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AT&T Tells Some Unlimited Data Customers ‘Netflix and Pandora Use’ Require Tethering Plan

Phillip Dampier April 12, 2011 AT&T, Data Caps, Wireless Broadband 10 Comments

In what one website is calling a data witch hunt, AT&T is reaching out and touching some unlimited data plan customers the company suspects of “tethering” — the practice of sharing your smartphone data plan with other devices such as a laptop, iPad, or even home computer.

Just a short time ago, Stop the Cap! reported AT&T was tracking down “heavy users” that were using over 10GB of wireless usage per month.  But now it appears AT&T is starting to contact customers using less — as little as 5GB, warning them they must sign up for a tethering plan if they intend on tethering their phones.  Only many getting the warnings are not tethering at all.  Modmyi, which has an active forum discussing the subject, reports their latest findings:

The first round appeared to be users on AT&T unlimited data plans that used more than 10GB of data in March. The latest round appears to be similar users using more than 5GB in March. It appears AT&T is on a data witch hunt. We’ve seen the message sent to users who simply use a lot of bandwidth (and never even tether/jailbreak) as well as users that use unauthorized tethering.

What’s most shocking is that many users have reported calling AT&T and were asked if they were using Netflix, Pandora, etc. Some have been told that using those services is the definition of tethering. We’re not sure if this is coming down from the AT&T top, or if this is simply non-technical AT&T customer service reps that are confused about what tethering is. However, based on the number of user reports, and the chances that users are very likely reaching different reps, this seems like deliberate AT&T rep training. Seemingly unethically, many customers are being convinced to pay for a tethering plan when they’re in fact not tethering at all.

AT&T has sought to monetize data usage across all of their networks, first imposing a 2GB usage cap on their wireless customers and now plans a 150-250GB cap on their wired broadband services.

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Smith6612
Smith6612
12 years ago

Kind of funny that they think using even Pandora is warranting a tethering plan. I know of a few people who have data plans on their Smartphones and use sites such as Pandora or Grooveshark to listen to music while in their cars on extended trips. The last I checked, neither site was a pig in bandwidth and really only used short bursts of traffic. I’m curious if this is just some automated system that flags a person for using more than X amount of Gigabytes a month as “Tethering” their phones that has gone wrong. I mean, traffic that… Read more »

Kirk
Kirk
12 years ago

Does anyone know if iPad data plans are being affected by this yet or not? I have used 4.5GB this month already, and now I’m scared to use anymore until my term rolls…

I don’t think they can send an SMS to my iPad though, so I’m not sure how they’d go about contacting me…

Phil
Phil
12 years ago

I received the message yesterday and I called up ATT. Their representative said they can see what type of transmission of data is used when you use your data. However, my guess is that they can track how much data is used for a webpage. For instant, a wepage is viewed using the iPhone would take up less data (megabytes) than being viewed on a tethered laptop. So it’s more like they track megabytes used per page rather than megabytes used per month as others suspected. However, I still think it is BS that they’re forcing customers to buy tethering… Read more »

Kirk
Kirk
12 years ago

@Phil: The statement by the AT&T representative is false. One of the great features of the iPad is its 1024×768 display, and thus ability to comfortably view the full-sized Internet rather than the Mobile Web versions of pages. The only reason viewing a web page on an iPad or iPhone would take less bandwidth, would be if the web page used Flash (which is not supported). The iPhone is a bit of a different story because of its smaller display, but you can still go to full web pages on the iPhone browser. It’s the same Internet. The claim that… Read more »

cboysfan
cboysfan
12 years ago

All unlimited iphone users turn off the WIFI feature. Make your phone use 3G for everything. I used to help AT&T by using WIFI, Not anymore, 3G for everything but not now. I have used 4GB in the last 36 house I have used over 4GB just by watching baseball games on MLB at bat. If everyone does this we can show them.

David
David
12 years ago

I received the text and mail. Called them, got a runaround, filed an FCC complaint. According to Jean, office of the president, they had determined that I mist be tethering after talking to the billing department due o the amount of data I am using. I’ve NEVER passed info through to the computer. I have on occasion used a work laptop as a power supply only. Power supply only. My main use: iheartradio, 5-0 radio, facebook and surfing. I was old verbatim today that if I don’t start using less gigabytes, they will switch me to a tethering plan. I’ve… Read more »

Ken
Ken
12 years ago

You know, they can easily tell if you’re tethering or not because every packet starts with the MAC addresses of the sender and recipient. If more than one MAC address is originating from on IP…

So, it’s really just a bandwidth issue.

Elaine Otero
Elaine Otero
12 years ago

I received an email 2 days ago from ATNT saying that I was tethering but I’m really not. My Iphone is not even Jailbroken… I callled this morning and talked witth a rep that told me that I was probably using Pandora, Yout Tube or Netflix I told her that even if I did that its not Tethering…
Anyway she wouldn’t change my plan back to unlimited..

So what its the next step…?
It’s so unfair that they make this changes when you are not doing what they say you are….

Russell vargas
Russell vargas
12 years ago

Ever since this data cap has started.. My phone has not been getting all its tx messages.. It only works fine when its not capped .. I proved it by txing with another phone sittin nx to me … It missed 4 out of 10 txs … Freakin awful!!!.. I believe smart phones require a minimum amount of data speed in order to work correctly.. I think a minimum of .5 meg … Id rather take that speed all month rather than havin it slow down and make my phone unworkable…This cap is total bs.   And they slow it… Read more »

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