AT&T to count 3G MicroCell usage against customer's data caps

By on Jun 17, 2010 at 5:47 PM
General June 17, 2010

3G-MicroCell-ATT

AT&T may want to be the darling of the US wireless carriers, but some of its policies are seemingly designed to turn a customer into an enemy and not an ally. Such is the case with its 3G MicroCell which is promoted as being a solution for those with cellular coverage issues. For those unaware, the 3G Microcell is a hardware device that lets customers use their broadband Internet connection to make and receive phone calls and, in the case of AT&T’s 3G-enabled MicroCell, to utilize the 3G data capabilities of their phone. On the surface, this sounds like a win-win solution with customers receiving solid 3G cellular coverage and AT&T offering a solution for customers with coverage issues. Unfortunately, AT&T seems destined to shoot itself in its foot by instituting a data usage policy that counts data used through the MicroCell against your cellular data allotment. Seems a bit counter-intuitive that AT&T is charging for data used through the MicroCell when the bulk of the data transmission is carried by your broadband Internet provider, no?

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  • SupremeGeek

    That is bullshit!

  • b00dah

    Ok, now that I’ve had time to enjoy a time-out over dinner, I see their point. You can’t expect to use the MicroCell without regard to your dataplan… nah. But YOU SHOULDN’T PAY ONE RED CENT to have this “integral” piece of equipment in your home. Yeah.. WE pay YOU to provide us with 3+ bars. GTFOH!!!

  • cheech

    IMO i think its a smart move by AT&T, sucks for its customers but smart move. why? well think about it, they have the fastest network but worst in dependability. by doing this they do a few things here. 1, for those who don’t like the new plans they can leave, 2, those that stay will watch there usage and 3 those who over use their data cap get charged up the wazoo. so they lighten up there load and increase there dependability hence keeping their customers who stuck around happy, and at the same time they make a boat load of money on the abusers.

  • Job’s Bitch

    I wish I did not feel the undying need to give Steve a reach around every time he announces what new special item he has designed and built especially for me, because I would drop AT&T.

  • Jeohn

    sometimes the stupidity in these post amaze me…. if you are connect to a 3g microcell you obviously have a broadband connection….. In turn this means you more then likely have a broadband wifi router meaning you can just connect to the router (like you normally would when your at home) and use your FREE non data plan impacting WIFI that you already had before the 3G Micro Cell. Please use your head before you attempt to talk about something you know nothing about! P.S. if you live in the boonies and don’t get service from anyone but ATT and you are complaining that they invented something to solve this issue MOVE! Buy a new house, move and STFU!

    • Jeohn

      P.S.S ATT’s network passes more data then all Carriers in the USA added together again reference CNET!

      • Joe B

        This is in no way remoteley true. Both Verizon AND Sprint processed several billion more MB’s of data over their networks than AT&T did last year. AT&T handling more data over their network due to the Iphone is a myth. Statistics will prove that.

      • Suprdave

        A myth? What statistics?

        Consider this, ATT has TWICE the number of smartphones on their network than Verizon…not to mention the various 3G enabled devices that aren’t considered “phones”.

        Need I mention the proliferation of apps that are available on the most popular smartphone? Most of which use ATT’s 3G network to function.

        Oh, by the way…ATT has the FASTEST 3G network. Period. Say what you will about coverage, but I choose to believe it is getting better.

      • Ray Dull

        Actually you are wrong,between the phones and data cards,verizon and sprint both almost double the amount of data of at&t. and at&t no longer has the fastest 3g network either,tmobile is in the process of rolling out hspa+,and has it in several cities already. this provides 21mbps download and 7.2 upload,at&t maxes out at 7.2mbps down and 2mpbs up. learn how to FACT check.

    • azjunior

      I have to agree with you 100%. Everyone gets excited about nothing. If you have a 3G device that does not have wifi, and you don’t have a data plan on it, why the hell would AT&T build a device that would offer that to you for free???? If you have a device that has wifi, then genius, you already have broadband at home. To another point, if you live out in the sticks, then don’t expect AT&T to spend $500,000 on a cell site to service your $150 – $200 / mo service. If you were the CFO of AT&T you wouldn’t waste the resources on three toothed, mother/aunt having, inbred, food stamp collecting, trailer having, 3rd grade education drop outs.
      That’s probably why you don’t understand that if you already have broadband, you can easily slap a wireless router (apple airport extreme) on your network and surf to your heart’s content.

