After previously saying they'd only back off of Facetime restrictions for some users, AT&T quietly this week started letting everyone -- including grandfathered unlimited iPhone users -- use the feature they paid for. Originally, AT&T only allowed users to use Facetime over Wi-Fi. Then, they allowed Facetime over cellular, but only if users signed up for their new shared data plan with its $15 per gigabyte overage fees. Earlier this month AT&T announced they'd be easing off those restrictions and letting anyone on a capped data plan -- but not grandfathered unlimited users -- use Factime.

Now, AT&T appears to be yet again changing their position, letting some of their grandfathered unlimited users use Facetime in what's a total (though perhaps accidental) turnaround from what many believe was an anti-competitive and ridiculous original position to begin with:We've seen some users on Twitter however who say Facetime over Cellular still isn't working for them. I've asked AT&T for their official position and to confirm that this is not an accidental change.

The company's Facetime shenanigans have been criticized heavily by consumer advocate groups, who insisted AT&T was violating the FCC's rather meek network neutrality rules by prohibiting what applications end users could use. AT&T tried to argue that what they were doing was within the confines of the rules, insisting that it's fine for the carrier to tinker or block applications -- provided it was pre-loaded on a device.

That defense was seen as a rather flimsy one by consumer advocates, who pointed out the FCC's rules include no such caveats. Nearly six months later and AT&T appears to have reconsidered the legal bedrock they believed they were standing on.