AT&T has changed its tune when it comes to throttling unlimited data customers. Formerly, the top 5% of smartphonedata customers were throttled, now it is based on data use.
All unlimited-data-plan users who use more 3GB of data in a single month will have reduced speeds on AT&T’s 3G network for the remainder of their billing cycles. 4G subscriber can use up to 5GB of data in a billing period, then data speeds will be throttled.
In February, AT&T has changed it throttle tune to "throttle where bottle-necked."
AT&T recently changed its data rates in January to higher starting rates but with more GB included.
AT&T claims it is "in response to soaring mobile broadband usage and the limited availability of wireless spectrum, we implemented a network management program back in 2011 to help ensure the best possible mobile broadband experience for all of our customers."
Jane Foody,an AT&T customer with an unlimited data plan who launched a a campaign on Change.org that now has over 11,000 signatures calling for the company to completely end the practice, says that’s not good enough.
"Who is AT&T trying to fool?" said Jane Foody. "An unlimited plan is an unlimited plan – not a 3 gigabyte plan. I paid for unlimited data, and no amount of AT&T's corporate-speak will get me and the 11,000 people who've joined my Change.org petition to back down until we get what we've paid for."
Original unlimited-data-plan owners were grandfathered when AT&T stopped offering unlimited data plans.