Excess Data Usage

[kevink2]

I spent a week in Nebraska, south dakota, kansas with short periods in colorado, wyoming, and texas. Pretty much the last 5 days was spent in areas without native ATT coverage (2 days spent in Lincoln, with 3g service). I apparently slipped under the cap. My worst case guesstimate, looking at the Data details, is approximately 24 megs in off network areas. If I'm wrong, and some of it counts as native coverage, that should ensure that I am not in violation. And I'm not vacationing next month again, so I am safe.

I would have gone over the limit except that I didn't have coverage at all for quite a period of time. GPRS is slow.

 

[nateo200]

They should display some type of icon next to the 3G/EDGE/GPRS icon to show your roaming. It's really unfair that they don't show your roaming. I personally think if you go over the cap you should have data cut off temporarily. I would hate being screwed like this.

 

[ruinfx]

no I understand it very well. I would fully expect people to come in and get as many strings as they want because that is what I advertised. Of course, I have good business sense so I wouldn't do that. I would advertise unlimited replacement strings for the life of the guitar. Now I am being very specific and my customers won't be upset when they understand that the new strings will have to replace old worn out strings. What att is doing is false advertising because they offer the plan as unlimited data, and then go the backdoor route of saying there is actually a 5 gb cap. I dropped my att data plan because I am sick and tired of att's nonsense approach to business. I now use verizon mifi for my data (which is light years ahead of att) and they specifically advertize the data plan as having a 5 gb cap, so I have no problem abiding by that.

this has no relevance to this thread, go beat the dead horse somewhere else. this thread is about off-network usage, which is not unlimited.

 

[jav6454]

Would you please explain how you know you are on AT&T's network and not off network when it comes to data? TIA.

There is no telling off the phone itself. You have to go to AT&T's website to look at coverage maps and look where they have coverage and where roaming coverage is.

For a better simpler way of doing this, just use the GoPhone Map. That is the one that details real AT&T coverage. The other ones are maps made off the AT&T network, plus the roaming networks.

 

[ruinfx]

thats not entirely correct. as i mentioned before, this is not the first time this has been brought up on macrumors. a previous poster had this problem and at&t turned on a feature that shows "off network" on the iphone when its roaming.

 

[Resist]

It disclosed that there is a 5GB cap. The reason why they call it unlimited is because on average AT&T customers do no exceed or nearly exceed that cap.

I am confused as to how AT&T can change the meaning of the word "unlimited".

Merriam-Webster defines "Unlimited" as lacking any controls, boundless, unrestricted, not bounded by exceptions.

Clearly AT&T is using false advertising! Why didn't they just say "Almost Unlimited" or "5GB Service"?

With movie streaming (like with Netflix and Slingbox services) soon becoming the norm, the 5GB cap may be exceeded by the average AT&T customer in the not to distant future.

 

[jav6454]

I am confused as to how AT&T can change the meaning of the word "unlimited".

Merriam-Webster defines "Unlimited" as lacking any controls, boundless, unrestricted, not bounded by exceptions.

Clearly AT&T is using false advertising! Why didn't they just say "Almost Unlimited" or "5GB Service"?

With movie streaming (like with Netflix and Slingbox services) soon becoming the norm, the 5GB cap may be exceeded by the average AT&T customer in the not to distant future.

Have you read what I have said? The 5GB cap is false, fake or not true. That cap only applies to people with a Data Card or Laptop Connect plan. iPhone Data usage is unlimited. You can only get the message the OP got if you are roaming outside the AT&T network in the US and have excessive usage while roaming (say you are AT&T and roam on Dobson).

 

[mgamber]

I am confused as to how AT&T can change the meaning of the word "unlimited".

Merriam-Webster defines "Unlimited" as lacking any controls, boundless, unrestricted, not bounded by exceptions.

Clearly AT&T is using false advertising! Why didn't they just say "Almost Unlimited" or "5GB Service"?

With movie streaming (like with Netflix and Slingbox services) soon becoming the norm, the 5GB cap may be exceeded by the average AT&T customer in the not to distant future.

It's already the norm for a lot of people. I go over 5gb pretty often because of Orb and I know others who go way over every month using Orb and other streaming apps. No one has heard a word from AT&T about it, too, and it better stay that way since iPhone data is supposed to be the dictionary definition of unlimited.

 

[Resist]

Have you read what I have said?

No I didn't, sorry my bad.

 

[ruinfx]

I am confused as to how AT&T can change the meaning of the word "unlimited".

Merriam-Webster defines "Unlimited" as lacking any controls, boundless, unrestricted, not bounded by exceptions.

Clearly AT&T is using false advertising! Why didn't they just say "Almost Unlimited" or "5GB Service"?