      • http://justSkate.me netposer

        So I guess Manhattan in NYC is full of a bunch of three-toothed hicks? SF too. Since we all know how great the ATT 3G coverage is in those areas.

      • Joe B

        Thats funny, I wonder why Verizon decided to invest in their network in those less populated areas. Somebody should tell the most popular carrier in the US that deciding to make sure everyone could use their service was a mistake.

      • Suprdave

        And I guess acquisitions had nothing to do with that?

    • Lee

      Well, before going off on people so harshly, perhaps consider that when you are connected to WiFI, as soon as the screen cuts out, the iPhone drops your WiFi connection and jumps right back to 3g. I can sit here all day at home with WiFi and still use 5-10 mb of data just checking email while th ephone sists there untouched, when the WiFi is just broadcasting away, begging to be used. Only when the phone is powered up, does it stay on WiFi.

      Go ahead, the next time you are home, reset your data stats and leave the phone sitting for an hour or two, then come back and tell people how stupid and keep jumping them for talking about things that they “know nothing about.”

      • Ray Dull

        if your phone is jailbroken,install insomnia,it will keep wifi on.

  • JR

    Just another reason that I left ATT just two weeks ago. I tried the Iphone 3GS for one year. Got tired of dropped calls, poor reception, and poor battery life. The last two months the service has deteriorated. When I complained to ATT, they told me I could purchase a MicroCell for $150.
    I ended up selling my Iphone on Craigslist, paid my ETF, and headed to Sprint. Now I have a Blackberry 9650 with great reception, great battery life, and it works! I don’t have the “cool” phone, but at least I can use it.
    I loved the Iphone, but ATT disappointed me.

  • Tyler

    all these people complain about how bad att is but they have only tried the iphone that’s the problem i think. If you read around on all the websites that talk about att’s network, all the people that have problems either have an iphone or they live in san francisco or new york city. I have been with att for a year and a half using a samsung blackjack 2 and i have never ever had a problem with dropped calls or slow data i live in wichita ks.

    • Dan

      I agree. I have been on ATT for many years. Most of those years I have used a Blackberry and experienced very few dropped calls. The phone really makes a difference.

    • Ray Dull

      I’m in burgettstown,pa a town pretty much in the middle of farm lands,and I have 4/5 bars and I cannot make a call about 3 in 5 times I try. it will sit at connecting for about 30 seconds and then say call lost,call duration 0:00,this has happened with an original iPhone,an iPhone 3g,a samsung sgh-a437,a motorola cliq xt,a nokia 6301,and a motorola v195. it is definately not the device’s fault,it’s the network.

  • El Marko

    Further proof the mobile carriers hate their customers and think we’re morons who will cough up money for nothing.

    And, it’s further proof the one of the few courses of action remaining to those who need to use a cell phone is to buy an unbranded phone – one with wifi capability and the ability to support VOIP and as many other disruptive technologies as the user may desire.

  • JHUK

    Can somebody answer a question for me please. If I live in the UK and have relatives that visit me from the US can they bring their microcell with them, plug it into my network and use it to make calls over ATT and avoid roaming charges when they are in range of the Microcell

    • robert

      No, it has built in gps to limit it to the US

    • http://justSkate.me netposer

      If you can convince ATT to override your GPS (hard code your address in the system) then maybe that will work.

      In my building I can’t get a GPS lock so ATT dis some tweaking on their end to bypass the GPS requirement.

      • JHUK

        Cool thanks for info

    • att h8tr

      no they wouldnt be able to do that because that microcell has also a gps and it detects the location of where it is before it can be used

      • att h8tr

        nevermind my last post wasnt aware att could override the gps requirement

  • DigDug

    AT&T who the hel* is running your “business?” The crap keeps flying. This is one customer that will bolt to Sprint/VZW/TMO the NANOsecond there is a iPhone with them. I doubt I will be alone.

