AT&T to count Micro Cell usage against data limits?!
Business Insider claims that AT&T is going to count Micro Cell usage against your data limits. Go ahead, curse like you're in a Tarantino pic, we'll wait...
Here's the nut: AT&T will sell you an iPhone (or any phone) and sign you up to an expensive, tiered, capped, service contract even if they have lousy reception in your home or office. Then, if you want better reception, they'll sell you a $150 Micro Cell dongle that attaches to your broadband cable or DSL modem (which you pay for) and route your calls over your ISP instead. Then, if the reports are correct, they'll deduct the data you use over your wired network from your wireless plan. Use 1GB over Micro Cell, you only have 1GB left on your 2GB plan.
AT&T explains the practice by saying there is a cost to handle the data transmission once it hits AT&T's network, after it goes through your broadband pipe. (Likewise, it charges you for the voice minutes that you use over the Micro-Cell. But that's a different service.)
Perhaps this is true, that a cost exists, but there's NO WAY that transmitting data over AT&T's massive fiber network is nearly as expensive or laborious as transmitting data over its wireless network, which was the whole point for the wireless data caps and overage fees.
[Business Insider, thanks to everyone that sent this in!]
Hopefully this is an "error" and AT&T will "correct" it asap.
Editor-in-Chief of iMore, Executive Producer at Mobile Nations, co-host of Iterate and ZEN and TECH, cook, grappler, photon wrangler.
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What a joke! God AT&T is obviously not happy they have the iPhone which saved their company. What ingrates! Thank god I am keeping my unlimited data plan. Screw you AT&T!
huh... glad I get great coverage in the D.C. metro area and don't have to worry about this.
in the words of Ocho Cinco... "Child Please..."
Further more, I was planing on purchasing a MicroCell for my home to "replace" my home phone. Essentially, this would be my my in house voip service, but if this is true, that will NEVER happen.
Late
If i lived somewhere where there was no indide signal, i wouldnt have att. My iphone works with 5 bars in my basement
Let's just stop the madness and say this isn't true. I hear they are going to charge extra if you charge your iPhone when plugged into a computer using a bellsouth Internet connection. Ridiculous.
If you're in your house you can just revert to wifi instead. Correct me if I'm wrong, but it doesn't make a difference since you can just use wifi right?
Have AT&T's executives collectively lost their minds? AT&T seems to be trying to HELP the competition, not fight it! I think the rumors of a Verizon iPhone are going to come true. Apple is not a company (I hope!) that will let itself be weighed down by others. Look at how they are picking up companies like PA Semi amd Siri, and even cutting a deal with Bing! These are actions that show that they don't want to rely on Google or anyone but themselves! Ever since the iPhone 3G, AT&T has caused crisis after crisis for Apple to clean up, at tv expense of its customers. AT&T's network is pathetic, recent events show their security is laughable, and their decision-making is suicidal!
I sincerely hope Apple unlocks iPhone for US too, it is an outrage that EVERY OTHER COUNTRY IN THE WORLD GOT TETHERING ONE WHOLE YEAR BEFORE THE U.S.! (ok, maybe not every country, but it sounds good for my rant!). I'm not a verizon, google, palm, apple, or microsoft fanboy, my opinion is wholly nuetral amd based off first-hand experience as an AT&T customer. Apple can make great phones, imagine if they went with verizon! Verizon plans to have a 4G network soon, iPhone 5 w/4G in US next year? AT&T however, they are nowhere even close to finishing with their 3G network, not to even mention 4G!
In conclusion: Apple (and every other cellphone maker) should ditch AT&T, let it drown.
Man who the hell would need the Internet that bad. Man I hope some other carriers or able offer service to iPhones soon. How about a data only plan like the ipad , no contract. I'd be all over it
Guys seriously, AT&T is just trying to lighten the load on their network in order to improve it for customers. They handle more smartphones (15 million) than any other carrier in the U.S. Other carries have at the very least 5 million. That's a lot of data to handle.
We all know that AT&T isn't perfect, but they are doing this from a business standpoint.
Seriously, you all have Wi-Fi at home and there is Wi-Fi virtually everywhere we go these days. USE IT! That's what it's for. We should only be using 3G when we don't have a Wi-Fi signal.
WTF what EVIL PERSON would do this !!!!!
Well, @rgar3388 has a point... Why would you use that instead of your home WiFi?
Vodafone operates a similar scam in the UK. They should be giving these things out for free as it basically takes the pressure off their network. However it does mean that you get really good 3G voice reception in the home and the battery lasts a lot longer because the phone uses less power. They key is to make sure your phone is connected to the WIFI which it should be anyway. With the persistant wifi connectivity in ios4 there shouldn't ever be a time when you're in your home and you're using 3G for data anyway.
