. Now iPhone finally got HSDPA, light years behind other phones.
I don't think consumers should be penalized for the operator's incompetence to keep up with technology.

There's an app for that!

I just hope Verizon doesn't screw with the OS on the iPhone so I can switch as soon as the handset is available on something other than AT&T!

AT&T needs to deliver on THEIR original agreement with the consumer.
Customers should not be penalized for utilizing the full services of their original contract.

AT&T needs to be taking the $30 from every unlimited data contract plan and using that to upgrade their network!

Chris said: " December 10th, 2009 3:18 pm ET
If they take my unlimited data plan, I'm going to get the Droid from Verizon. The contract states that if anything changes on AT&T's end to lower my service, I can walk."

Whose contract says that, ATT or Verizon? Where in the ATT contract does it say that?

If so, I also would drop ATT and go with whoever supports my iPhone with unlimited data

Ok, as an iPhone user, I would say this to AT&T...Terminate my contract. Your billing system is outrageous as it is, not to mention expensive. You have no real middle ground for service minutes. 700 a month is not enough, 1400 is too much. I get unlimited data for $30 a month and have to pay $20 for unlimited text messaging. So actually that's $50 a month for unlimited "data" usages, with an exception....I live an hour south of the Canadian border, and I travel there a lot. Now consider that I DO have coverage for Canada @ an extra $5-$10 a month....I STILL had to pay and extra $0.50 for each text I sent (nice to find out AFTER coming back home) and with a teenager on the plan, I got nailed for $300 for 1 weekend visit. AT&T, if you want to save some bandwidth, terminate my contract. I love my iPhone, but I loathe AT&T

For me personally it would be the end of my relationship with ATT or any of the phone companies. I would certainly hope I would not be alone. The unlimited data is the reason people buy an iphone.

Here's a novel idea, why don't they stop charging exuberant prices and start delivering on the deals. I don't care about the iphone users causing the problems. If it's a known problem, all of ATT's customers should receive a coupon or discount for every dropped call or bad connection.

Oh well, once that phone is on other networks it will be great to see the mass exodus from ATT and I personally hope Verizon gobbles them up.

Excellent opportunity for Verizon and others to get on the iphone and make things right for us -customers! -no problem switching over if they offer the proper package as it should have been from the start! ATT charges too much and now complains? why don't they start getting better servers, systems and wires and offer what the thought they could manage! The iphone is a great tool and I see Apple inking it with other mobile providers!!!

SCUMBAGS!!!!its just a play for money, they screwed up they werent prepared, so why should we as users pay for their msitakes, they act as if they didnt see it coming, they must be deaf, dumb, blind and stupid to not see the feight train on tracks they were standing on!!!!!

I think that it is funny that AT&T is complaining about their customers being the problem. AT&T’s network has long been an issue. Even before the iPhone came to be, cellular service has been spotty at best. Since the iPhone, cellular has not improved, customer service has been terrible and prices have gone through the roof. I, for one, will leave my precious iPhone behind if AT&T takes away the unlimited data plan. When companies start blaming their customers for problems, customers find alternatives.

I feel that AT&T has brought this on themselves. First they force a smartphone user into an extra $30 plan just for owning an iPhone and then whine whey they use it for what it was intended. They should have also spent the cash upfront and upgraded their network in these obviously high usage areas. If they start charging for data services or putting a cap on when you can and cannot use your iPhone there is going to be an uprising. Apple will move to another carrier and AT&T will fall like an elephant from space. Use some of the capital from outrageous "deals" like $20 for text messaging, which doesn't change the size needed for their data pipes at all.

Check it!

AT&T needs to get up off their rear ends and see that its not the users fault. I was going to get the iPhone, but considering the fact that I needed to have Talk Mins with the unlimited data plan, I went else where. I am deaf, so there is no sense on my part to even have talk mins. If the bandwidth is such a issue, why don't AT&T upgrade their servers? Blaming their customers for using their iPhones is beyond stupid, if someone buys a iPhone, of course that person is going to use as much as possible.

AT&T and Apple need to allow other companies to sell the iPhone, such as Verizon, ALLTel, etc.. Not just one company.. maybe if they did that then all of this nonsense wouldn't be a issue, now would it??

I think AT&T cutting unlimited plans is down right stupid. It's AT&T's job to handle the data usage, not the customer's.

If they take away my unlimited plan or manipulate it's content whatsoever, that effectively cancels my obligation and I will go to Verizon.

Make no mistake: AT&T is stretched to the limit. It has far surpassed its glossy commercials and splashy brochures. Don't believe the hype. The customer service is GREAT when first signing up. The "customer service" AFTER being signed up is anything but. Expect a loooooooong hold time or transfer after transfer after transfer to the "someone that can help you". AT&T SUCKS!

ATT got what they wanted from the customer and that is $30 a month ongoing income to ATT. ATT should and should have invested the $30 a month from the subscribers into their infrastructure. To have a company complain about the usage they sell is like a cable company that complains their customers watch too much TV. ATT, get your act together and invest in your infrastructure and point that big 'ol company finger right back at yourself.

AT&T is whining because customers are using the service they paid for - really...???

This is simply insane. I don't know of any other time that a company has blamed the success of a product they sale as the reason they have so many issues. It just reminds me of the commercial of the guy giving a little girl a bike to ride, but the kid can only ride it in a box the size of a bike. "It's unlimited up to this much"....I bet even kids see this as unfair.

AT&T, your real boss is your customer. It seems to me that the company could do a better job of focusing on that. Personally, I'm sick of all companies (not just AT&T) raising rates or increasing charges on their customers. I guess some companies & corporate executives just can't have enough money in their pockets.

Really AT&T?! Is this what you call "fixing the problem of a sub par service your provide"? Excellent strategic capacity planning?! C'mon – did he really just balme customers for thier lack of effectiveness, network capacity and someone's inability to think ahead and deliver? Did anyone on the board of directors smack him on the head for this comment...AND how could he NOT know that was the wrong thing to say.

I got an iPhone 3gs 32gb I paid 150 termination fee on AT&T it supposed to be 175$ TF but because I'm using the iPhone for almost 6 months they reduce it to 150$ TF, I switch to Tmobile and was only paying 65$ unlimited voice data text, I only got edge though, so what AT&T in San Francisco sucks anyway you can see 3g connection sometimes but the connection still like edge speed crazy huh, AT&T you sucks never will return to you, and even my friend with iPhone pay only 10$ for data plan in t- mobile he just bought a new plan with tmobile with a free phone on it then let them add the unlimited we'd for 10$ then he just switch to iPhone the trick is don't tell them you have an Iphone or call tmobile using the iPhone that's it. He's like using it for months now no problem, I'm happy moving to tmobile in 3 months time the 150$ TF paid it self to tmobile not so good when I was in AT&T with 300free text, unlimited data, 500 minutes roll over voice I'm paying like 135$ a month, and now they will increase even more, don't be so dumb enough staying with AT&T guys, pay the termination fee move to tmobile pay 65$ a month unlimited all all all data, voice, text. Just bring an olp cellphone so you don't need have any contract to tmobile then wait for Q3 in 2010 verizon will have the iPhone, but for me I'm thinking staying with t mobile with my iPhone. Don't be so dumb not to terminate your contract in AT&T swith to tmobile save like 60-70$ a month on your regular iPhone plan on AT&T, one suggestion don't put your brain in the refrigerator! Use it terminate AT&T contract switch to tmobile or sprint way to go half the monthly price, AT&T in this month me and 7 of my friend terminTe our contract and now we are happy with tmobile our wallet is getting thicker by saving almost 70$ a month compare to your monthly robbing iPhone plans!!!
Now they want more the will be charging per mb OMG it might be for KB haha guys move to TMobile use your iPhone just don't tell them my friend use it for months now no problem

I love my iPhone, but I wish that AT&T would lower their price on the data plan for it – between unlimited text ($20/mo – seriously??? that is solid profit for at&t), my phone plan AND the "unlimited" data plan for my iPhone, I pay more than my family does with another carrier, for all 5 of their phones ... kind of crazy I think, but I love the iPhone so I'm stuck with it, haha.

I also have a beef with the whole "unlimited" data plan, but really it is limited to 5GB per month – which is a ton, but it is technically not unlimited then. I don't see that it is the consumer's fault for utilizing their data plan that at&t charges a lot for to begin with.

My suggestion, since at&t probably won't lower texting rates, take the profit that you make from text messaging charges and put it into beefing up your network to make it stable enough to support more phones and data. Duh, it's not rocket science!

That's why I have an unlocked/jailbroken Iphone, running on Tmobile and only paying $5.99 for T-zones a month for Unlimited Data usage on an IPHONE!! Yes, I may still be with a 2g Iphone....but, I do not have to deal with all the problems with the ATT Service! My bill is less than $80 a month after taxes while with ATT you are no where near that! Tmobile may be a little behind on the 3G/4G...since they are using a special 3G network for these types of data transfers but that is the reason they are behind.....They are smart and planned for these big time devices using up all their network!! In the areas Tmobile is pushing their 3G/4G (Philly for example) they are utilizing their network to the fullest capabilites and even if an Iphone 3GS were compatible after jailbreak and unlock on this network Tmobile can afford the multpile users cause the network can handle it!!!! TMOBILE HAS ALWAYS BEEN ONE OF THE BEST....CUSTOMER SERVICE IS AVAILABLE 24/7!!! WELL....other than that whole Sidekick fiasco, which I was against the sidekick way back since 2003!

OK, so everyone will switch to Verizon and Droid and then Verizon will have same problems. Neither of these companies care, they will both just jack up the rates or make us suffer with crummy service. I switched from Verizon to ATT to get iPhone. I can now talk in my basement, garage, and in Connecticut and New Hampshire where my Verizon service was a disaster. Both companies have warts.

Ya AT&T its our fault you make us pay 30 dollars a month to use data on that phone even if we dont want it. Then turn around and say we are using it to much. So should we pay month for data and not use it then. What a joke, i guess those fastest 3g speeds are in areas where no one uses data, must of missed that commercial saying that.

No ... it's good for AT&T to change their terms mid-contract because when they change the contract you have 30 days of time within which you can opt out of the contract with no early termination fee.

I live in San Francisco and my AT&T service sucks. I have an iphone 3GS and as I sit writing this post I just had to do a hard reboot on my phone so that I could make calls. I'm sitting in one of the largest metropolis' in this country and I can't make calls out of my building. It is even worse at my house, which sits on top of a mountian (500' elevation); I can't make calls in a grocery store, etc.

Ditch AT&T. I'm going to Verizon the second they change the contract.

