Two months after Verizon revamped its unlimited data plans to severely throttle video, the wireless provider is once again tweaking the system, announcing that customers with “unlimited” data plans can finally watch all their videos in high-definition… if they’re willing to pay an additional $10/month for the privilege. [More]
throttling
AT&T Users Have No Way To Know How Much Data They’re Tethering, Despite 10GB Cap
By 4.28.17 — Updated: 5.9.17
When AT&T resurrected unlimited data plans, it also introduced a feature it had shunned the first time around: letting subscribers use their phone as a mobile hotspot (AKA “tethering”), but only up to 10 GB per month. But there’s a flaw in AT&T’s execution that prevents users from knowing how much tethering data they’ve actually used. [More]
Netflix Introduces Data Usage Controls For Mobile Users
By 5.5.16
A month after admitting that it was deliberately broadcasting lower-resolution video to AT&T and Verizon wireless users, Netflix has introduced a new tool that will let users around the world choose how much of their data plan they want to blow through binge-watching House of Cards.
[More]
Netflix Admits To Throttling Its Own Streams On AT&T, Verizon Wireless Because Data Caps
By 3.25.16
If you have a network connection of a certain speed available on your phone, you expect receive data at roughly that speed, more or less. That’s how it works. Except that’s not how it’s been working for Netflix: the popular streaming video service was moving at a fraction of what users expected, on Verizon and AT&T networks. Consumers were all ready to line up and blame their mobile carriers, but the wireless companies weren’t the ones screwing around with anything, as it turns out. Netflix was. [More]
Test Claims To Show T-Mobile’s YouTube “Optimization” Is Just Connection Throttling
By 1.5.16
We’ve had a bit of a high-tech tiff going on for the past few weeks between YouTube and T-Mobile. First, YouTube accused T-Mobile of unfairly degrading their video. T-Mobile replied nuh-uh, everything is simply optimized for mobile and the world is great. So who’s right? [More]
Sprint Changes Its Mind, Will Start Throttling Speeds For Its Greediest Unlimited Data Customers
By 10.16.15
Is an unlimited data plan still unlimited if there’s a threshold marking the point at which your network speeds will be slowed down? Sprint seems to think so: after telling customers in June that it would no longer throttle speeds for customers on its unlimited plan using an excessive amount of data, today Sprint has changed its tune, and says it’ll slow down customers when they reach a 23GB monthly threshold. [More]
Verizon’s New Ads Are Apparently Unfamiliar With Verizon’s Own Business Practices
By 10.12.15
Verizon recently began airing an ad where the telecom titan declares that, “A better network doesn’t mess with your data.” Whoever made this Verizon commercial has apparently never heard of this company called Verizon and the ways it has — and wants to — mess with your data. [More]
AT&T Fails At Getting FTC’s Throttling Lawsuit Dismissed
By 4.1.15
Back in October, the Federal Trade Commission sued AT&T’s wireless division for allegedly misleading customers by charging for “unlimited” plans but then reducing data speeds after users passed certain monthly thresholds. AT&T subsequently asked the court to dismiss the case, arguing that the FTC lacks the authority to bring this type of lawsuit. Yesterday, a federal judge disagreed and sided against AT&T. [More]
T-Mobile Will Throttle Users Who “Misuse” Their Unlimited Data Plans
By 8.14.14
The Federal Communications Commission has told America’s wireless carriers that it’s fine if they want to drastically cut back the speed of data (or “throttle”) that their heaviest users have access to: they need to spell out to customers exactly what behaviors lead to throttling. T-Mobile has spelled this out quite clearly…in an internal memo for employees, not necessarily a clear guide for customers. [More]
Straight Talk Cuts Off My Data, Will Only Explain Why In Confusing Doublespeak
By 3.20.13
Mike’s phone spent two weeks in the repair depot at Samsung. When it came back, shortly afterward his data stopped working. Oh, no! Would it have to go back for more repairs already? Well… no, that wasn’t the problem. The problem is that his mobile carrier, Straight Talk, has throttled his data access down to nothing. [More]
AT&T Customers Petition CEO To Stop Throttling Unlimited Data Plans
By 2.29.12
The battle over the word “unlimited” has begun, as AT&T customers are fighting back against the Death Star’s throttling of so-called “data hogs,” even though available info shows that most of these people are using completely reasonable amounts of data for owners of unlimited plans. [More]
Have You Gotten A Text From AT&T Warning You About Your Data Usage?
By 2.6.12
Back in July, we first wrote about AT&T’s plan to start throttling data for wireless customers with unlimited plans who crossed over into the top 5% of data users. And starting in October, those customers began getting warning texts from the Death Star. But in recent months, we’re seeing more and more complaints from people who are receiving these texts but whose data usage isn’t terribly high. [More]
AT&T Starts Warning Potential Throttle-ees
By 10.3.11
AT&T customers have known for months that the cell phone provider would start throttling the top 5 percent of data users on unlimited plans, and now the prospect has come closer to reality. AT&T has been sending text messages to data hogs warning them that their service could soon be slowed and advising them to escape the punishment by using WiFi more often. [More]
T-Mobile Considers Ditching "Unlimited" In Favor Of Charging Overage Fees
By 8.10.11
We recently asked readers if they thought that T-Mobile’s unlimited data plans are actually unlimited if they still begin throttling your download speed after a certain threshold. An overwhelming number of you said “no.” Now a newly leaked document shows that T-Mobile is looking to possibly ditch at least one unlimited-but-throttled plan to go with the limited-then-pay-overage-fees model. [More]
AT&T Confirms Plan To Throttle Top 5% Of Smartphone Data Hogs
By 7.29.11
Earlier today, rumors were circulating that AT&T would begin throttling the data speeds of users who went over a certain usage threshold. Now, the company has confirmed these reports, though it does not give specifics on what line a user has to cross before their data starts going at a snail’s pace. [More]
Is Wireless Data Still "Unlimited" If It's Throttled After A Certain Point?
By 7.20.11
As we noted in April, when T-Mobile proudly announced that it was offering “unlimited” data plans for smartphones, there should be a pretty sizable asterisk next to “unlimited,” because, after the user consumes 2GB of data in a month, T-Mobile throttles back on the speed at which any further data is delivered. Some would call that a “limit,” but T-Mobile continues to disagree and has rolled out a handful of additional unlimited-with-throttling plans. [More]
Ahead Of iPhone, Verizon Says It May Start Throttling Top 5% Of Data Users
By 2.3.11
The same day Verizon Wireless started taking pre-orders for iPhone, they posted a new notice on their site saying they reserve the right to throttle the top 5% of data users, WSJ reports. Here’s what it said: [More]
Test If Your ISP Is Shaping Your Download Speed
By 11.17.10
Ever have one of those days where you’re browsing along, everything is cool, but then it seems like whenever you try to watch YouTube or download, your speed suddenly plummets? Your ISP could be “shaping” your traffic, intentionally throttling your rates for certain kind of media. To test it out, you can try running this Glasnost test. [More]
