In a further testament to AT&T’s greed, anti-consumerism and the inadequacy of their cellular network, it appears AT&T may begin throttling the download speeds of their network’s top data users in early October. Conveniently, this is occurring right around the time that the iPhone 5 will likely hit their network.
Although AT&T isn’t the first major US player to begin throttling its customers (see this notice from Verizon), this doesn’t diminish the hideous nature of their action – gratuitously overcharging for a service while simultaneously imposing ridiculous restrictions on its use.
This move is very likely a response to the expected surge in data usage that will come following the iPhone 5’s public release, which raises questions in my mind as to why AT&T just can’t ever seem to actually be ready for new devices when they arrive.
The question I can’t help but ask here is why AT&T, with their vast resources, huge profit margins and increasingly diminishing level of service, cannot simply invest a bit of their massive cash horde in actually making sure their network is ready for new devices (upgrading towers, installing new towers, bolstering their network, etc) rather than crippling their customers to address the problem?
Let’s not forget that this is the same AT&T that epically failed expectations in its ability to handle the original iPhone in their many years of being the device’s exclusive carrier.
It’s also been rumored that AT&T will be adjusting (increasing, to be sure) the price of their smartphone insurance around this time as well, increasing suspicions that a big new device will be hitting their network by early October.
