Slippery Slope - AT&T Starts 'Sponsored Data' Program [Updated]


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Don't like where this is going (N)

 

AT&T Introduces Sponsored Data for Mobile Data Subscribers and Businesses

Customers Can Browse, Stream and Enjoy Without Using Monthly Data Allowance; Provides Opportunities for Businesses Across Multiple Industries

Las Vegas, Nevada, January 06, 2014

AT&T* today unveiled a new way for eligible 4G customers to enjoy mobile content and apps over AT&T?s wireless network without impacting their monthly wireless data plan. Similar to 1-800 phone numbers or free shipping for internet commerce, AT&T?s new ?Sponsored Data? service opens up new data use options for AT&T wireless customers and customer-friendly mobile broadband channels to businesses that choose to participate as sponsors.

With the new Sponsored Data service, data charges resulting from eligible uses will be billed directly to the sponsoring company; the customer simply enjoys their content via AT&T?s wireless data network. Customers will see the service offered as AT&T Sponsored Data, and the usage will appear on their monthly invoice as Sponsored Data. Sponsored Data will be delivered at the same speed and performance as any non-Sponsored Data content.

All this will cause is increased costs for customers in the end so that AT&T can double bill both sides of the pipe. :no:

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All this will cause is increased costs for customers in the end so that AT&T can double bill both sides of the pipe.

Welcome to America.

We're one of very very few countries in the world where our carriers charge us for both sending and receiving text messages / phone calls.

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and this is why i won't touch main carriers here in america anymore

 

i'm currently with Net10 & probably gonna switch over to AIO Wireless here soon for the LTE

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Coincidentally I just got off the phone cancelling my Uverse TV service and ordered Comcast internet only. Once installed I am then cancelling the Uverse Internet service too. Then I only have a mobile family plan with them. Thank god.

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Don't like where this is going (N)

 

All this will cause is increased costs for customers in the end so that AT&T can double bill both sides of the pipe. :no:

 

Eh.  It seems unlikely that this is cheaper for companies than just opening up a guest wifi off their own internet service, so I doubt this will go very far.

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Coincidentally I just got off the phone cancelling my Uverse TV service and ordered Comcast internet only. Once installed I am then cancelling the Uverse Internet service too. Then I only have a mobile family plan with them. Thank god.

Comcast is just another corporate greed beast. Basically, you just moved on to feed the next caged animal at the Zoo.

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Comcast is just another corporate greed beast. Basically, you just moved on to feed the next caged animal at the Zoo.

I'm fully aware of the corporate environment. With that said, Comcast has better deals and is doing less than AT&T at screwing me.

 

Anyway, by your logic I'd might as well move out of the US since you can't really escape it.

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I'm fully aware of the corporate environment. With that said, Comcast has better deals and is doing less than AT&T at screwing me.

 

Anyway, by your logic I'd might as well move out of the US since you can't really escape it.

I know. it sucks, doesn't? Comcast enforces data caps from what I've read. I know Uverse has caps, but I haven't read any stories about enforcement.

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I do not really think this is a slippery slope however, i do see two large problems with this idea.

 

1) what is to prevent an application from saying, Hey you can have free data when you use our app, but you have to now pay a subscription for our app.

2) You pay for your data plan ( even though it is not using your data) and then you might have to pay a subscription for an app to cover them paying ATT for the reduced data usage. and you end up paying more than you did for data to begin with.

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Eh.  It seems unlikely that this is cheaper for companies than just opening up a guest wifi off their own internet service, so I doubt this will go very far.

 

That's not how it works.

 

imagine if NEtflix decided to sponsor their AT&T customers, you could then watch netflix on your phone anywhere without impacting your data plan. 

 

on the whole it doesn't make a lot of sense since no high data transfer companies like netflix will sign up. 

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Here is where it becomes tricky.

Say Netflix relents and pays for this and say i don't need anything else except netflix on my plan. Do i still need to pay AT&T $30 a month for 2GB which i wont "need" since Netflix isn't being affected by the cap?

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Here is where it becomes tricky.

Say Netflix relents and pays for this and say i don't need anything else except netflix on my plan. Do i still need to pay AT&T $30 a month for 2GB which i wont "need" since Netflix isn't being affected by the cap?

 

That's not really tricky at all.  The answer is yes.  Though you could drop to the 1GB plan then and pay less.

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I'm sure it will be, they'll probably only do 2GB being the lowest option as well too and encourage you to talk your sites into paying AT&T.

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and this is why i won't touch main carriers here in america anymore

 

i'm currently with Net10 & probably gonna switch over to AIO Wireless here soon for the LTE

 

$30/month for 100 mins, unlimited LTE and texting at T-Mobile. I love it.

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$30/month for 100 mins, unlimited LTE and texting at T-Mobile. I love it.

almost no t-mobile service here in Omaha, NE or I would

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almost no t-mobile service here in Omaha, NE or I would

 

That sucks. Only reason I'm trying it out now is because I want to see if I could drop AT&T and my grandfathered unlimited plan. As of right now $30/month is looking a lot better than $160/month.

 

I told the wife to start paying for her own phone when I transfer her to T-Mobile as well.

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Welp looks like it may not be possible if the FCC has anything to say about it:

 


While the FCC isn?t stepping in right now, Chairman Tom Wheeler has made it clear that the commission is ready to do so should the need arise. ?Make no mistake, we?re ready to intervene,? Wheeler told The Journal. ?We want to encourage innovation, with the full capability and legal authority to intervene in those circumstances where there are untoward impacts on competition and consumers.?

 

?The announcement of a sponsored data program by AT&T puts it in the business of picking winners and losers on the Internet, threatening the open Internet, competition and consumer choice,? Eschoo said.

 

Source:http://bgr.com/2014/01/09/att-sponsored-data-fcc-intervention/

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Welcome to America.

We're one of very very few countries in the world where our carriers charge us for both sending and receiving text messages / phone calls.

 

That is a joke!  You pay for receiving text messages / phonecalls?!

However, this does actually explain a song to me that I heard where the rapper is moaning about a girl calling him and using up all of his minutes just to talk rubbish.  All I was thinking was "So... why do you call her back and waste your minute?! Idiot!"

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