So far what everyone has said about ATT's service is right on track. If they plan on keeping the customers they do have now they'd get there priorites straight and fix the problems they have ahead of them or else they'll find that there customers will all be gone.

Does anyone think this might be the last gasp for AT&T since the contract with Apple is up soon. Verizon made the mistake of NOT bidding on the service coverage when the Iphone originally came out. After it became the huge success it is, I guarantee Verizon wont make the same mistake twice. Ill take my Iphone to Verizon anytime. I love the phone, but hate the service too... ( And Im in NY WITH coverage!!)

The real problem here is AT&T is holding out on upgrading their wireless network because they are waiting for 4G (LTE) to mature. Plus they have so much swiss cheese coverage that it will still take years to acquire & build the cell sites that they need.

If they were smart they would reward customers like me who do most of my iPhone browsing on my WiFi network at home & work.

Even though my Verizon BlackBerry Storm 2 has better coverage nationwide, I only have 10% of the available features on that platform compared to my iPhone. So I can live with AT&T's shortfalls for now. AT&T has a new iPhone app that lets you report coverage gaps, so we'll see how well they use those results to improve their network.

why cant they take all the money they make off of the data plans and improve the overall "map" I am in the mountain of NC and i only have service on campus. Personally i would rather see that i have service than "3G".

Att has always been a crap company. The only thing they have is awesome international service and decent coverage in rural mountain areas. I currently am with sprint on their simply everything plan. i pay 107 something a month and my friend pays over 130 bucks for his ipone. I have the HTC Hero and I love it. Sprint might not have the best network coverage but for the cost its a way better deal then ATT. And Sprint roams on Verizon. Maybe one day Att will find out that the network really does matter

Just waiting for this phone to get a carrier in the US: http://www.else.bz. I'm dumping my IPhone and AT&T as soon as possible.. AT&T's customer service is horrible and the network is almost as bad. I have a 3G and get dropped calls/missed calls/missed texts all the time. The OS for the IPhone is getting worse...I'm restarting my phone 3 times a day, minimum. And there are 4 people in my office having the same problems, with both the 3G and 3GS phones and an AT&T rep confirmed the issues....and told us there was nothing that could be done.

Those 3% that use 40% of the bandwidth are probably tethering at home and not paying for a land internet connection. They should be kicked off the network if tethering and and hosing the network.

Its time for us to organize and talk to our legislators and lobby hard against these ufair preditory contractual practices!

Does anyone know when Apple's contract with AT&T expires ? I can't wait to get the heck out and get better service with another carrier. AT&T is only interested in making money and screwing the customer. I love my Iphone but will leave it if they try to screw me! Nuff said.

I pay $39 a month for internet service @ home 12mb..my att bill is $200 a month family plan with 2 iPhones and another reg phone..if they start getting back to the old cingular ways we will be out too..Verizon blows so all that is left is sprint

I have AT&T...love the iPhone and love the service, not a problem in the world and live in a saturated market. With the smaller companies they offer unlimited for a low rate but they dont tell you its only on their network or only within a region.
But i really hope the iphone goes to another carrier so it can 'bog' down there net work and all these whiners and complainers that jump ship or think cell phone service is a perfect technology can suck it. AT&T's customers double the data traffic in the USA that Verizon does...ofcourse they have a more reliable network...because no one uses it for high demand situations or features.
Remember when the Blackberry Storm came out with Verizon and they dubbed it the iphone killer...or when the Samsung Instinct or Palm Pre from Sprint came out also dubbed the iphone's biggest competitor? The Droid is the same thing...it doesn't have multitouch like the iphone and the overall functionality and simplicity is null and void compared to the iphone.

It's easy to bash AT&T regarding their service, but you need to understand what a difficult problem bandwidth planning is. AT&T got blindsided by the amount of bandwidth needed to support their subscribers. As an AT&T customer myself, sometimes it's frustrating, but I believe that they are working on improving service - they HAVE to, otherwise, they'll end up as roadkill as their subscribers bolt to other carriers. It's easy to be an armhair quarterback and say that they should have built up infinite bandwidth in their entire network, but that's just not cost-effective. They're stuck in a difficult position, because they have constant massive capital expenditures for network upgrades and yet they have to be price-competitive with the monthly fees. I'm sure they're playing a game of virtual whack-a-mole these days, analyzing which sites are maxing out allocated bandwidth and enhancing those sites, but that cannot be done overnight. I guess what I'm saying is be patient, but that's something that we as a society just aren't willing to be, and that's a shame.

everyone keeps talkin about that droid. go use one and see if u still wanna get one (if you have an iphone already). as for apple switching to another carrier...lets hope its soon cuz i probably wont be getting any other phone when this ones done.

I was under the impression that Apple set the rate plan prices anyway?

Gee...let's see: Unlimited data plan + high data-driven phone (i.e. iPhone) + extremely money hungry idiotic upper AT&T management = FAIL. Let's face it. Quit paying these CEO's, President, and Executive millionaires millions a year and invest millions a year on the infrastructure and you'd have a stable network. It's certainly not the end users fault that AT&T's piss-poor upper management made poor decision and now need someone to blame besides themselves to the investors. And one more thing on my rant, I'm WAY beyond sick and tired of these assholes flat out lying just so keep themselves out of trouble with investors. I'd sooner go with TMobile than give AT&T a single penny of mine. Horrible customer service, horrible service, just horrible everything.

i live in an unsaturated market AND i rarely drop calls. I cant complain about anything. But i agree, AT&T cannot fault subscribers for fully utilizing their purchase. And for the record, the DROID is garbage. it looks cool, and does a few things, but its doesnt dfo simple things like multi-touch.

I have a droid. Love it. Killer network and performance.

Why don't people just move to more remote areas? NYC sucks anyways.

why don't they fix their network instead.. i can't imagine anyone going for this

There are better alternatives to AT&T and iPhone. I will sue them if they change the plan since the only reason anyone buys the iPhone and putup with AT&T is the unlimited data plan.

AT&T vs Verizon is the battle. I have AT&T service on one smartphone and The DROID phone with Verizon. The service AT&T offers is concentrated in high density markets where profitability is high. The AT&T technology is in theory a good sales pitch, but in action is too expensive for them to integrate nationwide. If AT&T is trying to care for the customer instead of shareholders then I would think the company might have a better chance to gain future business. Verizon on the other hand has taken ownership of towers nationwide to provide better coverage within the US market. Verizon is the leader in the US, I use to work for AT&T and the AT&T leaders hated Verizon. The Droid is a functional laptop in some regards. I have not had any problems with it yet. I use it mainly for entertainment. AT&T customers should stop paying for poor service, and even if they are in a contract it is only $175 or less to break it. Verizon is going to remain the leader for a long time. AT&T deserves to fall because they have failed the customers that support it.

I think you absolutely right when saying "I don't think AT&T has any right to complain when a few of those users fully utilize their purchase." AT&T should upgrade their network. They already make tons of moneys from us.

I have had 2 web enabled phones. A palm Treo and now an iPhone.
Because of the iPhone and all the cool apps, I probably use my iPhone 90% more online than I ever did the Treo. It is the Apps a good browser available on the iPhone that is making the use of data so popular.

I am not sure ATT fully understood the power of the iphone. $30 is a max that most will pay/can afford to pay.

Verizon is in for a rude awakening – the iphone is an internet "pig"! I have a slew of friends with the iphone – all they do is use the internet for videos, music, maps, etc. Apps upon apps to use even more bandwidth. Now, I have no problem with people wanting this – but, then, pay for it! If 3% truly use 40% of the bandwidth then this group needs to bear the cost – seems only fair until wireless carriers truly can get their networks to handle this burden – something their networks cannot do. Whether Verizom, ATT, T-mobile or the rest, none can handle it.

I feel bad for you iPhone users. The phones are pretty sweet, but I use a Blackberry Tour with Sprint which has similar capabilities without a touchscreen... I know, it's not your precious iPhone interface, but the cost? I pay $29.99 a month for 560 minutes + nights and weekends @ 7 + unlimited text/photo/video messaging + unlimited data usage (the "SERO" plan- and no they do not offer it any more, although you can "buy" an old SERO plan off of ebay for $80+, which would pay itself off after 3-5 months of service). That's less than 1/3 of what you pay if you want unlimited text and data with an iPhone. I know the phones are shiny and pretty and all that, but is over $100 a month worth it?!

Well... yeah i think if anyone from at&t reads this it should open their eyes. In todays times with the economy being what it is. I will have no choice but to drop them and even take the hit for early term.. and go to another carrier. I will be VERY VERY upset if this happens i spent a good amount of money on the phone it self.. APPLE STEP UP AND PROTECT US...... WE LOVE YOUR PHONE.

In my book this would be called bait and switch. AT&T's fault all the way.. Hello Droid!

If a company is going to advertise unlimited use of a product then the company, I do not care if it is AT&T or whoever needs to make sure they have the bandwidth in place to meet the demands. Instead of AT&T complaining get more bandwidth. Oh darn it, that would cut into profits, silly me!!

Wireless companies have been raking in the money through dirty tricks like long menues just to leave a voice message, etc. They admit that these long menues are designed to ratchet up their revenues. We keep hearing how each company is the lowest cost, but wait until you read the fine print. The infrastructure is in place, now they're just looking for ways to back out of a plan that they themselves promoted.

Used T-Mobile for 7+years and switched to ATT 5 months ago strictly for Iphone due to Apple's agreement with ATT. Iphone rocks, T-mobile kicks ATT butt in all aspects especially if client is an international traveler or heavy user overseas like myself. Tmobile unlocks any phone for international use no questions asked.

Really Regret switching over. Most of the time we never get 3G service anyway on ATT network and continous dropped calls and audio streaming interruptions.

I highly encourage bailing on ATT, they are doing you a favor by changing their terms. EJECT and save $$ to boot. Typical corporate american behavior..blame the consumer who feeds the greedy spineless board members instead of looking at their own lack of strategic vision to serve the customer and improve their communication experience. EJECT!!!

Apple, it's time to give us a choice. Only competition will solve this problem.

AT&T has spent over 16 Billion in network capacity over the past year to support the Iphone. Its a double edge sword for AT&T. 4.3 million in new subscribers over the past year and the lowest churn in the industry. For those of you considering a move to verizion for better service should really do your homework. Verizion, will, no doubt, experience the same issues as AT&T in the coming year. Data plans will need to be modified to keep up with the bandwidth capacity usage. Everyone thinks the grass is greener on the other side. Im sure the new droids,blackberrys are slick, but they are not an iphone. There is a reason so many people have them and so many folks overpay for the apple laptops. They are just a hip cool gadget to have. The IPHONE and the AT&T network are the best!

keep this in mind next time you want to slam AT&T. The average iphone user, uses 7-10 times more data capacity than the average smartphone user. There is not enough strategic planning or capital to stay up with this type of demand. AT&T understands this and are now implementing augments in the network to fix it. You do not deploy 16 Billion of capital into your network overnight!