With movie streaming (like with Netflix and Slingbox services) soon becoming the norm, the 5GB cap may be exceeded by the average AT&T customer in the not to distant future.

because movie streaming is against at&t policy (even though people still do it with other phones that arent as policeable like the iphone by at&t/apple). as far as at&t is concerned, the only things you are allowed to do with your "unlimited data plan" within the wireless service agreement are browse the internet and check your email.

in order to get to a data usage that would push the boundaries of the "unlimited data plan" you would most likely have to do something that would technically violate your wireless service agreement. whether at&t wants to enforce that agreement is up to them.

 

[SeanMcC]

Would you please explain how you know you are on AT&T's network and not off network when it comes to data? TIA.

They put something on my account that changes the text in the top left to say "Off-Network" when my phone is on a non-AT&T tower, and it says "AT&T" like normal when I'm on an AT&T tower. Other than this there is no way to tell. (By default it will say AT&T no matter where you are.)

There is no telling off the phone itself. You have to go to AT&T's website to look at coverage maps and look where they have coverage and where roaming coverage is.

For a better simpler way of doing this, just use the GoPhone Map. That is the one that details real AT&T coverage. The other ones are maps made off the AT&T network, plus the roaming networks.

This way is not reliable because the area where I am and have not left this billing period is, according to the coverage map on AT&T's website, covered in dark orange AT&T area. The CSR I talked to said they have a different coverage map that is customer-facing and their internal map shows parter coverage in the whole area. It's BS that they have different coverage information for customers and for themselves.

 

[Clete2]

I have received this message twice now. I'm so angry at AT&T.

I have the indicator and the area I'm in says off-network 99% of the time for the past month. When I'm on AT&T, I get 1-2 bars of service. I've used about 200MB this past month (because I've started to use WiFi instead of the services I am PAYING FOR) and haven't gotten a complaint again until today.

What gives?!?! AT&T's worthless CSRs just keep suggesting that I watch the indicator and only use data when it says AT&T. I can't do that! And I have data roaming turned off!!!! I'm furious!

At this point, I'm lost as to what to do. If my roaming is shut off, I won't be able to make calls or ever use data. Even if they disable my data roaming, my $30/month plan will be rendered useless.

How can I get at AT&T to give me an exception to use off-network data?

 

[ViViDboarder]

At this point, I'm lost as to what to do. If my roaming is shut off, I won't be able to make calls or ever use data. Even if they disable my data roaming, my $30/month plan will be rendered useless.

How can I get at AT&T to give me an exception to use off-network data?

So AT&T doesn't have ANY coverage at all in your area?

You should just go to T-Mobile (Which is what you're roaming onto). You don't have to pay an ETF because you don't have service.

Also, there is a package for adding data-roaming but you gotta pay for it.

 

[Clete2]

So AT&T doesn't have ANY coverage at all in your area?

You should just go to T-Mobile (Which is what you're roaming onto). You don't have to pay an ETF because you don't have service.

Also, there is a package for adding data-roaming but you gotta pay for it.

No, I asked. They said it only covers international.

Also, I'm roaming on "Bell One" as the CSR told me when she looked up my stats. I get 1-2 bars indoors of AT&T coverage and ~4 bars outside AT&T coverage, but no matter what, even when I'm outside, it says off-network most of the time.

And we won't switch. I'm at school and I will graduate in May 2011. We've been AT&T customers virtually forever.

 

[ViViDboarder]

No, I asked. They said it only covers international.

Also, I'm roaming on "Bell One" as the CSR told me when she looked up my stats. I get 1-2 bars indoors of AT&T coverage and ~4 bars outside AT&T coverage, but no matter what, even when I'm outside, it says off-network most of the time.

And we won't switch. I'm at school and I will graduate in May 2011. We've been AT&T customers virtually forever.

Can't you turn off data roaming on the phone? Wouldn't this force it to use AT&T no matter if the Roaming signal is better?

 

[Clete2]

Can't you turn off data roaming on the phone? Wouldn't this force it to use AT&T no matter if the Roaming signal is better?

No. I have data roaming turned off. I have never turned on data roaming. That's what makes me so furious about all of this. I figured it would force it to choose the AT&T tower over the off-network one no matter what. And once, I got a popup on my iPhone saying that "data roaming is turned off... blah blah can't access network." But I'm still getting warned.

Also, I fear that they have disabled my roaming now. I need to call them later to confirm. I have been off-network continuously for the past month. Today, after I got the message, all I've seen is 1-2 bars (vs. 3-4 off-network) and the AT&T indicator.

I want to be able to make off-network calls, but be able to use data too. This once gave me the brilliant idea to voluntarily block off-network data roaming but not roaming. We put the block on and I would be on off-network towers while calling, but when I tried to use data, it would stick with the off-network tower and just yell at me about not being connected to a network.

 

[nateo200]

I have received this message twice now. I'm so angry at AT&T.

I have the indicator and the area I'm in says off-network 99% of the time for the past month. When I'm on AT&T, I get 1-2 bars of service. I've used about 200MB this past month (because I've started to use WiFi instead of the services I am PAYING FOR) and haven't gotten a complaint again until today.