    PS: Service in NYC still sucks as much as ever. Maybe you could subcontract with VZW to put some towers up for you in Manhattan?

    • iFlossâ„¢

      And yes at&t sucks in new york. My best friend has the bb bold and never takes it out when we need to search for something (I have a touch pro2 t-mo) and no matter what their charts say I could never accept that AT&T has a “better/faster 3G network than t-mo”

      The real time comparisons are too different when compared to another phone (same or different model)

    • Ray Dull

      just go out and buy any iPhone other than the iPhone 4,all previous iPhones can be unlocked,just go to blog.iPhone-dev.org to find out how,it’s free and very simple.

  • Shotinthenads

    EFF U AT&T

  • iFlossâ„¢

    One of my best friends already came to me asking me if he should switch his iPhone to the Sprint EVO. I told him that sprint’s 4G is not that serious yet the phone could contend with the iphone 4 and even be considered better than the iphone 4 (Let’s face it, Android has surpassed iOS).

    Truth is this isn’t going to help their customer base. This is too much, they’re going to be hit with an anti-trust suit soon enough. Because a part of me feels like this is a monopoly scheme.

    Let’s go T-MO AND SPRINT! >:O woooo xD

  • omtradelaw

    if all you do is buy the cell tower it only helps reception. If you pay 20 for a feature, you get unlimited data and calls. if the call start while at home, even if you leave tyhe range and transfers to another tower the minutes do not count against your plan minuyes. FYI

  • lpze

    This is probably the biggest waste of time I’ve spent on a post! If you use data that much and you have a standard flip phone or a non smartphone, then you really only had one option for data if you planned to use it in the real world… the $15 data plan! THAT’S AN UNLIMITED USE PLAN! If you’re a cheap a$$ and didn’t want to pay for the data then your cheap enough to simply use your computer to surf the web while you are AT HOME!

    You can connect the 3G microcell to your home router and still connect a wi-fi capable smartphone to the router as well! Get over it people!

  • Nelson

    How does this affect the Unlimited Data plan that I kept?

  • It doesn’t really matter

    If you are at home with your broadband internet connection running your 3G microcell… Why wouldn’t you just long onto your FASTER WiFi? No data usage is calculated against your monthly cap and again… your connection is faster than 3G!

    • I AGREE

      @It doesn’t really matter….I totally AGREE with you. I guess people aren’t really happy unless they have something to b*tch about, no matter how trivial and inconsequential it is.

  • mf

    I have zero bars on my phone. The nearest tower is 8 miles away. I complained to AT&T. I was going to switch to Verizon. They gave me a credit of $150 on my bill so I can now purchase the 3G microcell. I will give it a try. If it doesn’t work, I will cancel and switch.

    • mf

      PS> Customer Service was terrific. They really helped me.

  • http://nsayer.blogspot.com Nick

    We’ve had a microcell since they were made available in our area (Bay Area). We’ve had all sorts of problems with it.

    1. There’s a third- to half-second of extra latency on all the calls you make over it.

    2. Something like 20% of the time when you attempt to place a call, it fails immediately, and you must redial.

    3. Many calls will have periods of time where the calling party will sound like they’re speaking in tongues.

    And the last straw…

    4. Of late, many calls get routed straight to voicemail.

    AT&T had been field-testing these for two years before they were finally released, and they still don’t work.

  • Davidam60

    This is a huge scam people!!! why do you think they made the micro sim ipad and iphone4? to prevent other carriers to use their sim cards in this phone and bullshit you! (fortunately they fail) go to simple mobile or tmobile (simplemobile is tmobile) (usa) jailbreak it! i think you should go to virgin mobile, boost mobile, sprint (not verizon their gona have a data cap on soon too bullshit!) cricket wireless, metropcs, alltel, any other carrier that does not bullshit your loyalty.

  • http://www.3gmicrocellsucks.com Nick

    We’ve had so many problems with our 3G microcell, and had such an incredibly bad experience with AT&T support on the matter that I’ve registered 3gmicrocellsucks.com and put a message up outlining my experience.

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