Ya Id have to agree with everyone At&t is expensive as it is and I mean my service is great but if they change the unlimited plan and make it more Id have to say Im going to cancel too and use my iphone for a ipod or whatever been with att for 4 years but if they try to stiff me for more money Im out So Better then carefully before you change it.......Hope you Att guys make the right decision

sure right if att break the terms and agreement during a contract, im out and going to another phone company for sure. vice versa if you break your contract you owe att 200.00 plus+ now i just hate it when these kind of company try to live up to a monopoly.

Droid would cause the same headaches for Verizon, plus it is a poor copy of the iPhone. AT&T did a poor job of planning their bandwidth. Don't blame the very folks who gave you their business for your poor decisions. AT&T seems to forget they exist to please customers, who can find their pleasure elsewhere.

Brilliant!

Alienate your consumer base with tough talk about how they are the problem then follow up with an action that will drive your most lucrative consumers into your competitors arms. Wow... you must have worked at GM Mr. de la Vega.

AT&T has had an exclusive contract with Apple since 2007. You can bet your A#@ that they were told that as the smartphone market grew, that bandwidth demand would grow as well. They were patting themselves on the back in 2007 when the iPhone took off like a rocket... what they should have been doing is investing in expanding bandwidth in the major metropolitan areas where these devices were being used the most by early adopters.

I like the comment above "cry me a river AT&T". Cut back on services and you will hand over a perfectly cultivated consumer to Verizon, Sprint or T-Mobile. Honestly... your only choice is to expand bandwidth (first in key areas like New York and San Francisco) and to follow up with an ad campaign dedicated to your support of uncapped bandwidth on your smartphone plans as well as a rededication to consumer support.

Your alternative... we find someone else. Glad you are not a monopoly any more. There was a time when AT&T (Ma Bell) rented the phones people used on their network... you were not allowed to buy them.

Sooooo I guess tethering is never coming out on AT&T for the iPhone? Where's the class action suit for that?!?! I'll sign it right now!!!

at&t is at fault. Giants such has at&t often neglect the broader good of a service, product or solution being offered for a premium as well as the interest of its target markets. Like the article states, at&t forced iPhone subscribers into paying for plans of which they hardly used. Keep in mind that the average iPhone user has no interest in many of the features the phone offers. They use a small percentage of the phone capabilities.

Here is another thing to consider, in forcing customers to pay for an unlimited data plan, would be customers shy away from getting an iPhone citing the pricy monthly service as the reason. Naturally, this keep at&t from increasing their subscribers, thereby losing out on potential revenue. For instance, say they have 100 subscribers paying $120.00 per month, not many people are open to paying so much per month for phone service, especially if they do not care to or know how to make use of all of the phones features and or capabilities. Now bring the service down to $60 per month, and see the number of subscribers quadruple if not more. In essence, at&t stands to earn more money by having more subscribers at the more affordable pricing schema.

These conglomerates, such as at&t simply do not get it. Look at the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and recording studios as an example. Instead of ripping off singers over the last 100 years, as well as music buyers, they opted to ignore the fact that people want music, but an affordable price. Think of how many times you were forced to buy a CD or DVD in which you only cared for one song on that CD? For years we were forced to do this. Finally, the internet and file sharing sites caused the RIAA and studios alike to rethink their business model.

Now RIAA ans Studios use digital mediums to distribute music and movies, i.e. Netflix and iTunes. Unfortunately, for the RIAA it’s a little too late, the people have had enough, and sites such as http://www.spotify.com have come to fruition which will ultimately make music FREE for all. Artists will also reep the benefits, as they will not be bound to ridiculous contracts robbing them of most of their profits. The holy grail of online music is what's known as a "celestial jukebox": an archive of every album in the world, there just for the listening. Think iTunes without the 99-cent song fee. The celestial jukebox is no pipe dream; it's here now. Spotify will stream virtually anything you want and pay the royalties for you. The service is supported by advertisements, just like terrestrial radio, or you can subscribe to an ad-free version. Currently the service is only available in Europe, but the company has just raised $50 million, and a U.S. launch is said to be imminent.

Greed is the root of all evil.

CDMA is a doomed technology that is pretty much discontinued per the manifacturer and has very limited potential as far as speed and flexibility goes. If you are complaning about AT&T, then you a) never had verizon, b) you don't understand much from technology and telecom systems. Apple would not put iPhone on an out-of-gas CDMA network. That's almost an insult to the whole idea behind the iPhone, the most powerful of all smartphones. If you haven't noticed, those map ads by verizon were not only directed at AT&T, but also Apple as well, and dont think Apple hasnt taken note of it. 3G CDMA does not compare to 3GGSM in terms of scalability and potential. And AT&AT has invested over 16 Billion this year in their network alone. More than any other domestic company in the US, telecom or not!

I've been using Nokia N95's on ATT's network since the NA versions were first released. I know I'm one of those data hogs, but they sold me all I can eat and I'm eating all I want. The Iphones revealed the warts on ATT's network. If ATT did not anticipate the data usage issue, all I see is incompetence. And, by the way, maybe its my phones or maybe its where I Iive, but I don't have any connection problems with ATT's voice or 3g network.

unlock your iphone and go to t-mo... cheaper and not as sucky...

If they start charging more for data. Apple should give us the option to use other carriers. ATT should've thought this through.

Do it Ralph. Put caps on data and hike my rates... I'm jumping to Verizon regardless when they get the iPhone next year. I'm MORE THAN HAPPY to go back to Verizon in fact.

Everyone has started the mandatory data packages... even the droid has a mandatory $30 package. Its now mandatory for all smartphones on all carriers so I don't its worth even bringing up any more. AT&T and verizon will have lunch and decide together if they are going to limit internet uses on these devices. Know this, as a person who works for VZW, I use the Droid for my workline but have an Iphone for my personal line, the Droid is NOT an iphone, not anything like it and I don't mean that in a good way.

I remember when tethering was unlimited and now both carriers limit tethering to 5 GB. They make these decisions together. Let's not be fooled.

It looks to me like ATT Wireless is pulling and "AOL" (charging for service they knowingly can't deliver). Maybe some state AGs (Cali & NY) should look into it.

AT&T just needs to admit they took on more than they can chew. Poor planning on their part should not constitute screwing us to the wall more and more. Usage will only continue to increase so they better bite the bullet and get the infrastructure in a position to handle it.

Seriously AT&T? You might want to rethink that idea; Luke Wilson won’t be able to save you from that mess!

You have to remember that the Droid and the HTC Hero are equally as cool as the iPhone, if not better! In 1-2 years, the phones built on the Droid OS will own the smart phone market – you can take that to the bank. That coupled with AT&Ts ridiculously slow ‘3-G’ and terrible customer service will be the end of AT&T.

Signed,

Current iPhone user, waiting for his contract to end to buy a Droid or HTC Hero –

This is completely stupid of AT&T. They should evolve with the times and position themselves to be the global leader of the mobile Internet. On top of that, they should model the system with the expectation that usage will probably be similar to that demonstrated currently by home users. People want to watch videos, play games, listen to music, and more. Why would anyone go elsewhere, if AT&T could change their business model to provide this? Best of all, make this device independent. You shouldn't charge more if I tether my computer to the iPhone and surf the Internet that way. After all, I'm already paying $145 per month for unlimited voice and unlimited data. The additional $40 per month to tether my laptop seems insulting, especially since I'm not pushing major amounts of bandwidth. Frankly, AT&T needs a major upgrade if they can't manage things with the amount of money people are spending,

just get the iphone on verizon!!!!!!!!!

I have an iPhone 3Gs and don't even get 3G where I live....yet I too had to pay for an unlimted data package. I get my email, and occasional MMS, and make a call.....you know, the same thing you can do on a blackberry or even a treo.....but, I didnt' get the iPhone because of AT&T.
None the less, if I have to pay monthly for unlimited data, then damn it, I better have it and I don't want to hear AT&T cry. They don't cry when I pay them...or the other 300 million customers they claim to have.

If you can't supply the demand, don't sell it.

Instead of blaming the consumer for using high amounts of bandwidth, AT&T should upgrade its network to accommodate saturated areas. Trends show smartphones are increasing in popularity, and chances are they'll use even more bandwidth in the future. Blaming the customer for a fault in your system will not help you reclaim the throne as America's largest wireless carrier (which Verizon currently has by almost 10 million).

This is totally unfair on Att. They should invest some more money on infrastructure rather that looking into customers pockets. If you limit the data usage, the whole concept of having a gadget which is ease to browse the internet is of no use.

I agree with PE ... wherever the phone goes, the same problem goes with it. It's too popular for it's own good...still AT&T knowing the potential of this phone could have and/or should have done a little better for its infrastructure...

still...i think the problem a lot of people have is not so much at&t's network and this at&t guy blaming high iphone bandwith usage...it's how he said it which harkens back to the 1970's SNL stereotype of at&t so perfectly portrayed by gilda radner as an at&t operator. AT&T knows you have no choice but them if you want an iphone...just like you almost had no choice but to have at&t pre (84?) breakup....It's that same attitude that they don't care and that 'if it weren't for those pesky customers their life would be perfect' that this DeLaVega guy should avoid. He messed up in his wording big time. AT&T could save itself by shutting up for a while with the ads until x hundreds of million dollars of new towers are up...then put out an ad thanking the subscribers that have stuck with it for their loyalty and welcome them to their 4g (or whatever they wanna calll it) network.

All good things come to an end ......

Thats why Iphone needs to go to Verizon too,

I am just drooling at the prospect of seeing the next Verzion commercial covering this topic. I am sure that the marketing mavens at Verizon are really going to have a lot of fun with this one. The question for the day will be, how much does your data plan cost ?. The answer will be, there's a map for that !. I will keep my AT&T iPhone at least until I get to see the map.

Get a Droid and you wont have to worry about speed,coverage,limitations etc.

I think Apple's iPhone 3GS is the best phone ever.

I do not like AT&T and its data plan cost for the iPhone.

If another company had the phone, I would pay the cost of early termination just to get a lower cost per month.

Only changes that AT&T should make is reduce cost and increase bandwidth.

Customers pay their bills per month. AT&T should handle there business by building support for the technology.

