∞ AT&T screwing its wireless customers again

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Okay, we all know that AT&T’s wireless service is not very good in many areas of the U.S., so they have come up with a way for customers to improve that. They will sell you a Micro-Cell for $150, which basically fills in coverage gaps of its service. However, the Micro-Cell uses your broadband connection, which you pay for separately, to get to the Micro-Cell.

It’s counting any mobile data you use — over the 3G Micro-Cell, over YOUR broadband connection — toward your monthly AT&T wireless bandwidth cap and overage fees.

For AT&T to charge its wireless customers a second time for bandwidth that they’re already paying their broadband company for is highway robbery and just plain insulting. In reality, AT&T should be paying YOU for the bandwidth it’s borrowing to make up for the fact that it can’t build out its wireless network fast enough.

Here’s The Latest Way AT&T Is Screwing Its Wireless Customers [Business Insider]


  • Michael

    AT&T will take a lot of heat over this. Talk about double dipping! o.0

    • http://intensedebate.com/people/jdalrymple Jim Dalrymple

      I agree, but it doesn't seem to stop them.

  • Jeff

    I you have broadband at home, I would assume you have wifi and would never use the 3G for data, only for making/receiving calls. I don't think this will be much of a problem for most people.

    • http://mangochut.net mangochutney

      You're right, but it doesn't make it less wrong.

  • Ian

    Jim,

    I have an AT&T 3G Microcell and although you have to connect the Microcell to a broadband modem, you are still using the data on AT&T's 3G network. This is why data is not free. Although I understand your point on data usage, I think there are other important issues to address.

    First, customers are having to pay an additional hefty premium ($150) to AT&T for AT&T's coverage issues. If AT&T had good coverage in the first place, there would not be the need for a 3G Microcell. This really bothers me. It also bothers me that they are charging so much.

    Second, I bought a 3G tower that will be obsolete* in Q2 2011 when AT&T launches 4G (LTE). AT&T has verified they have no obligation to refund or exchange the device when they launch their new network.

    Third, the 3G Microcell is not perfect. Users will notice that for the most part, 5 bars of coverage will be displayed on their phone when on the M-Cell network. However, I have found that there are still issues of voice and data quality. If someone is walking around their house with a 3G Microcell on a phone-call, on most occasions the voice quality is interrupted with choppy communication. 3G data speeds are also very slow. I have an iPhone and I have used speed test apps that have demonstrated the Microcell device have poor download/upload speeds. Therefore when I am home, I am forced to be on 3G + WiFi (I have a wireless router) which, as you know, decreases my battery life on my iPhone.

    Thanks for the post. This is a new device AT&T has launched and hopefully AT&T can work on improving the Microcell for there early-believer customers.

    *AT&T has confirmed that 4G devices should be backwards compatible. Therefore the 3G Microcell's will work with future devices. However, customers will not receive higher speeds included in the new 4G network.

  • http://www.greenworldinvestor.com Abhishek

    Utilities the world over continue to screw their customers as the switching costs are so high that it is not worth the effort.In India telecom operators routinely enable Value Added Services for even their poor,illiterate customers without permission and continue to charge them for a service they don't know about

  • http://intensedebate.com/profiles/kast5089 Josh Rhoderick

    This is not unique to AT&T. Verizon and Sprint do this too. Look here: http://www.rhoderick.org/2010/06/outrage-at-atts-…

  • http://www.facebook.com/mike.mckaigg Mike McKaigg

    I just talked to someone at the local AT&T store about this yesterday. I live in an area where no matter who your carrier is, cell phone coverage is next to nothing. For the MicroCell as it was explained to me, it’s $150 for the unit with no plan and no extra monthly fees or $99 with a $20 a month plan. Since I’m already an AT&T customer, they said my normal minutes would apply.