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Bassistguy
Alrighty Then
Premium Member
join:2001-07-14
Ballwin, MO

Bassistguy

Premium Member

Skype?

I'm not sure what phones Skype is available on, but I'd almost guarantee that's their reasoning for ditching the unlimited plan. You completely bypass your available minutes and use Skype on the unlimited data plan, essentially getting unlimited calls.

Morac
Cat god
join:2001-08-30
Riverside, NJ

Morac

Member

said by Bassistguy:

I'm not sure what phones Skype is available on, but I'd almost guarantee that's their reasoning for ditching the unlimited plan. You completely bypass your available minutes and use Skype on the unlimited data plan, essentially getting unlimited calls.
Skype uses a minute amount of data. Even if you used Skype 24/7 I doubt you could hit the 2 GB cap.

Now video streamers on the other hand...
Chubbysumo
join:2009-12-01
Duluth, MN
Ubee E31U2V1
(Software) pfSense
Netgear WNR3500L

Chubbysumo

Member

Skype uses a ton of data, just as much as a call. Calls over att are no longer over a "voice" network, they are just more data in the pot. Smart phone plans on AT&T have NEVER been unlimited. Read the fine print in your agreement, and it states that the you are on a $30 per month Unlimited* plan. That little asterisk means that there is a catch to unlimited. This catch was a data cap of 5gb per month. The reason AT&T has not enabled tethering yet is because in OS3, there is no way for them so separate what data is from the phone, and what data is from the tethered laptop or computer, it all looks the same to their systems. I personally have been running a hack that allows me to tether, and there has been no repercussions, because there is no way for att to tell the difference, and as long as I stay under that 5GB per month cap, i'm fine. My guess is that they will force all IPHONE customers to go to OS4 or else face being disconnected.

Morac
Cat god
join:2001-08-30
Riverside, NJ

Morac

Member

Skype uses 64 kbps for audio over 3G. You'd need to make 4369 minutes worth of 3G Skype calls to hit 2 GB.

Also there are hacks that currently work for the OS4 beta. Assuming they aren't fixed by release, forcing an upgrade to OS4 won't make a difference.

Other than for greed, I really don't know why AT&T cares how much data is being transferred by phone versus by tether. In the end it makes no difference since it's all going over their network anyway. Basically AT&T is charging extra for no real reason.
MyDogHsFleas
Premium Member
join:2007-08-15
Austin, TX

MyDogHsFleas to Chubbysumo

Premium Member

to Chubbysumo
said by Chubbysumo:

Skype uses a ton of data, just as much as a call. Calls over att are no longer over a "voice" network, they are just more data in the pot. Smart phone plans on AT&T have NEVER been unlimited. Read the fine print in your agreement, and it states that the you are on a $30 per month Unlimited* plan. That little asterisk means that there is a catch to unlimited. This catch was a data cap of 5gb per month.
This is simply untrue. The iPhone and smartphone data plans are not capped. They are only capped if you tether.

I challenge you to show me where in the "fine print" it says there is a 5GB cap for non-tethering data access from a smartphone unlimited plan.
lqrisquicker
join:2010-01-21
Glens Falls, NY

lqrisquicker to Bassistguy

Member

to Bassistguy
absolutely, there is no cap, im on a plan with 4 other people with iphones, most of use dont use much data, however my one friend usings tethering as the man connection for his laptop, ive seen him over 5gb often, and never have we been charged an overage. and it all appears as iphone data, no idea its tethered.