Check the New York Times article today - the truth is, it's the iPhone's fault, not AT&T. Apple lays an egg. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/13/business/13digi.html?em

i can't wait to drop att. if it was not for my beautiful iPhone i would never have signed up with them.

I have been with AT&T five years and so far 2 1/2 years with the iPhone.
This could be a turning point for AT&T for network service quality. If they decide to charge more on the Data plan because their network can't handle the massive iphone data exchange, than my business with AT&T is done! Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile knows this is the achilles heel will bring down AT&T. AT&T better think twice what they are doing, especially in times of economic crisis with main street customers. I really think AT&T should focus on over coming their data exchange issues and stop blaming on iPhone Data usage.

AT&T is at fault. they made iPhone promises they couldn't keep and now they are trying to turn it back on the consumer. there's something very wrong about that. hopefully, someone else gets the iPhone so I can switch carriers.

WTF, AT&T WANTS TO LIMIT DATA, 30 BUCKS A MONTH, WE SHOULD NOT ONLY GET UNLIMITED DATA BU THEY SHOULD SEND US STARBUCKS EVERY MORNING AS WELL. TO HELL WITH AT&T, IPHONE SHOULD MOVE ON TO BETTER PASTURES, AND SEEK OUT NEW CARRIER

Guys, it is the fastest! Problem is that there are so many iphone users on the network using data! If you look at the percentage of att cutomers that have iphones compared to other carriers with data devices, they pale in comparrison! Go ahead and switch to verizon and be nickle and dimed to death! They charge you for driving by and looking at a store! Every cell phone providors customer service sucks so if verizon or sprint gets the rights to the iphone you will get the same crap!

Typical AT&T Wireless good to see nothing has changed. They want to play in the wireless market just like they have played in it for years. When AT&T wants to be in the market like it's a business let me know I might even consider using it. Too bad they never will spending money on the network is just beyond consideration for them.... Hello AT&T you need to spend money to make money. I can't wait till your joke of a wireless network goes under.

AT&T isn't just instituting bandwidth caps on wireless data usage. In the Reno, NV and Beaumont, TX areas, they have already placed bandwidth caps on broadband DSL customers without notifying the customer on the website or during the purchase process.

Capping wireless bandwidth is just the next logical step for a company that is incapable of developing an infrastructure that can support the services being marketed to consumers.

I am dumping my iPhone and moving on to T-mobile and Droid.

Well I cant goto Verizon as there phones dont allow Muli-tasking. If your on a phone call thats pretty much all you can do till your off the phone. No email or apps or internet. Verizon already capped there customers by chopping off there heads. AND they are far from cheap !
AT&T wasted instead of investing all those $30 a month data plans.they are collecting $360 a year from each iPhone customer just for data. Text plans & phone plans are seperate from that charge. They have generated HUGE $$$ from the iPhone and FAILED to upgrade and expand there system.The Execs might be smiling now while sipping champane and getting on the corperate jet BUT the day the iPhone becomes open to other services will be a day they run and hide when the stock tumbles and they have no answers as to what they did with all that money.

I walked from AT&T over a year ago for this mess. They said I was using to much data outside of their network, but refused to lay out lines of where their network was. I did use a lot of data but I was out in the middle of nowhere wih not much else to do. My phone never said roaming, it never said outside of network, in fact I had full bars at 3G the whole time. They said if I continued to do so my phone service would be cut to bare minimum and there was nothing I could do about it. So I walked and haven't looked back.

I don't know about everyone else, but my total plan cost for unlimited everything is $175 per month. Now, if they can't get it together charging those kind of prices, then they never will. I hate At&t and have no choice but to use them for everything at my business office. They really have bad, bad management and care only about money. One day, they will fall. And as soon as Comcast comes to my town, I surely will drop!

Want most of the benefits of an iPhone without a contract from AT&T?
Simple – get an iPod Touch and use it with your existing service.

Totally AT&T's own fault. It was their decision to support the iPhone on their network. Their decision to enter into an exclusive contract with Apple to carry it.

When AT&T made these decisions, they should have actually thought for a moment whether or not they had the infrastructure to support the usage.

But instead they want to blame it on the users. Nonsense. This mess is completely AT&T's own doing. They should have thought throw their plan before jumping into it, and then deciding to blame the users for buying into what AT&T promised it could sell.

Well, I guess there is a map for that ) I knew I made the right decision when I didn't go with AT&T....

I am so fed up with AT&T service. I love my Iphone but it won't be enough for me to stay with them. My two years will be up in a week but I'm gonna hold out on signing on another two years.
If they decided to cap the service then I'll definitely go with my old reliable carrier Verizon.
The droid is just getting more attractive to me everyday.

Come on Apple!!! get rid of ATT!!!! I am positive that most of the iphone users will love to see Apple chose another carrier. Needless to say, love the iphone but Im not crazy about ATT.

Perhaps ATT's executives should consider cutting their pay/perk packages to fund the upgrades needed to satisfy the contracts they have with their customers. Their service is spotty at best in my area. I changed carriers just to get the iPhone, which I love, but I hate Corporate America! I was pissed when I had to pay $20/month for unlimited texts (which I contend is data and should still be included in a "data plan") when the 3G came out. If I am forced to pay more than I am already, I'll dump mobile phones altogether and go back to the days of pay phones or no phone.

I blame ATT&T

AT&T doesn't realize it's no longer a Wireless Cell Phone company, it's a Wireless Internet Company since Voice over IP (VoIP) solutions like Google Voice and Skype.

VoIP solutions start at $3 for unlimited calls to United States and Canada. AT&T's start at $100 just for United states.

This has been the same old sob story I've heard out of AT&T for the 2 1/2 years the iPhone has been on the market. Their complaining is the equivalent of listening to Old Country Buffet complain because people are actually taking them up on all you can eat. We'd tell them sorry guess you should keep more food in stock right? So I say to AT&T sorry guess you should have better infrastructure in place. Especially for what they charge per plate.

AT&T has always sucked in the mobile arena. I remember having their service (pre cingular) and would go into roaming simply walking across my bedroom and I lived on the north side of Chicago. When they bought Cingular the problems only continued because cingular had a crap network and crap customer service and I don't think those people ever went anywhere. They are still there running the place.

Any company that is trying to live in the 90's with an expectation that people are buying these devices primarily for voice communications deserves what they get. The technology is evolving to the point where these devices will only have a quarter of their functionality without web access. That quarter will be making plain voice calls. The other 75% will be consumed with SMS, Email, web surfing, online gaming, social networking, video messages, video calls, and streaming video such as news and sports. Music being stored on the devices will probably be done less often as people will begin streaming directly from their home collections. There is a reason why the Jitterbug is on the market and is seeing short lived success. Its because the average cell phone is begining to more closely resemble a smartphone in features and functionality. Phones made strictly for voice calls are becomming increasingly rare. Bandwidth is key to the future and AT&T is showing the world they aren't ready.

This is nobody's fault but theirs and I'm sick of hearing them blame their customers for it every 2 or 3 months. If they spent as much time fixing the problem as they do crying about it they would be ok. And putting caps on bandwidth and coming up with some ellaborate pricing scheme is not fixing the problem. I think AT&T will probably loose iPhone exclusivity next year and when that happens look for people to start leaving in droves and look for their profits to drop sharply. When that happens look for all the exective heads to start rolling when its finally realized that they had 3 years to fix the problem and did absolutley nothing but sue Verizon for pointing out their failures.

I use iPhone on TMOBILE now. Unlocking FTW.

At&T has totally blew it up. A typical case of 'Act Now, Think Later'. They know from day one that their network suffer, they should have planned for it. Metered usage has been discussed not just for mobile phones but also for regular home based connections. For example this article:
http://www.saching.com/Article/Internet-usage-cap-Metered-billing-is-a-bad-idea-ISP-Bandwidth/56

AT&T should spend money to upgrade their network rather than posting big quarterly profits. If Verizon or some other company gets access to iPhone service, I can clearly see a mass exodus from AT&T to that provider.

Great Phone!!! Horrible Network!!! Did I say Horrible Network!! Went with Verizon and my phone actually works..THANK YOU VERIZON WIRELESS..IPHONE Users...download the Drop Call Ap

Greed got the best of them.

"Bandwidth-hungry iPhones may be the cause of AT&T's network problems, but they are hardly to blame. iPhone users are forced into unlimited data packages costing at least $30 a month. I don't think AT&T has any right to complain when a few of those users fully utilize their purchase."

AT&T Wireless deserves all the bad press they are getting. Instead of actually fixing their pathetic network, they blame users (and send phone calls directly to voice mail during peak hours). I particularly love their response to the Verizon coverage map commercials. My AT&T cell phone is useful only as a paperweight the moment I leave any large city.

AT&T forced the unlimited data plan and cost on us... it is their fault for not having a network that could suport the phone. If my iPhone would work on other networks without having to hack it then I would leave AT&T just for their unability to support my needs. Networks should not offer high bandwidth devices that they cant suport... that the problem.

The moment ATT decided to charge me $30 a month and stop the unlimited plan or blame their crappy network on their consumer I will jump shit. Oh, I have to pay the $250 fee? Sure, I'll pay that just to get out of your crappy network and constant drop all. BTW the moment iPhone appears on Verizon Im gone...

IT IS ATT Not the Customer! They Created a Phone that was almost NON Usable without Internet Access, then FORCE people to get an EXPENSIVE $30 Data Plan! I guarantee the MAJORITY of Iphone users will DROP There IPHONES and Switch to a Network with UNLIMITED INTERNET soon after!

DO NOT BLAME Anyone but ATT

There is no app that makes a phone faster, speed is a hardware limitation.

What will happen when much faster phones from Nokia or Sony Ericsson already in use in Europe and Japan are introduced in the USA?

The problem is not the iPhone; the networks need to be modernized to handle the bandwidth requirements.

As better phones are introduced in the USA, the problem will be in most networks, not only AT&T!

It's simple, competition, if Apple didn't go for an exclusive carrier, and opened the iphone to all carriers, the bandwidth would be spread across the spectrum more evenly. These guys have been in the networking business for many decades, they had to have known that these high bandwidth phones could put a strain on their networks, as fpr Apple, they just wanted to get their cool devices out there, all of the press prior to the iphones release, everyone knew this was going to be big, as for the Droid, first of all I hate the iphone killer term, just stupid, the Droid is a cool phone, really cool, as for multitouch, cool but not that big of a deal for some. Listening to some of the iphones owners here, that Stockholm Syndrome may be true. What it boils down to ATT should have prepared for the iphone, and to blame it on customers is just really a bad ideal.

