AT&T to Reduce Speeds for Top 5% Data Eating Users

Mobile phone carrier AT&T has just announced that it planned on slowing the speeds that its top 5 percent data eating users benefit from, a move that will be performed as soon as October 1st is here.

According to the wireless carrier, these users ear far more data than an average smartphone user on its airwaves, and this is the main reason that drove to this decision.

At the same time, the carrier notes that data usage on its network has been growing fast, and that this measure is meant to address shortcomings such as the need for additional network capacity to meet demand for data traffic.

“One new measure is a step that may reduce the data throughput speed experienced by a very small minority of smartphone customers who are on unlimited plans – those whose extraordinary level of data usage puts them in the top 5 percent of our heaviest data users in a billing period,” AT&T notes.

“In fact, these customers on average use 12 times more data than the average of all other smartphone data customers. This step will not apply to our 15 million smartphone customers on a tiered data plan or the vast majority of smartphone customers who still have unlimited data plans.”

Those smartphone users who have an unlimited data plan might see significant reductions in speeds when reaching the amount of eaten data that puts them in the top 5 users.

Of course, the usual speeds will be back when the next month begins, AT&T notes, adding that users affected by this will also receive multiple notices on the matter, including a grace period.

The rest of the wireless carrier's customers will not be impacted by this, at least not in a bad way. Through this measure, the carrier plans on improving the experience that users receive from their devices.

“Starting October 1, smartphone customers with unlimited data plans may experience reduced speeds once their usage in a billing cycle reaches the level that puts them among the top 5 percent of heaviest data users,” the carrier notes.

“The amount of data usage of our top 5 percent of heaviest users varies from month to month, based on the usage of others and the ever-increasing demand for mobile broadband services. To rank among the top 5 percent, you have to use an extraordinary amount of data in a single billing period.”

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