Data Caps

Public Knowledge Questions AT&T Data Cap Plan

The Wall Street Journal reported this morning that AT&T plans the equivalent of an 800 number for wireless app developers and content providers.  Under the plan, app developers or content providers, not customers, would pay for the data used and the data would not apply to a customer’s data cap.

The story is here.

The following is attributed to Harold Feld, legal director of Public Knowledge:

 “This new plan is unfortunate because it shows how fraudulent the AT&T data cap is, and calls into question the whole rationale of the data caps.  Apparently it has nothing to do with network management.  It's a tool to get more revenue from developers and customers.

PK In The Know Podcast: VZ/Spectrum Co., Data Hogs, and Cantora Labs

On today's podcast we discuss problems with a pending deal between Verizon and the cable companies and more data on the myth of the data hog. We also talk with Nick Panama of Cantora Labs about embracing technology as a record label.



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On today's podcast we discuss problems with a pending deal between Verizon and the cable companies and more data on the myth of the data hog. We also talk with Nick Panama of Cantora Labs about embracing technology as a record label.

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PK In The Know Podcast: Spectrum, Apple eBooks, Fake Data Hogs, and Bittorrent TV

On today's podcast we update the status of spectrum in the payroll tax bill, and discuss Apple's overreach in its ebook authoring software, AT&T proving that data hogs are fake, and a new way to broadcast video from bittorrent.



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On today's podcast we update the status of spectrum in the payroll tax bill, and discuss Apple's overreach in its ebook authoring software, AT&T proving that data hogs are fake, and a new way to broadcast video from bittorrent.

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PK In The Know Podcast: Spectrum, Apple eBooks, Fake Data Hogs, and Bittorrent TV



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On today's podcast we update the status of spectrum in the payroll tax bill, and discuss Apple's overreach in its ebook authoring software, AT&T proving that data hogs are fake, and a new way to broadcast video from bittorrent.

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If Data Caps Lack Clarity, Then Data Hogs = Flying Pigs

AT&T started throttling the cell phones of some of its heaviest data users (sometimes referred to as “data hogs”) a few months ago. Reports from the field indicate that those heavy network using “data hogs” are not that different from anyone else. 

AT&T says it only throttles the smartphones of customers who use “extraordinary level[s] of data usage.”  It turns out that these “extraordinary levels of data usage” on unlimited plans are actually a lot lower than amounts offered by the tiered plan at the same price.  What does this discrepancy mean?

First, the most current definitions of “throttling” and “data hogs:”

Throttling (verb)



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AT&T started throttling the cell phones of some of its heaviest data users (sometimes referred to as “data hogs”) a few months ago. Reports from the field indicate that those heavy network using “data hogs” are not that different from anyone else. 

AT&T says it only throttles the smartphones of customers who use “extraordinary level[s] of data usage.”  It turns out that these “extraordinary levels of data usage” on unlimited plans are actually a lot lower than amounts offered by the tiered plan at the same price.  What does this discrepancy mean?

First, the most current definitions of “throttling” and “data hogs:”

Throttling (verb)

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AT&T started throttling the cell phones of some of its heaviest data users (sometimes referred to as “data hogs”) a few months ago. Reports from the field indicate that those heavy network using “data hogs” are not that different from anyone else. 

AT&T says it only throttles the smartphones of customers who use “extraordinary level[s] of data usage.”  It turns out that these “extraordinary levels of data usage” on unlimited plans are actually a lot lower than amounts offered by the tiered plan at the same price.  What does this discrepancy mean?

First, the most current definitions of “throttling” and “data hogs:”

Throttling (verb)

[#title] => [#description] => [#printed] => 1 ) [#title] => [#description] => [#children] =>

AT&T started throttling the cell phones of some of its heaviest data users (sometimes referred to as “data hogs”) a few months ago. Reports from the field indicate that those heavy network using “data hogs” are not that different from anyone else. 

AT&T says it only throttles the smartphones of customers who use “extraordinary level[s] of data usage.”  It turns out that these “extraordinary levels of data usage” on unlimited plans are actually a lot lower than amounts offered by the tiered plan at the same price.  What does this discrepancy mean?

First, the most current definitions of “throttling” and “data hogs:”

Throttling (verb)

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Siri, 1%, and the Truth About Data Usage

Last week saw two sets of stories tied to a single report that made bombastic assertions about changing mobile data usage patterns.  While the assertions themselves are a bit misleading, they do point to an underlying truth – when using data on the go is easy and useful, people do it.