It is just sad to see how much the U.S.A. networks are behind the rest of the world. And I have had the iphone still own one. I removed the sim card because I found something better. I feel that it is AT&T's fault one hundred percent. If you will provide a new service that is based on data transfer and then offer unlimited transfers you must have the equipment to handle it. Who ever screwed up should get fired and AT&T should install more networks to handle the extra flow. If they don't then google will own them when their phone comes out. And before then the android will soon own the market. At least in the USA where the networks are closer to old copper cable telephones rather then fibre -optic lines.

Yadda,Yadda- ATT if they mess with my Data Plan I am gone heck I can not make a call from inside my Apt spotty service!!!! yadda,yadda. It gets old ATT My bill is 96.00 USD a month 1 phone 450min
30.00 unlimited data
15.00 for 1500 texts
That is high I knew that before I bought up I paid for an Iphone "phone"my arse. My call quality SUX!!!!!!!! We are only talking about there wireless try there DSL -customer service SUX!! there also.

Legalized Rape I tell you- Contractual Nonsense Like buying a lemon car in away driving off the lot and paying for it later.

iPhone...$299
2-year contract...$1200
AT&T with that 'deer in the headlights' look...priceless!

SHEISTERS AND CRY BABIES !!
AT&T SHOULD LOSE THE IPHONE FRANCHISE !!
I'M GOING TO DROID !!!

With about 3 percent of smartphone customers driving 40 percent of data traffic.... BULLCRAP !!! Are you freaking kidding me??
What a load of beauracratic CRAPOLA !!

I feel sorry for the customer care reps that have to take the calls after MR. CEO brings down the hammer...they are the ones that have to deal with the angry customers....and are supposed to do it with a SMILE.
There will probably be a mass exodus if and when this gets brought down..

So leave and got to a so called network that does not allow you to surf & talk at the same time, oh they can't do thay can they.

Per the terms and conditions that an AT&T consumer signs says:
Charges will be based on the location of the site receiving and transmitting service and not the location of the subscriber. BroadBandConnect access requires a compatible, eligible 3G device. Unless otherwise specified, overage is billed either by the KB or MB. Service charges paid in advance for monthly or annual Services are nonrefundable. Some Services may require an additional monthly subscription fee and/or be subject to additional charges and restrictions.

It also states that:
The absolute capacity of the wireless data network is limited.

And it also states:
These terms and conditions may be changed from time-to-time. AT&T will post the most current version of these terms and conditions at att.com/MediaTerms or other appropriate location. Please check these regularly to inform yourself about changes to the terms and conditions.

So, you signed, you need to man up and quit complaining.

ATT has the fastest 3G network as long as your the only one on it

limit my bandwidth or data amount..HELLO VERIZON..can you hear me now?

ATT did not put any thought into this other then how much money the iPhone would bring them

What happens to the phone that I just bought for $299?? AT&T gonna give me my money back for a piece of crap that I can't use unless I pay 3x more for their data plan? This should open a door for a class action lawsuit – contract a product and then change the terms to the corporation's liking. That's BS. Pay me $175 and my phone and I'll be glad to be done with them!!!

I already have a Jailbreak on my iPhone. If they decide to cap data it's not too terribly hard to unlock and then I'll go to T-mobile. AT&T really should have thought about this before rushing to put out a phone that would obviously take up enormous amounts of bandwidth. And the $30/month I pay should go toward network upgrades not the pockets of overpaid executives.

I pay a large cell phone bill every month to AT&T for subpar network coverage. Where is my money going? How about you guys reinvest into the company by building out your infrastructure for better coverage rather than spending the money on fat executive bonuses and blaming your customers for your problems.

And I don't buy that 3 percent business. If 3 percent are causing you all these problems and major lose of reputation then common sense would tell you to drop those 3 percent so that you can improve your image and gain more customers.

Everyone says, "I'm going droid," have you used that clunker? The interface is clumsy and the phone is too bulky. And with over 700,000 units sold in the three months (all requiring data plans) what do you think will happen to Verizon's data network? There is no way AT&T could have possibly predicted, let alone be prepared, for the explosion of the smart phone market. Should AT&T put data caps on their customers that would be a very poor decision but heavy iPhone users AND AT&T's inability to keep pace are to blame.

This is preposterous.

AT&T got it's hind end handed back on a silver platter when the courts dismissed all of their slander cases against verizon.

Now, they want to blame I-phone users for other's poor experiences.

I wonder if those of us with these 2 year contracts could file a class action suit against AT&T should they touch our data plans?

what a scam. you offer a service then cry when it's used. I can't wait to get away from AT&T. It has been nothing but a headache since day one. C'mon Apple, give us a choice already, AT&T had their chance and blew it. I live in NJ, the most densely populated state in the country. How is it that my calls get dropped in Morris County! AT&T SUCKS – ahhhhhh, that felt good...

I just became an AT&T customer, solely for the iPhone. AT&T already charges iPhone users $5 dollars more than other smart phone users. AT&T has pushed the iPhone by saying how much it can do, they encourage the use of data, and when customers use it, AT&T wants to cry foul? This would be a foolish move on AT&T's part.

P.T. Barnum stated it correctly, "A sucker is born every second". I own an iPhone, I have AT&T but I fully understood the limitations of the system. I am not sure its totally AT&T's fault, but it is a network utilization issue. I don't think they were prepared for the amount of traffic flow they got with the Iphone. Perhaps, they were mislead, perhaps, they underestimated, but the reality is that it is a shared medium. The people on this comment list, are like people who have cable modems and blame the cable modem company because their download is too slow. The internet and all the connection mediums are shared mediums. If everyone jumps on it at the same time, its going to be slow. People here have been spoiled by instant access. I wonder how many of the people who responded are under the age of 30. If you think its bad here, try Europe, where a monthly data bill is over $600 equivalent to what you get here. Sure Verizon says their network is great, but they have crappy phones. If and when they get a winner like the iPhone, watch their network go to to pot as well. So to all you who bitch and complain, I just say, "Caveat Emptor".

AT&T is to blame ... my dang circular indicator spins faster than FLASH, but nothing happens .. so slow, I feel like i am on dial up sometimes.

Too bad AT&T can't keep up. The point of unlimited data is unlimited data! I use my cell phone for everything and need (well, have come to expect in this day-and-age) 24/7 access the internet, e-mail, file downloads. That is why I'm with Verizon and so many of my friends happen to be on Verizon with iPhones!? Really hoping Verizon brings in the Palm Pre or IPhone gets a keypad.

And, I do think AT&T should provide a smaller data package as some people don't want unlimited. And, I hope they do not raise the price for unlimited because the package is already more expensive than plans available with other carriers.

I don't feel sorry for AT&T. They should have known what they were getting themselves into when they decided to carry the iPhone. They make us pay $20 a month per iPhone extra for the internet usage. I say, keep using it and get our money's worth.

Love the phone, hate the service.

I echo all the anti AT&T Sentiment listed so far. Love my iPhone, HATE AT&T. I dare that loser de la vega to open a forum with the iPhone users, he would get hammered.
Open Letter to Steve Jobs at Apple,
Can't you see what this loser of a company is doing to your wonderful phone??? Please Steve, tell AT&T to take a hike, save this wonderful phone. I don't want a droid but if AT&T screws with me just a little bit, rest assured I will get the droid.

Strange to hear that all of you have to pay $30 for this unlimited 3G connection.
In Europe we have the same for € 10 or less (about $14,50 or less) per month. The network of AT&T is the problem not the users.

it's simply a monetary and utilization/bandwidth usage. Utilization is clearly outpacing planned yearly network upgrades.

I am surprised they are still able to keep up in this economic environment. One would think that network upgrades would slow down.

Patience folks... they are working very hard and spending billions to bring everyone a better and faster experience.

There is a possible way out of your ATT Contract that will not cost you a cancellation fee.

Due to some anti trust regulation, when SBC took over ATT they had to sell off some cell towers. When they did that there are areas in the country that have limited service and ATT has that list.

If your billing address zip code is on that list and you have problems with alot of dropped calls you can cancel your contract and no cost.

I had a ATT tech tell me that last month.

I can tell you this: unless AT&T reworks this price structure by the end of my current Contract, my iPhone will be an iPod or jail-broken so I can use use prepaid Airtime which is vastly cheaper than the $90+ I'm paying now. I'm not a big data user and I've also got nearly 3000 rollover minutes I'll never use. Hey T-mobile, want a new customer?

I work for AT&T and I know for a fact they don't give a crap.

i really hope the next iphone is with verizon, its obvious at&t's network isnt capable of handling what the iphone is capable of.. perfect example, the whole mms issue. just rediculous and now they wanna take the unlimited data plans. they need not place blame on the customer and look at themselves

woah, i still have 5 days in my billing cycle and i have used 1,234.59MB. Must be all those streaming pr0n movies :p

I gotta make use of that $30 data plan.

screw them, all they have to do is open the iphone to different companies, that will lessen their issues (I know I'd leave). If they do charge for it, Im leaving and not paying to cancel the contract. I went from cinguar to verizon back to at&t. clearly any other company is better than At&t's fastest network. I spent my lunch to day watching my calls drop over and over. Ill have service, then lose it, then get it again. And I never moved. I hope they read these coments and try to learn from what keeps them in business. This P.O.S. network has got to change

Another reason I jumped ship from AT&T. Not to mention the terrible service. I can sit in my office and get "searching for network" most of the day.

Hello Verizon!

Anyone find it odd that rather than beef up the network with the exorbitant charges iPhone users are charged, the execs get paid better, customer service, to a large extent doesn't speak English, and iPhone users get the blame. Granted our devices are wonderfully capable, but does AT&T honestly expect us not to use what we pay for? I think if they touch those plans at all rather than working on infrastructure, there will be a mass exodus from AT&T to Droid devices on networks that have invested wisely in infrastructure. I'm in government IT and even we have more foresight than AT&T!

Had ATT predecessor Cingular and experienced all of the above comments about the lousy service, dropped calls, no connection, etc. and that was before iPhone. ATT has a history of being behind the 8-ball on the network buildup. It's an ATT issue! I've been wanting an iPhone for over 2 years now but I will not go back to ATT!

Raise my cost for unlimited data on the worlds worst 3G network, hmmm...guess I'm going back to Verizon.

Not only will I cancel my contract with AT&T, I will demand my money back for my cost outlay for the I-phones I purchased from them. I will also go to my State Attorney General to pursue an investigation into these obvious "bait and switch" practices.

if they admit now they can't do "unlimited", does that mean they wll be refunding everyone's money pro-rated for actual usage ?????

oh, and I got a final, definitive answer from Verizon – they are not going to get the iPhone

What if the real problem was a design flaw in the iPhone? I find it very interesting that iPhone users are the only customers complaining. Maybe Apple should look at how they connect and communicate with the towers. I know at&t has a hard time publicly admitting the iPhone has flaws but the truth is, it does.

