

Jeff Jarvis on AT&T's iPad Bait-and-Switch - dreambird
http://thefastertimes.com/mediaandtech/2010/06/02/atts-ipad-bait-and-switch/

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randall
Sometimes Jeff Jarvis gets a little high and mighty. Realistically, the idea
of an "unlimited data" plan that actually was capped is more evil than a
completely up-front "YOU HAVE 5GBs!" plan. However, that's not what's
happening here.

Can you imagine if a carrier said you have unlimited calling, but that really
meant 1000 minutes? People would FLIP OUT. Primarily because of decades of
minute-by-minute charging from landline carriers had trained us that the way
to measure value of a phone company was a per minute charge.

Internet access was never presented to us that way. Online services were (ZOMG
100 hours of AOL!?!?!?!?) but since we switched to HTTP, we're just used to
unlimited internet. Wireless carriers have adapted by offering seemingly
unlimited plans, but realistically, they hope you don't go over about 5gb of
bandwidth.

In this specific case, I actually applaud AT&T for adopting a more consumer
up-front nature, and making it clear how much overages will cost. Before, if
you went over, it might have cost you dearly. I hope other so-called
"unlimited plans" follow suit and explain exactly how much data you can use
before hitting a cap.

Jarvis doesn't ever note that "unlimited" plans on any carrier aren't ever
unlimited. Ever.

While in principle, I might agree that AT&T needs to upgrade its networks, I
don't agree that this move is patently evil. I think it's basically the
opposite: Refreshingly straightforward.

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runevault
Comparing this to the "unlimited but not" are two different things, because at
one point at&t specifically said the iPad got REAL uncapped data, not the fake
5 Gig unlimited that smart phones get. But the fact that that goes away for
new customers and the like is rather lame.

~~~
randall
I can't speak for AT&T, but this might be a situation where they realized that
real "unlimited" wouldn't actually work because demand outstripped their
predictions. I think the real annoying part is the tethering charge, since it
doesn't actually do anything extra.

I can live with charges that are up front, especially when the network is one
as fraile as AT&Ts. If a competitor were to step forward with a way to use
unlimited (truly) data, ie 4g or the sort, more people would go to them, and
AT&T would look foolish. I think it's just the current state of wireless, and
an indictment of its broken-ness. Massive infrastructure startup, anyone? :)

~~~
ensignavenger
Clearwire seems to be trying. But massive infrastructure costs a lot of money,
and Sprint, one of their primary sources of money, doesn't have it. Their
other partners are dipping their toes in. We shall see what happens.