This cant be true. AT&T cant be this stupid. They are openly discouraging people from using data, which they are the best at delivering, and pushing you to use your phone only for voice, which they are the worst at delivering. If this is true the Micro Cell should be free.
This is pure greed and u won't put up with it. This us the same crap as their tether plans which also makes you pay for the same data twice. You pay for the data and then they make you pay 20 bux extra for the priveledge of tethering it to your laptop. Pure greed. At some point pricing has to make logical sense. AT&T does not make sense. Even their new data plans are bogus forcing people to go over each month or count megabytes. From 200mb to 2gb the cost per byte is soooo nonlinear! They claim it is to incentivize you to use less data, but they should just charge a flat fee by the MB. That will incentivize enough. Their data plans are well calculates greed formulas!!! Logic dictates AT&T should become dumb pipes and the net should be neutral. AT&T is as bad as oil companies, movie and music industries. Unfortunately, it takes a long time for the people to vote with their wallets. Oppression builds until the people can't take it anymore!
Rat bastards... LoL
Rat bast...ards LoL
Hey, every one of you are forgetting something. IF YOU GET A MICROCELL YOU ALREADY HAVE TO HAVE A HIGH SPEED INTERNET CONNECTION!. Meaning you more than likely have WiFi in your home, meaning your iPhone WILL NEVER USE THE 3G DATA and ONLY use your WiFi, meaning you are not using data.
Whats the problem here? You "accidently" have Wifi turned off and you use data just like you would have before, just this time slightly quicker than on, say, Edge?
I recently saw the micro-cell tower at an AT&T store. They were selling it inconjunction with a $19.99 a month unlimited voice service plan. All calls made over the micro-cell tower would not be counted against the plan minutes and you'd get 5 bars. He also said that the micro-cell towers were not intended for data products other than you'd get 5 bars. There wasn't the same unlimited data type plan that they offered with the voice services.
The microcell NEVER allowed unlimited data usage and is only for voice calls. This has always been the case since we sold the device. Consumers complain about the smallest things. Suck it up or go to verizon.
Ya, duh- just use the wireless at home. Come on tipd! This report could have easily been less of a rant and more of the obvious solution..
I think many have missed the point.
It's using voice calling and perhaps SMS that will trigger the data usage. Yep, you're getting charged for those voice minutes. But AT&T ALSO wants to deduct some data usage for using them too...if used with a microcell.
I think those who think this is unfair do not realize how the Microcell works.
The Microcell does NOT connect your 3G phone directly to the internet nor does it turn your 3G phone into a VOIP phone.
The Microcell DOES make a direct, secure connection into AT&T's network and ALL your calls and data go into AT&T's network and out the other end. Hence you are using their network and their systems. In effect it is a mini cell tower, working in the same way and cell towers with their connection back to the network is just one part of the AT&T network.
It cannot work any other way because your 3G phone is expecting to communicate with AT&T's systems in order to put calls through to wherever and even create a data connection. That's just the way it works.
So when you're at home or wherever your Microcell is, just make sure you have a WiFi router and use WiFi on your phone. Problem solved.
I think MrC may be an AT&T apologist.
The data is carried out of the Microcell on YOUR OWN DIME.
AT&T then meters and charges it against your wireless plan as well.
So, in effect, you are paying twice for the same bandwidth.
End of story.
This makes no sense.
To be fair with voice even though you're using your own internet to transmit the voice data, that voice data is still transferred to AT&T's network and because of this they should be compensated. It's not like the data is handed off to a free VOIP service. Even if it's handed off to AT&T's voip service it's still not free for them.
As far as data is concerned these micro cells should not even offer 3g data access. They should strictly offer wifi through the micro cell with no 3g connection. The internet connection is there, and if your router does not have wifi capabilities the microcell should add the wifi capabilities for free and not use 3g at all.
Nothing but a money grab. ATT knows the iphone cash cow won't last much longer, so they are going to milk their victims [customers] for as much as they possibly can.
Just wait until your ISP starts metering as well. Can you say "double penetration"
SpartanRevenge,
So what if their are rumors of a Verizon iPhone. Verizon is MUCH WORSE when it comes to overcharging their customers! That's like going from the Anti-Christ to Satan himself!!!
I'm sure keeping my unlimited Data Plan. AT&T could Cook It.. Lol Hurry June 24 Hurry
AT&T illuminati Own ahh so Preety or should I Say Evil Mean Lies Greetty Stupid..LAME
I can see the next headline on the 24th, AT&T used my driveway to walk up and deliver my iPhone 4, they should have built there own, how dare they!!!!!!
This story is not even a story, your using AT&T service to make the call still, helped by your ADSL connection because for whatever reason you need your service improved in your home, all data at home would be done by your wifi connection, come on please!