In fact, if you look at the recent testing of both AT&T's network versus Verizons's, AT&T's outperforms Verizon's network. This is one of many articles that were released over the passed couple of weeks.

http://www.fiercebroadbandwireless.com/story/testing-shows-ts-3g-network-outperforms-verizons/2009-12-06

Maybe Phone users have gotten caught up in all the advertising hype?

Sounds like an iPhone design issue to me.

No matter what type of network – there will always be bandwidth hogs. How is this any different for the iPhone/AT&T than any other network? AT&T is only making these comments because of the bad press lately. AT&T should trump up the fact that its 3G network is actually the best in the country (per the Root wireless study). They should also spin the response to state they are victims of their own success.

AT&T, "Can you hear me now?" Probably not cause your service sucks but if you could hear me it is the sound of me jumping to Verizon as soon as my contract is up!!!!

Apple should consider other service providers. If AT&T doesn't live up to the Iphone's potentials and if AT&T is going to limit Iphone's features, then AT&T needs to get sued. I'm willing to change service providers if that option is available.

[...] data usage through cell phones, AT&T has taken the latest hit with the news that it may drop their unlimited data packages for their iPhone/SmartPhone users and create a tiered price structure for their users based on data usage, or they will strongly [...]

I LOVE my iPhone, but LOATHE the AT&T service (it's horrible). APPLE... if you're listening....please, Please, PLEASE!.... dump AT&T. The iPhone deserves a better carrier.

The only complain that I have for ATT is most of the time I can't connect online. I mean I'm paying $30/mo, and the data plan service is so poor. I'm glad I have my own wi-fi at home, don't have to worry connecting online while in my house. Please ATT fix the prrrrrrrrrrrrrroblem.

I am a data hog! I admit it. I use about 3GB most months. So, I understand if AT&T needs to restructure new iPhone contracts and renewals to account for greater than expected data usage. What I fail to understand is Mr. de la Vega's resentment of iPhone users. The iPhone has brought AT&T many new wireless customers and, perhaps, allowed them to maintain many landline clients because of some pricing benefits for bundling services, certainly, that is my family’s experience.

I am not loyal to AT&T; I wasn’t all that loyal to Verizon either; but I am loyal to my iPhone. Will I change carriers when my contract is up? Maybe! I might even pay a bit more simply to be rid of a company that doesn’t value me a customer. Where is Mr. de la Vega’s marketing team? They need to save him from himself.

I beg of you , Iphone users , please stay with ATT.
1: They need the $$$ to pay there multi-million dollar bone-ass's and finance there corp jets.
2: The more of you who switch to Verizon , the less band width I will have to play on.
3: We still can get through to customer service and I'm afraid that with a influx of thousands of converts trying to get there iphones to operate on a different network, they will be overloaded.

As you can tell , I am asking you not to change carriers for purely selfish reasons , I am after all , a greedy bastard

AT&T is playing with statistics again. If 3% use 40%, how about the other end of the spectrum - how LITTLE does the lowest 3% use? Probably near zero. If one offers an "unlimited" service, they implicitly take on the responsibility for providing it as promised. If they can provide sufficient bandwidth only for "X" number of instruments, then they should only SELL "X" instruments. The more instruments they sell, the more they should beef up their network. Don't break a promise simply because you don't want to live up to it.

I have some experience with this. For starters, is this a real stunner? What's happened is that they placed too many people who use data and didn't prepare for the impact for it. When it gets down to it, this at&t is in reality SBC wearing a different uniform. There are some issues a customer can control. One is to connect the Iphone to Itunes once a week (or so) because that is where all the software updates come from and at&t finds out after the fact. It is also suggested that you should power off the phone every other day for about 5 minutes (at the most) as this helps with tower registration. If people choose not to do so, that's their decision. The company took the Iphone SIGHT UNSEEN and entered a contract under Stan Stigman, who introduced the Iphone using notes and seeming almost bored. Ironically, he did the world Iphone debut at West Texas State University, his alma matter.

Why do I say this? Think back to those who had the pre-merger AT&T. While it did have its problems, it was no where near this bad. AT&T in its pre-merger form would have seen this and prepared accordingly. Remember, the pre-merger AT&T was the first to offer a true national rate plan without roaming and was tops in the industry. This was under the leadership of Dan Hesse, who now runs Sprint. Under Hesse's leadership, all of the appropriate steps were taken to assure any programs success. Now look at them. The company is dispised by its own customers. They speak about being able to use data and then get mad when people use it and do nothing when they complain about it. The once unlimited data aircard was limited to 5G two years ago. A mechanical engineer early on in his career, I would think Mr De La Vega would have understood these concerns better than most.

This is all that's wrong with service providers in America. Collectively they have no idea what 'service' really means. They advertise services, laud superiority, force contracts and don’t deliver. It’s the same with cable, satellite, wireless, airlines and the like. People generally don’t mind paying for service assuming they receive what they’re paying for. “It’s your business model STUPID!”
I can’t believe the nerve of this guy….or I should say AT&T. If 3% of a particular customer base is using 40% of the available capacity then you my friend don’t have your market segmented correctly from a service cost standpoint nor do you have your capacity allocated correctly by region. Furthermore, IT’S YOU NOT THE CONSUMER THAT SOLD THE CAPACITY!!! If you were willing to sell the plan and offer the service it’s your responsibility to assure you have the capacity. So what you’re saying is that 3% of the customer base is actually fully utilizing what they CONTRACTED with you (unlimited service) and you can’t deliver. Fix your network, fix your segmentation and get a life!! “There’s a map for that”!!!!

AT&T the better, faster 3G experience? How do they get away with those commercials?

I will drop At&T if they do this.

I like how everyone is upset over this, but it's fair. Think about it, people who get a laptop connect card has a limited data usage, and pays $60 a month. That's with any company, Verizon, At&T.

If you switch to Verizon, they charge $45 a month for unlimited data, BUT, that's with a normal smartphone. Verizon has come out and said that their network could not support the iPhone usage, thus why Apple went with At&t.

So when, if, and I hope it doesn't happen, but if the iPhone goes to Verizon, you won't get a unlimited data plan, and expect to pay more. That's just how's it going to be.

So suck it up, and stop complaining.

ATT knew fully well that their network wouldn't be able to handle the influx of iPhone customers. Now that they've got their hooks in, they're gonna change the rules?? Sign me up for the class-action suit!

I think AT&T should be doing more rather than trying to get more from the users. Its bad enough that we have to pay for text and data which really sucks because other companys such as t-mobile and verizon have bundle packages that include everything rather than charging for each piece. If AT&T does not get it together and do the right thing they will be loosing many many customers by next year.

Well, I just read an article on the new Google phone, unlocked for any GSM network. Running Android 2.0, sold direct to customer!

If AT&T does this i will not only swith to another smart phone, i will go directly to the worst nightmare they can think off, verizon, with a Windows mobile smart phone, take that AT&T, if i where you i would not do it, this is a threat to your company, have you seen the tv adds. you are going down, so do not do it, or i will switch my phone.

WAIT!! If you thinking about running to Verizon, Not so fast. Verizon can charge you a ridiculous amount of money for just a few Mbs/month. I was charged $60 for just 5 Mb of data. Their plan details are spotty and confusing. Worse, they could even tell me what data or service the 5 Mb was used for during the month. I've seen people who have been charged a $1,000 for one month of data charges! What did Verizon do, tell the person to buy the most expensive data plan and then the'll think about reducing some of the charges. BE CAREFUL. DO NOT think Verizon is going to be much better. Your best bet is to use the WIFI spots as much as possible and use internet phone service in non-cell service areas.

Cmon people....just boycott AT&T & Apple already....First generation users of iphone got the royal shaft, no lube or pun intended(mms, 3g support, OS support for apps) meanwhile AT&T is overcharging for a lousy service that works 25% of the time.. Complete and utter b/s...I've done switched to Verizon and could not be happier. I've yet to drop a call, their customer service reps are actually knowledgeable & friendly..Something yet to be experienced with AT&T...

One last thing... If you connect the dots, AT&T used to be partnered with dishnetwork! How many of you have good service with dish? Good experiences?.....just saying, I used to work for dish, and its a crock of crooked lies and theiving.

BAN AT&T,APPLE,
& while we're at it, DISH TOO!!!

As soon as my iPhone contract is up I'm heading to Verizon. Love the phone but AT&T service and coverage is horrible. I would guess that they have acquired a nice profit from iPhone users alone, they really have the $$$ to post an ad or two every time your television commercials. How about putting this money into building a more reliable network?

I guess I am just bitter towards the attitude and tone of the CEO in this article, "This is going to get fixed". His solution to this problem is in taking something away from the customers.

Apple will move on to other service providers and AT&Ts business will suffer–and they deserve to. They wanted this big Apple/iPhone business but refuse to provide for the network demands.

AT&T is completely to blame for the position it is in at this moment. The company should have updated it's network to accomodate customers who pay for their unlimited data plans. Because it has failed to keep its network up to the test, it is now having problems with network speed, unhappy customers, lost customers, and bad customer service.

My wife and I were long-time AT&T customers who recently left the company for Verizon due to poor network service and poor customer service. After staying with them for over 10 years, I just mailed my last payment to them.

Good luck, AT&T. You're going to need it.

It's time for Apple to step up to the plate and end the exclusive deal with AT&T. Surely their contract allows this if AT&T is found unable to meet its commitments to iPhone users. And failing to maintain service standards for its data plan users is reason enough.

3G unlock with T-Mobile in NYC.. Nice, easy, enjoyable. No big deal that I can't surf and talk at the same time. Other wise all is perfect. Plenty of EDGE and WIFI. Out side of NYC less 3G anyway.. if iPhone supports T-Mobile 3g frequencies then that would be great too, but I still have great phone and service with iphone/T-mobile.. You really can't beat T-Mobile Cust. Service.. Try it!

Changes to att's data plan will solve the problem. Cause everyone will switch networks thus reducing the traffic on att's system.

Next Headline: AT&T Subscribers to "Rethink" AT&T.

Wow so many comments about hatting ATT and loving thier Iphone. Every end of the month I have a headache just checking my ATT bill and seing my wife dealing with it!, It was such a mistake to move from Verizon to ATT. I wish that I cant break the contract right now but if something change I am out!!!