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Last week saw two sets of stories tied to a single report that made bombastic assertions about changing mobile data usage patterns.  While the assertions themselves are a bit misleading, they do point to an underlying truth – when using data on the go is easy and useful, people do it.
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Last week saw two sets of stories tied to a single report that made bombastic assertions about changing mobile data usage patterns.  While the assertions themselves are a bit misleading, they do point to an underlying truth – when using data on the go is easy and useful, people do it.
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Last week saw two sets of stories tied to a single report that made bombastic assertions about changing mobile data usage patterns.  While the assertions themselves are a bit misleading, they do point to an underlying truth – when using data on the go is easy and useful, people do it.
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CES is Shaped by DC Policy

This week the tech world will descend on Las Vegas for the annual Consumer Electronics Show.  While there is nothing subtle about a 152-inch 3D plasma TV there are plenty of subtle forces coming from DC that shape what you see at shows like CES and at retailers like Amazon and Best Buy.  Here are just four examples.

AllVid or Why Can’t Apple, Google, Microsoft, Roku, and Boxee Boxes Get Cable Channels?



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This week the tech world will descend on Las Vegas for the annual Consumer Electronics Show.  While there is nothing subtle about a 152-inch 3D plasma TV there are plenty of subtle forces coming from DC that shape what you see at shows like CES and at retailers like Amazon and Best Buy.  Here are just four examples.

AllVid or Why Can’t Apple, Google, Microsoft, Roku, and Boxee Boxes Get Cable Channels?
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But don't even consider talking about the easy work-arounds, because the government can go after you for that. Bellow you will find resources on how you can take action as well as our latest blog posts and analysis on the issue. 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This week the tech world will descend on Las Vegas for the annual Consumer Electronics Show.  While there is nothing subtle about a 152-inch 3D plasma TV there are plenty of subtle forces coming from DC that shape what you see at shows like CES and at retailers like Amazon and Best Buy.  Here are just four examples.

AllVid or Why Can’t Apple, Google, Microsoft, Roku, and Boxee Boxes Get Cable Channels?
[#title] => [#description] => [#printed] => 1 ) [#title] => [#description] => [#children] =>

This week the tech world will descend on Las Vegas for the annual Consumer Electronics Show.  While there is nothing subtle about a 152-inch 3D plasma TV there are plenty of subtle forces coming from DC that shape what you see at shows like CES and at retailers like Amazon and Best Buy.  Here are just four examples.

AllVid or Why Can’t Apple, Google, Microsoft, Roku, and Boxee Boxes Get Cable Channels?
[#printed] => 1 ) [links] => Array ( [node_read_more] => Array ( [title] => Read more [href] => node/6514 [attributes] => Array ( [title] => Read the rest of CES is Shaped by DC Policy. ) ) ) )

Public Knowledge Site Helps Consumers Stay Under Wireless Data Caps, Avoid New Charges

Issues: 

Just in time for the National Football League playoffs, Public Knowledge today opened a new Website, http://www.whatismycap.org, to help consumers stay under the usage caps imposed by wireless carriers.  The site is sponsored by PK, Mozilla Foundation and the Open Source Democracy Foundation.

The National Football League (NFL) has announced it would stream this weekend's wildcard games, the Pro Bowl and the Super Bowl to Verizon customers' mobile phones.  What Verizon didn't say, however, is that watching all of those games would exceed the cap on data usage the company has imposed, and would cost customers extra money.

 

4G + Data Caps = Magic Beans

This Public Knowledge whitepaper on data caps is available as a PDF.

For information on your wireless data cap, visit WhatIsMyCap.org.

A special note to all the unpaid family tech support specialists out there …

For years you have been giving advice to your family about what technology to buy and what technology to skip. You have told them that when they are buying a laptop it is worth paying for extra RAM, but that the base hard drive will be fine for holding their holiday photos. You have told them that the five dollar HDMI cable is just as good as the 100 dollar one. You have told them that more megapixels does not always mean a better camera.

Data Caps

Internet data caps are monthly limits on the amount of data you can use over your Internet connection. When an Internet user hits that limit, different network operators engage in different actions, including slowing down data speeds, charging overage fees, and even disconnecting a subscriber. These caps come into play when a user either uploads or downloads data. Caps are most restrictive for wireless Internet access, but wired Internet access providers are also imposing these caps.

Public Knowledge’s Position

Whatever the variation of data cap, they all have the same effect—they discourage the use of the Internet and the innovative applications it spawns.