What gives?!?! AT&T's worthless CSRs just keep suggesting that I watch the indicator and only use data when it says AT&T. I can't do that! And I have data roaming turned off!!!! I'm furious!

If you have wifi you should always use it....the mindset that your paying for mobile broadband so you should use it as much as you can with the most bandwidth hogging apps even with wifi is why AT&T's 3G network is blowing chunks right now.....

They put something on my account that changes the text in the top left to say "Off-Network" when my phone is on a non-AT&T tower, and it says "AT&T" like normal when I'm on an AT&T tower. Other than this there is no way to tell. (By default it will say AT&T no matter where you are.)

I never knew you could do this.....so it pops up where "AT&T" usally is on the top left hand corner?

 

[SeanMcC]

I never knew you could do this.....so it pops up where "AT&T" usally is on the top left hand corner?

Correct.

When I'm on the AT&T network:

When I'm off the AT&T network:

 

[nateo200]

Correct.

When I'm on the AT&T network:
http://i35.tinypic.com/2lxz0pg.png[IMG]

When I'm off the AT&T network:
[IMG]http://i37.tinypic.com/2qx25nn.png[IMG][/QUOTE]

EDGE only I take it? What are you roaming on? T-Mobile? I would say your best bet is using wifi and making calls and texts over who ever your roaming on, because AT&T shouldn't charge you for calls when roaming.

 

[ViViDboarder]

EDGE only I take it? What are you roaming on? T-Mobile? I would say your best bet is using wifi and making calls and texts over who ever your roaming on, because AT&T shouldn't charge you for calls when roaming.

All ready answered. He said Bell.

He shouldn't have to use Wifi though. Sucks man.

 

[nateo200]

All ready answered. He said Bell.

He shouldn't have to use Wifi though. Sucks man.

Alright I heard bell and T-Mobile thrown around, didn't bother to check. And yeah he shouldn't have to but that's how cellular networks work....but they should provide more accurate coverage maps, I mean common' how did they screw it up that bad...I know there rough estimates but thats pretty bad.

 

[SeanMcC]

Alright I heard bell and T-Mobile thrown around, didn't bother to check. And yeah he shouldn't have to but that's how cellular networks work....but they should provide more accurate coverage maps, I mean common' how did they screw it up that bad...I know there rough estimates but thats pretty bad.

I assume I'm picking up T-Mobile towers, it was someone else in the thread who said Bell. But it's a crappy situation either way.. The lady on the phone said to turn off push, fetch, etc. and not to send text messages when off-network. There's no way I'm doing all that, it's basically why I have an iPhone. I thought text messages weren't data anyways?

I'm on a university campus where there is Wifi in a lot of places so it's not extremely limiting, but I'm not turning off the features that make an iPhone an iPhone.

 

[Clete2]

First off, I'd like to say that the image poster wasn't me. I'm not sure what he's roaming on. Please check usernames; not all posting are me.

Also, I am paying $30 a month for data. Additionally, I only have WiFi in one or two spots that I go to. This isn't enough for me to rule out data altogether. Why would I ever pay for data and not use it? I'd rather buy an iPod Touch and keep a cheap phone around for use. Don't argue me on this; I'm going to use what I pay for. I don't like using WiFi because I am paying already for data. I'm not here to argue the logic; I'm here to fix my problems. Period.

SeanMcC: Exactly what I was told. Turn off fetch, push, and Exchange servers and to watch the indicator.

Unfortunately, the Roaming department is closed for the night, so I'm going to call tomorrow. I hear that asking for elevation > asking for a supervisor. We will see.

 

[goosnarrggh]

I assume I'm picking up T-Mobile towers, it was someone else in the thread who said Bell. But it's a crappy situation either way.. The lady on the phone said to turn off push, fetch, etc. and not to send text messages when off-network. There's no way I'm doing all that, it's basically why I have an iPhone. I thought text messages weren't data anyways?

Domestic off-network text messaging comes out of a separate "bucket" from off-network data. The monthly limit for off-network text messages is the lesser of 50% of your plan's monthly SMS allotment, up to a maximum of 3000 text messages.

 

[chwhale]

there was a thread about this before where i think someone had this happen to them and at&t turned on some feature that would show when they were off-network. its not default though.

I had this same situation come up. I was DATA roaming too much. So much infact that the first thing that I got told when I was transferred to a CSR who knew something was that they wanted to let me out of my contract.

I had them put a block on my account that wouldn't let me roam data carriers. It sucks that I can't get any data at work now, but I guess I'm playing by the rules now.

A friend of mine also had this same issue. He asked for the block and they put the block on voice and data accidentally. So, if anyone has this done as well, make sure that they only put it on data.

I can't wait until the exclusivity ends with this $#!tty carrier.