Their customer service and network suck. They will lose IPhone and probably go bankrupt I hope. We need more competition and competitve pricing. These companies cry wolf all the time because they want the government to pay the bill for a faster network, meaning us taxpayers! On time of that they raise costs and add taxes to the network being double taxed! No freakin way is it worth it. Same thing with cable companies gouching every nook and cranny out of us. With all of the technology out there us Americans get piece meal and get priced heavily for it when it is already like 3-5 years outdated. We shouldn't stand for this anymore and big government should step in and start regulating unlimited bandwidth at a low cost so we can internetwork everything from phones to TV's to appliances to cars. Check out some smaller companies like Pocket Wireless with plans like unlimited talk text and pics for $40 a month.

It's a contract. ATT can't modify existing contract. If leaders at ATT can't handle this, they don't deserve those extraorbitant bonuses or none at all for their incompetent forsight.

It is AT@T'S Fault for not having a reliable network like Verizon!!!!!!!!!! All the I Phone users just need to get an Android..and go with Verizon..who 1-they spend over a billion dollars on their network...and never have a problem with like their CEO stating that they have to cut plans that they offered to cust's like thier unlimited data plans.also that you have to send back to APPLE every time you have a probelm with the I PHONE..the ANDROID has a seperate battery that you can take out and is servicable through Verizon and Android ...they just dont spend enough money or invest into thier own self worth for the market!!!!!..Also..who wouldnt want an Android..open platform..that the user can make an app and apply to the device..with no worries of getting charged for it..also you can put your own music on the ANDROID and use it for your ringtone..to me Verizon has the best Network hands down!!!!

1) Gregory says we (VZW) charge $45 a month for unlimited data. Thats not completely correct. We charge $29.99 for standard unlimited data. we charge $44.99 if we need to get your corporate email setup, which allows us to break through the firewall. Get the facts straight. 2) We chose not to get the iPhone due to no external battery, Apple not allowing us to be the techs, and because they wanted way too much money for selling the amazing device. We have Google now, and we do some of the tech work, but for the most part HTC and Motorola will fix any issues that arise. Long live ANDROID!!!

What people don't realize is that the power & capabilty of the iphone was probably unexpected or unrealized by, I'll say, the wireless network for now. Do you not think that as smart as Steve Jobs & the Apple Engineers are, in developing the iphone, that they have not equally thought out which network would be best suited for the device. It's like an unexperienced high school kid, getting a Lamborghini for Christmas; the power & capability of the car is unrealized, & therefore the kid is unable to drive the car to it's full potential.

Now due to the number of iphone's, with unlimited data access, the system becomes clogged, a dilemna that Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile, etc... would also have experienced, if they had the iphone exclusively, like AT&T does. AT&T just happens to be in the spotlight on this one, because yes, their network can not (at this time) handle the demand of the iphone & it's users, plus all of their other tasks, BUT, as I previously stated, which network can. Verizon might as well face the fact, that if they were in AT&T shoes, they would have the same problem. Then it would be "Verizon sucks", "Can't wait until my contract is up", etc...

I have a jailbroken Iphone and won't hesitate to take it to verizon. I never liked the fact they rammed the so called unlimited data package down our throat anyway. If they make people buy it, they shouldn't be surprised when they use it!

AT&T is awful. Verizon has way better customer service and a better variety of phones. Why go with AT&T for 1 product like the IPhone when you can goto Verizon and get multiple different DROIDS or even the Storm2. It is not the Iphone that is clogging up AT&T's network, its the fact that they have no 3G network! By the time they complete there 3G across the country Verizon and Sprint will be done with 4G! how lame is that!

Exactly what (Gregory) said. Duh, all companies only give you 5gb for laptop datacard for $50 to $60 so, what makes anyone think they can have a 'unlimited" data plan, with an Iphone, and not be penalized for going over?

Everybody to include AT&T wanted the business from smart phones, people who buy them want to be able to use them, but yet none of the companies want to make the investment to support the user they want most....hmmm. Guess that's why unlocking your I-phone and giving yourself the ability to choose the network that actually works is so popular.

Personally I don't use more than 3 hours of data bandwidth per month. It was quite novel to able to read my e-mail away from my home desktop, but I usually do most of my responding to e-mail @ home on my high speed (20mps) pipe on my home PC. I'd like to pay $15 per month for data and live with a smaller usage window.
Otherwise, when my iPhone deal with AT&T expires, I'm going back to a plan that does NOT include Data usage and my iPhone can be jail broken and become just a plain phone.
I sure hope AT&T is listening.

AT&T is the worst!! I had t- mobile for 10 yrs only left for the iPhone…Poor customer service, Drop calls, lack of coverage now reduced service, frozen phone! T-mobile just made the unlimited plan 49.99 a month and I never had a bad thing to say about them! Great customer service too!

If they take away the unlimitied package, many users will abandon AT&T and switch to another network that can support ALL of its users, thus AT&T will be hurting themselves. They should just enhance the network to keep up with the demand.

I am disappointed in AT&T. I think that Apple should end its exclusive contract with this company and open up the competition to other companies. I love the iPhone, but could live without the service.

This is what happens when you have a bunch of greedy @ssholes in charge of a corporation who don't properly plan ahead. What did they think was going to happen? It's 100% their fault for not making sure they'd be able to handle the volume of data transfers. I will laugh when they lose a ton of subscribers over this.

AT&T shouldn't offer what it can't handle. And I will be one of many unhappy campers if they try to take away my unlimited data package. I signed up for this plan and don't plan on changing it. This would just give me one more reason to hope that Verizon picks up the iPhone soon.

If they take away my unlimited data from my iphone, I am leaving to the droid with verizon. I love my iphone so much but without unlimited data, it wouldn't be the same!

God what a bunch of whiners. I've never seen so many complaints about AT&T. Now maybe it's because I don't live in LA or NY or SF but my wife and I (both with iPhone 3Gs phones) almost never have dropped calls. And I really mean that, almost never. Now we don't have the greatest coverage (we live in a very remote part of southeast AZ) but even being 20 miles from Tucson we still can use our phones (closest tower is at least 8 miles away). And in town we almost always have full 3G service. I've never run into any issues with customer service, they have always been very helpful with us. We love our iPhones and I have no desire to move to another carrier.

Now, having said that, I would not care to have my data plan price increase or have a cap put on it. I have to deal with that already with Hughes Satelite Internet. Now, if you want to talk about REALLY bad service...

I believe the problem is AT&T doesn't have the towers to support the amounts of bandwidth. If AT&T would either increase their towers or the bandwidth capabilities, every PDA customer would be increadibly happy. Also talking about contracts, if AT&T would either merge with another company and take on their towers, that would be another option. The only last option would be to develop a kind of contract possibly with Verizon or another large company to "borrow" or use the towers of the other comapny and share the increased wealth.

AT&T never had the coverage or the bandwidth to adequately carry the iPhone. Verizon and Sprint have been and continue to be vastly superior to AT&T in the those two aspects which are the only two that truly matter. Making it mandatory to have the $30 data plan is merely adding insult to injury.
The only reason AT&T has customers is because Apple made a proprietary agreement for the iPhone. Now Apple is seeing the error of that way and opening up the iPhone to vendors who will help ensure that the cell phone service lives up to the Apple name.

You're using your iPhone the way we told you you could?

BAD USER ! !
BAD BAD USER ! ! !

AT&T only had $ 119,300,000,000.00 in revenue last year.
(whining) We can't afford to more bandwdith.

BAD USER ! ! !

cant believe att is blaming the customer,when its their equipment that cant handle the load.

I have a hard time believing those numbers. There are hundreds of 3G phones, they have been around for years, fast data is the only reason someone would get a 3G phone, and these complaints (they come from the UK too, the rest of the world is less interested in the iPhone) are specific to the Apple product. It is therefore most likely the cause is the iPhone's design, a conclusion that makes a lot of sense if you take into consideration that the iPhone is the only 3G phone made by a manufacturer that has no experience designing and manufacturing cellphones. Add to that Apple's reluctance to conform to the GSM standards all other manufacturers adhere to, and you have your answer.

Perhaps ATT should put more $$ into the services they are defending rather than wasting it on the washed up actor they are using to promote them. Then again, I guess the $10 wouldn't have made much'a difference. XD

Just another case of writing a check that yo a** can't cash!! Pitiful blaming the consumer. You know when a company is complaining about too much business the customer is obviously not the focus...but rather the stockholders my friends. After all, the country is rapidly perpetuating the art of the rich getting richer while to poor just keep gettin' poorer...

As an iPhone user.. should AT&T drop its unlimited data plans for the iPhone, which are already rather expensive @ $30/month, causing my bill to be over $100/month... I would rather pay the $175 cancellation fee and terminate my service rather than getting the shaft from a company I've been loyal to for years. I'm interested to see what they do.

I have a original iPhone 8 gig. In Mexico, Canada, and London I never loose a call and have great reception even in the metro. Downloads are fast and using the phone part of my iPhone is a joy. In the USA it is a mess and I sometime even have a old Nokia as a backup. 2 months ago I switched my iPhone to t-Mobile and even though I do not have the internet speed I have in other countries I do have a perfect working cellphone service with the phone part of my iPhone.

Many people have had the same experience with their iPhone. AT&T is obviously the issue.

Either limit or increase cost and I am so outta here, I made the mistake of leaving Verizon, really hope Verizon gets the iphone next summer like the rumor says.

ATT !!! I hope somneone from ATT reads this:

You and your company sucks for even hinting this idea as a way to tackle your network issues. I hope it is just a lie for your investors (prob not). Get ready to see your customers walk.

Moreover, I am getting fed up with these data plans and so called smart phones. My friends are gradually switching to Cricket in Houston for everything unlimited at $60/month and that includes unlimited international calls to anywhere..Europe and Africa!!! Funny thing is they can get most important features (voice, text, web) on your Iphone or blackberry working at Cricket.

I hope they implement this mid-contract so I can cancel my Iphone contract without a fee! That'd be sweet!! Then I will jailbreak it and go to a more reasonable carrier or just sell it on eBay

Ok; I have an iPhone, I use it for work, and I do use the internet. Yes, I am paying more than I should. As far as coverage; I have had verizon and it was expensive and horrible, I had cingular and that was worse, now I am back to AT&T. I had coverage when other people did not like in the middle of the San Bernadino mountains and at LaJolle Cove.

I love the phone, I have so far some issues (not a great deal) with the internet being "slow". However, even the Verizon network home computer could not connect. I agree with one writer; all the carriers will have problems with the bandwidth.
Has anyone on this blog contacted AT&T directly? I think I will give them a jingle on the verizon home phone

AT&T complaining about IPHONE users using the network too much, is like Ferarri complaining that owners driver their cars too fast. Put some money back into building up the network...stop complaining AT&T..this is the monster you created. If in fact they do cap the plan..i will leave.

