DaMan
Active Member
- Joined
- Nov 17, 2003
- Location
- South of Nowhere
<center><a href="http://www.bgr.com/2012/02/15/att-on-data-throttling-blame-yourselves"><img class="size-full wp-image-90832 aligncenter" title="att-sign" src="http://www-bgr-com.vimg.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/att-sign110525141339.jpeg" alt="" width="652" height="372" /></a></center>
In an effort to justify its policies surrounding data service throttling for subscribers with unlimited smartphone data plans, AT&T on Tuesday issued a brief report regarding data usage on its nationwide wireless network. Senior EVP of AT&T technology and network operations John Donovan wrote on a company blog that data traffic on AT&T’s network has grown a staggering 20,000% over the past five years. Usage has doubled between 2010 and 2011 according to the executive, due in large part to the proliferation of smartphones. AT&T <a href="http://www.bgr.com/2012/01/26/at-7-6-millon-iphones-activated/">sold more smartphones in the fourth quarter of 2011</a> than in any other quarter in its history. And because its smartphone subscribers use so much data, AT&T seems to suggest it has no choice but to put measures such as data throttling in place. Read on for more.<span id="more-127131"></span>
“The growth is now driven primarily by smartphones,” the executive <a href="http://www.attinnovationspace.com/innovation/story/a7781181">wrote on AT&T’s Innovation Space blog</a>. “Add to that new customer additions and the continuing trend of upgrades from feature phones to smartphones, and you have a wireless data tsunami.”
While Donovan did not specifically address the recent resurgence of complaints surrounding AT&T’s throttling of unlimited data users, the timing of his blog post is no coincidence. <a href="http://www.bgr.com/2012/02/14/att-declares-war-on-unlimited-data-users/">AT&T’s questionable policy regarding unlimited data plans</a> was brought back into the spotlight recently following a new wave of subscriber complaints. While AT&T currently offers a tiered 3GB smartphone data plan for $30 per month, unlimited data plan holders paying the same amount are often seeing their data speeds throttled — or slowed significantly in an effort to reduce network strain — after using less than 2GB of data in a single billing period.
Donovan offers no real solution, however he does stress AT&T’s continued investment in its network. “AT&T has invested more than $95 billion in its wireless and wireline networks over the past five years,” Donovan wrote. “In 2011, we invested $20 billion in our networks, and completed more than 150,000 wireless network improvements. And we expect to invest about $20 billion again in 2012 with a focus on wireless, including more 4G LTE deployment, the roll-out of distributed antenna systems in key venues across the U.S. and adding even more AT&T Wi-Fi Hot Spots to the nation’s largest Wi-Fi network.”
AT&T’s plan to address network issues by acquiring T-Mobile USA from Deutsche Telecom for $39 billion was <a href="http://www.bgr.com/2011/12/19/att-cancels-plans-to-acquire-t-mobile-usa/">canceled late last year</a> after the United States Justice Department sued to block the deal.
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TheBoyGeniusReport/~4/spLTkw0KcKc" height="1" width="1"/>
Via BRG - Boy Genius Report
In an effort to justify its policies surrounding data service throttling for subscribers with unlimited smartphone data plans, AT&T on Tuesday issued a brief report regarding data usage on its nationwide wireless network. Senior EVP of AT&T technology and network operations John Donovan wrote on a company blog that data traffic on AT&T’s network has grown a staggering 20,000% over the past five years. Usage has doubled between 2010 and 2011 according to the executive, due in large part to the proliferation of smartphones. AT&T <a href="http://www.bgr.com/2012/01/26/at-7-6-millon-iphones-activated/">sold more smartphones in the fourth quarter of 2011</a> than in any other quarter in its history. And because its smartphone subscribers use so much data, AT&T seems to suggest it has no choice but to put measures such as data throttling in place. Read on for more.<span id="more-127131"></span>
“The growth is now driven primarily by smartphones,” the executive <a href="http://www.attinnovationspace.com/innovation/story/a7781181">wrote on AT&T’s Innovation Space blog</a>. “Add to that new customer additions and the continuing trend of upgrades from feature phones to smartphones, and you have a wireless data tsunami.”
While Donovan did not specifically address the recent resurgence of complaints surrounding AT&T’s throttling of unlimited data users, the timing of his blog post is no coincidence. <a href="http://www.bgr.com/2012/02/14/att-declares-war-on-unlimited-data-users/">AT&T’s questionable policy regarding unlimited data plans</a> was brought back into the spotlight recently following a new wave of subscriber complaints. While AT&T currently offers a tiered 3GB smartphone data plan for $30 per month, unlimited data plan holders paying the same amount are often seeing their data speeds throttled — or slowed significantly in an effort to reduce network strain — after using less than 2GB of data in a single billing period.
Donovan offers no real solution, however he does stress AT&T’s continued investment in its network. “AT&T has invested more than $95 billion in its wireless and wireline networks over the past five years,” Donovan wrote. “In 2011, we invested $20 billion in our networks, and completed more than 150,000 wireless network improvements. And we expect to invest about $20 billion again in 2012 with a focus on wireless, including more 4G LTE deployment, the roll-out of distributed antenna systems in key venues across the U.S. and adding even more AT&T Wi-Fi Hot Spots to the nation’s largest Wi-Fi network.”
AT&T’s plan to address network issues by acquiring T-Mobile USA from Deutsche Telecom for $39 billion was <a href="http://www.bgr.com/2011/12/19/att-cancels-plans-to-acquire-t-mobile-usa/">canceled late last year</a> after the United States Justice Department sued to block the deal.
<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TheBoyGeniusReport/~4/spLTkw0KcKc" height="1" width="1"/>
Via BRG - Boy Genius Report
