AT&T may implement speed and data tiers for 4G LTE service

By on Jan 21, 2011 at 12:45 PM
Exclusive January 21, 2011

BGR has learned that AT&T may have plans to offer tiered data services when it launches its Long Term Evolution network later this year. The carrier apparently plans to trial two separate types of tiers alongside its LTE service: speed tiers and data tiers. Speed tiers will provide LTE data service at varying rates of speed depending on the plan a customer selects, similar to land-based broadband services currently offered by ISPs. Data tiers will afford subscribers “data buckets” of varying sizes, similar to the configuration of AT&T’s current data plans.

The carrier may also have plans to give subscribers the option to boost services temporarily for a fee, according to a document provided to BGR. The documents mentions “Top Up Sessions,” which allow users to increase their data allotment for the remainder of a billing cycle, and “Speed Up Sessions,” which will allow subscribers on lower-tier plans to speed up their service for a specific duration. The document does not provide any details in terms of what speeds might be afforded by each tier, nor does it detail how much data will be included with each of the various data bucket sizes. It is also currently unclear how many speed and data bucket options AT&T might intend to offer its LTE subscribers. According to the document, AT&T will begin trials of the aforementioned tiered LTE service plans in May for this year. Hit the jump for an excerpt from the internal AT&T document detailing the tiered data.

Tags:
, , , , ,
94 Comments

Related Articles

  • Gelding55

    This is sorta like cattle being fed more for the kill. You knew this was coming. Verizon will soon follow with an LTE tax or data cap, you know that will happen too. Sprint is looking better everyday, assuming they don’t slaughter their hogs too.

    • Anonymous

      Verizon already has tiered data pricing. Sprint/Clearwire are the only major mobile broadband providers that do not have a data cap or tiered pricing for data.

  • Anonymous

    Wow.. this is really shocking news.

    Next up: Verizon and everyone else.

  • Pauly814

    I think they need to stop trying to hype up 4G so much. I think they think that people are going to go crazy with 4G. My guess is everyone will continue to use their phones as usual.
    Before higher 4G prices and caps, see what happens when you actually launch the service! It might be business as usual, and you might get more money in the end since people might be more willing to get a smartphone with those types of speeds.

  • Fred

    Fu k you AT&T! You money grubbing crap service company. You overcharge for every little detail. I hope verizon crushes you like redbox is crushing blockbuster! YOU SUCK!

    • whoareu

      I bet your mom has a red box.

  • http://twitter.com/ctt1wbw Wayne Williams

    When is this shit going to end? I fucking HATE the word “tiered”. I hope these companies go under because of this.

  • Noemail

    I see it coming already when they release the HTC Inspire 4G they are going to now charge even more than the 30.00 I am already paying now. Hopefully not. But I do want that Inspire

  • http://twitter.com/j_nathaniel Jason

    Is it fair to call them assholes?

  • Anonymous

    LOL, Ok that makes a lot of sense dude.

    http://www.anon-tools.edu.tc

  • Anonymous

    Afee&fee

  • Anonymous

    Well that doesn’t make it right “Retard for Life”… If AT&T can’t do voice and date then don’t do it. Verizon uses a simple system.. IT WORKS. What good is a dual pipe if one or both pipes are not reliable?

    • Blog Retards For Life

      Gee, I don’t know….maybe a little thing called demand & capacity.

      You retard.

      Old networks are “old” because they no longer are capable of supporting the needs of the existing users.

      How stupid can you be.

  • Lance Rhoads

    If you take a speed tier are they going to guarantee it ? This wont work well at all I think.

  • Anonymous

    You know what? I don’t want that “4G” . I want the other “4G”. The mind blowing super-fast HSPA+. The one that AT&T has been spreading so well over the US.
    How could AT&T is talking about LTE when most of its network is EDGE(not even basic HSPA). I just got lucky to be on the East side and grandfathered in.

  • DigitalYout

    Figures, all telco’s care about is the bottom line. They don’t care if you get choppy service in your area or not, they still want the shirt off your back. First it was 3G, now 4G it’s still the same shitty service for some and ok service for others but the same high cost.

  • Tomwnd82

    All too familiar from my 3 year experience as an ATT land line/ DSL customer (victim!). ATT marketing is max ability for a customer to select exactly what they use and pay for. Fine…except when the selected DSL plan consistently failsto deliver the rated speed. With ATT wireless, my cell falls back to EDGE 2.5g speed at countless places around town. LTE had better offer precedent setting performance to justify these new tier plans but I suspect it will be the same biz as usual ATT.

  • http://twitter.com/taficke Tim Ficke

    They should just offer it at $30 for unlimited. Not asking to much, not asking too little. Perfect.

  • CMC

    Consumers getting screwed over yet again. I’d love to applaud this creativity, but really, from this company? Nothing good for the consumer comes out of this company.

  • http://www.voicebyjack.com/blog Jack

    *sigh*
    Try building a nationwide network that works perfectly for *everyone, everywhere*. It’s a tough, expensive job. Carriers spend billions to make this as seamless as possible, and they are in business to make money. If you don’t like the pricing, go elsewhere. If you’re under contract, the changes don’t affect you. Or you can whine.

  • Anonymous

    Whether we like it or not, the phone companies are going to do everything they can do limit our speeds AND limit our data to as little as possible with penalties as high as possible

    We can see it occurring just like that more and more r

  • Mritalian76

    It’s troubling that att is calling hspa+ 4g? But it’s not troubling that tmobile has been doing for sometime now? Ok. Anyway we in the states are way behind in the times and need to get the ball rolling.

  • AnnDroid

    Do these execs sit around just dreaming up ways to screw customers? I am so sick of CAPS!!!!

  • Guest.

    My phone can barely find a 3G signal, and hold it longer then three minutes in an area that supposedly has “great” 3G coverage. I’ve been on AT&T’s EDGE network for the past week and can barely send/receive calls and texts, and they are working on 4G. I think when the Thunderbolt comes out I’m going to verizon. I’m sick of the iPhone, and I can’t deal with the lack of service I get from AT&T.

  • Anonymous

    Dunno, I think I’d be quite happy if they’d just provide me about a meg down and half that up wherever I go…not like I’m hooking my phone up to the xbox or anything. What I’d be scared of is if you buy a ’4G’ phone from them, you’d be required to pay for a more expensive plan. THAT would seriously suck.

  • Anonymous

    The title should be called “Att may screw you a little more”.

  • rusty

    Jeez. The sense of entitlement is sickening. Data caps and tiered pricing are the future for every carrier. Get over it.

1 2
blog comments powered by Disqus