@Jack Kwack: I'm no fan of AT&T. I've had my fair share of dropped calls and the thing people should be getting irate about is the pricing of iPhone tethering where they really are charging twice for the same allotment of bandwidth.
I don't see why there is so much hysteria over this since a) it is unlikely to ever be a problem since people are probably using WiFi at home and b) it's not like they are forcing you to pay an extra monthly fee like Sprint or T-Mobile do.
The price of the Microcell is probably already being subsidized by AT&T and they will have also had to add and maintain infrastructure for dealing with all these Microcell connections to their network. So even though one part of the link is going over your home internet connection it still costs AT&T to provide this service.
MrC is right, but since most of you are idiots and are complaining about being limited on data and getting charged more, here's the step by step solution to using data over a micro cell tower and how to avoid using your limited data plan and causing overages.
1) If you're buying a micro cell tower, you have a bad signal in you're area that you need to turn your cell service into what's essentially a VoIP service.
2) To use this micro cell tower, you need to have internet access.
3) If you have internet access, you more than likely have a WiFi router/modem. If you don't have one, get one, they're not expensive.
4) Connect you're damn iPhone or iPad to your WiFi network numb nuts! Micro cell towers are for using voice minutes, not data.
Does nobody connect they're smartphone to WiFi? These things have WiFi built into them for a reason, I use my WiFi instead of 3G when I'm at home or at work. Instead of complaining about how using data with a micro cell tower, why don't use use some common sense and use WiFi.
And if you're home, with an internet connection, why aren't you using your computer for internet instead?
Use some common sense people. Stop whining about data charges, use your ISP, use WiFi if you're at home or work. If you're not home or at would and you're just hanging around a place, look for a WiFi connection.
Stop being morons and paying for overages if you're on a limited data plan, use WiFi.
Exactly why I left ATT.....Pure Greed!!
So let me get this straight... I'd be paying AT&T to give me coverage in an areas that should have coverage to begin with and NOW they want it to count against the service I'm already paying for.
Um... NO!
MrC and TK have this correct. As an operational rep at an AT&T reseller, I can confirm that the Microcell uses any broadband Internet connection to route traffic directly to AT&T's network. As such, data passed would count again your cap. This is NOT a mistake. AT&T did not explain this incorrectly, nor will they issue a corrective statement. The Microcell is designed this way. It cannot route traffic any differently than to push it to the mobile network, and the carrier's network is designed to meter the traffic from your device regardless of your connection (macro network, Microcell, etc...).
There is a simple distinction that needs to be made here... If your preference is to leverage your own broadband Internet connection from your landline service provider, that is your right. But it is also your own responsibility to connect to your broadband connection using WiFi instead of the Microcell. It is not a carrier's responsibility to figure that out for a consumer, or route/meter traffic on their network differently just because the user doesn't want to take responsibility to do it themselves.
Our company and AT&T have both never stopped spending dollars on capital expeditures to grow our network. In fact, we are putting up new towers all the time. However, unlike satellite phones, proximity-based technology will never reach EVERY customer... We have many customers that have made the investment in a Microcell for their homes, and their service has been great ever since. We are very happy that AT&T decided to make these situations a priority and to spend the R&D and overhead to create a solution. It's just too bad that some people are not able to recognize that fact...
And if someone would like to speak to a company about their issues with greed, I'll be sure to put you in touch with Apple.
I agree AT&T is greedy, incompetent at times, etc. But anywhere you have a microcell, you also have internet service. Why wouldn't you buy using WIFI for data in this instance? The fact that AT&T will treat microcell data rates the same as regular cell data rates doesn't surprise me, but the fact is that it shouldn't affect anyone using a microcell, because almost everyone using a microcell would be using wifi for data, not 3G.
@TK:
Exactly right. Use your own damn WiFi and quit whining.
What a big dado about ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. If you have a MicroCell (which I do) and you want to use AT&T's 3G network, you should be charged. There is a good chance that you have WIFI already so why would you want to use a slower 3G network? Come on people, think before you complain. I got the MicroCell for two reasons; 1. In parts of my house I get on 1-2 bars. 2. For $20.00 a month I can call on my cell in my house unlimited to anywhere in the US. So now I will save about $15-$18 a month by dropping my VoIP. It is worth it, and if I call before leaving the house the call remains free even though I switch to the cellular network, great deal by my way of thinking. So lets be realistic, there is no point in using the 3G network if you are at home if you have WiFi. If you don't have WiFi, wireless routers are cheap so get one and then you will not have to worry.
@theBBr:
Thanks for clarifying this for the people that dont have a clue.
Screw AT&T!
@gquaglia Hah, double penetration is right. These guys saying "get a clue" must not be able to feel the shaft for some reason.
We need to invent new profanities to cover this situation. There is not a long enough string of four-letter words to describe AT&T.
Does anyone know if the Microcell tower will still work if you quit paying the extra $20/month for it?