This is so stupid for AT&T to do I mean come on this has got to be one of the biggest messups they could do how many people have I-phones and they are willing to go ok a few users are ruining it for everyone so everyone has to pay for a service they are already paying to much for I mean if people want to start messing with AT&T then everyone should stop paying for text and just use the email service if everyone did that then they would be boned because lets face it that 20 dollars is free for them when you think about it. As for if AT&T does this I will just drop them, so if they want to see the bulk of their money exiting them faster then a fat kid runs after cake then by all means do it but if they want to do what is right how about give everyone what they are paying for instead of bending them over like they have been.

boy o boy am i glad with my t-mobile service, as well as my g1 droid phone. its so much better then the iphone. haha have fun suckers :]

you people are crazy, Verizon charges the same amount for data every month!

Love my iphone. Disgusted with AT&T's service. I rarely get through a phone conversation that doesn't leave me talking to the air – while the person I was talking to has disappeared from the call. Nightmare. If they do upcharge for data usage – I am done. AT&T will then be talking to the air...

I just bought and iphone last week and was aware of the Mandatory 30 unlimited data plan. If they are going to LIMIT the amount of data/bandwith that can be used per user, they better atleast Cut the price in Half, or use all that money we are paying to upgrade their servers/service....They CANNOT limit the bandwith and keep the Current price, that is NOT what everyone agreed to when signing those contracts.

I left Verizon after 7 years and joined AT&T for the iPhone. It's like marrying the girl of your dreams and then discovering her parents are the devil's spawn. I love my phone, but AT&T's service has been terribly poor. I've considered jailbreaking my iPhone and moving to another service once my contract is up.

If they persist in blaming their customers because they did not take the windfall revenue from new iPhone contracts and reinvest in better infrastructure, then I will certainly leave. Major corporations whining about their customers actually USING contractually guaranteed service is beyond the pale. In which business school did these executives learn that their companies deserve money for nothing??

OK AT&T, So you think that the end of unlimited data plans is still a good idea? I only read a small amount of the comments and it does not take rocket science to know that it is a really bad idea to go backwards! I remember the days of "limited" net service and how expensive that was and I will be just one of thousands (my guess) that will also change carriers. I only recently went back to AT&T after several years of using other carriers and only then because of helping save other people money since I had an unlimited use plan 24/7 which even though they did'nt have the highly touted 3G network, I have really not noticed much of a difference and I am a "techie" and I notice and look for those things.
So if you decide to go ahead with this I think you will show significant improvement allright, but only due to the loss of huge numbers of users that will certainly go elsewhere, Iphone or not.

I too am completely disgusted by the notion that AT&T would even consider uping the monthly charge for a service exclusive to them. Honestly, I have had my 3Gs for almost a month and I am blazing fast. Not a dropped call.

So considering about 89% of the people replying to this list would leave AT&T and go to Verizon for the Droid..do you really REALLY think Verizon could even handle the amount of data saturating their network. Even better, if Verizon gets the iPhone..that with the Droid..all I forsee is screaching hault

don't get me wrong, I will jump ship in a heartbeat, after 12 years and then be the first one to sign a class action lawsuit for breaking a contractual agreement

Telephony companies are to blame. It's not like users are polluting the air space or dumping bad data into the ocean. There is unlimited band width to be created. This is AT&T's house of cards they built and they are the ones selling a product. Just Fix it. This why those big AT&T Exec boys & girls get paid so much; they're suppose to forcast sales and usage and make it happen. Don't point the finger at the buyer for using your product, that's just crazy.

The answer is SPRINT – most dependable network with the best device lineup. Try the new droids offered by S.

wow! I have had the iPhone for a year now along with the mandatory unlimited data plan. I use it "unlimitedly" I've had less than 5 dropped calls and they were to/from a friend on TMobile. The dropped calls stopped when they got their iPhone and got away from TMobile. I've not had the phone unlocked, but use it in China with a China Unicom SIM card. AT&T said it wouldn't work and I'd have to pay $2.29 a minute for calls and $20 a meg for data. I guess I was dumb enough to try it anyway. A verizon phone is not SIM based (or at least wasn't when I left them in 2004) and doesn't allow this method to use local SIM cards. Verizon extended my contract every time I called customer LACK OF service to the point that my 2 year contract signed in 2003 was due to expire in 2009 when I paid the cancellation fees in 2004. AT&T HAS their problems, however Tmobile has no reception coverage but they're cheap, Verizon has the best reception usually but miserable customer appreciation and limited hardware availability. The iPhone or a similar device will soon be available from any provider soon and we can decide which monster to feed.

Oh calm down people. First off ATT is upgrading their network as fast as they can, they just need to get through the transition. Second, CNN is implying caps – ATT hasn't said it and they probably won't do it. There are other options. I suspect ATT will prioritize data requests based on usage – i.e. the more you use, the slower it gets. That way, normal users see improved service and the super high bandwidth users can switch over the Verizon and clog up their networks.

If you allow other carries to have the iPhone then you spread the usage over multiple networks. It's that simple. The iPhone and all of it's glory is made to use data and in today's nature of always being connected and instant at your finger type stuff, the network is the problem not the user. You REQUIRE people to buy the data package and WHAT believe they weren't going to use it? If I am going into a Buffet; I'm not going to hold back. It's also value and getting my money worth.

ATT is to blame, they charge a huge amount and don't provide the infrastructure to use it the way it was designed and advetised. If they alienate their customer, I am sure T-Mobile can accept the chipped iPhone. Who would Apple side with, the people who buy their product of course. Its about the dollars and customer loyalty. Apople has to be careful since Android now and Windows Mobile is picking up slowly again. Bad move ATT, Hopefully the Apple Tablet will be free reign. I'll just jalbreak that one too.

Won't buy an I phone till its available for Verizon. Iv'e had AT&T and wo'nt go back

Who is to blame? Apple and AT&T. A chunk of that 3 percent is probably made up of people who are forced to download via 3G because they can't get their wifi to work properly. Poor Apple support stil hasn't clarified its support cases to address all of the these cases. AT&T for forcing people into the service, not properly planning capacity, over-charging for text as so many U.S. carriers do, and then expecting people not to use the service. Why blame end users for using something they are over-charged for? One can feed an American family or a small village for what these plans cost. Moved by holiday spirit, I dropped the Grinch known as AT&T, went with a plan one-fifth the cost, and donated the difference to charity – 2500 bucks per year. I'm a world happier for having cut my relationship with companies that behave like AT&T.

AT&T should limit the 3% if that group is taking 40% of the network with them. It makes sense from any perspective: the customer, the business, and potential customers. If that 3% wants the larger bandwidth, they can pay for it. We all know who that 3% really is...

I think AT&T has been raping their customers long enough. They forced us into these plans and now they should be required to give us the services we've been paying for. I have never experienced such horrible cell phone service as what we have to deal with here in Dallas, Texas!!!! It's an embarrassment. If they didn't have the iPhone I'd have been gone long ago!!!! If another carrier gets the iphone AT&T will see hundreds of thousands of their customers jump ship!!!!

I'd be happy with 15.00 data plan. If I don't see one, I'll be bricking my iPhone @ the end my current contract.

hope verizon gets iphone, and keeps their smart phone data charge at 30$
+ 4g iphone, on A new network? TBH kickass way to start off 2010

One (1) week after my new iphone purchase and the switch from Sprint, I decided to contact AT&T regarding dropped calls. I was told by a AT&T on-line rep that they are currently aware of the matter but (DID NOT) have a solution. Then… very quietly added "maybe (summer 2010) would be a better time to consider an iphone purchase."
Someone frauduantely represented themselves when submitting for this service bid for Apple – If you would rather work for AT&T's R&D dept. for "free" while Frequently reporting dropped calls using the app "Mark The Spot" then great. But for now, I need a capable phone service provider. AT&T DEFINITELY jumped the gun on this service agreement with Apple.
SPRINT provided my cellular needs for 15 yrs. and the only reason for leaving was to enjoy the iphone's super-flirty, super-friendly interface. Steve M. Hollywood, CA.

Really? At&t is blaming users for a product that they sell and advertise that they are the best for? Sounds to me like they weren't prepared for the job. How can you make it a policy to have a data plan and then blame the consumers for using it? Sounds like the boys over at At&t have some thinking to do. I for one love my iphone and use it all day every day, 98% of the time on a wifi network. Go ahead guys raise the plan and be ready for the fallout. I hope that many consumers such as I will jump ship as soon as we start getting even more ripped off. Should they up the charges and then try to charge us for breaking our contract remind them that they broke theirs first. I hear class action lawsuits in the making.

I just bought an Iphone 3Gs for $651.46 and when I called customer service of AT&T they said even if I paid the full price they are going to charge me for it because of their new policy. I told them I dont need data coz I only go to school which has a free wifi and at home also has wifi. At work I have internet. I only like the Iphone. Now it's just showing that I dont have the freedom to use the iphone.. The AT&T representative advice to stick on a cheaper phone that are not smartphone or else it will automatically charge me $30 a month even if I didn't sign up for it. It is not fair. Now I am returning the Iphone and changing to Tmobile or verizon. Tmobile is cheaper plan and I can get an Iphone jailbroken and they will not charge for any data plan. Which is COOLER than AT&T that will charge me for something that I didn't sign up for! CHEATER AT&T! Me and my family and friends are dropping AT&T also my cousins move to T-mobile. You guys will loose business.

[...] fanboys get all tickled silly about that prospect, realize that AT&T has been rethinking unlimited mobile data plans for awhile now as well. Clearly, this is a problem that will affect both Verizon and AT&T [...]

[...] the iPhone owners excessive use of data. To deal with the problem, Apple had put forth the idea of taxing people for their insatiable lust for apps. Tech aficionados and iPhone owners sent a deluge of [...]

[...] the iPhone owners excessive use of data. To deal with the problem, Apple had put forth the idea of taxing people for their insatiable lust for apps. Tech aficionados and iPhone owners sent a deluge of [...]

[...] as well. One issue that seems to have struck a cord deals with the unlimited plan. It appears that unlimited data plans have been causing a number of problems for AT&T.  As a result, new customers will have limited [...]

I am serously consider to get myself the new iPhone 4 but I don't think AT&T should stop the unlimited data packages. Business users use this technology all the time as well as other people that need this. I would love to see AT&T reconsider bringing back the unlimited data package. AT&T makes money off these iPhones and packages, why get rid of a good thing.

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