AT&T Streaming Data Plans (Tilt / 8925)

[Guest Tones@]

Like many of you in the USA, I've been waiting a long time for the AT&T Tilt to come out. Now that it's imminent, I'd thought I'd look at the AT&T data plans to make sure that there is nothing unusual that I haven't considered (I'm currently a Sprint customer). One thing I noticed in ALL of the plan terms for unlimited data, there is an expressed disallowance of STREAMING media. Here's the specific statement taken from there "Plan Terms" for all unlimted data plans (note that the CAPS are AT&T's emphasis, the bold is mine):

"Prohibited and Permissible Uses: Data Service sessions may be conducted only for the following purposes: (i) Internet browsing; (ii) email; and (iii) corporate intranet access (including access to corporate email, customer relationship management, sales force automation, and field service automation applications). PROHIBITED USES INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO, USING SERVICES: (I) WITH SERVER DEVICES OR WITH HOST COMPUTER APPLICATIONS, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, WEB CAMERA POSTS OR BROADCASTS, CONTINUOUS JPEG FILE TRANSFERS, AUTOMATIC DATA FEEDS, TELEMETRY APPLICATIONS, PEER-TO-PEER (P2P) FILE SHARING, AUTOMATED FUNCTIONS OR ANY OTHER MACHINE-TO-MACHINE APPLICATIONS; (II) AS SUBSTITUTE OR BACKUP FOR PRIVATE LINES OR DEDICATED DATA CONNECTIONS; (III) FOR VOICE OVER IP; (IV) IN CONJUNCTION WITH WWAN OR OTHER APPLICATIONS OR DEVICES WHICH AGGREGATE USAGE FROM MULTIPLE SOURCES PRIOR TO TRANSMISSION; (V) USING THE SERVICES FOR ANY ACTIVITY THAT ADVERSELY AFFECTS THE ABILITY OF OTHER PEOPLE OR SYSTEMS TO USE EITHER THE SERVICES OR OTHER PARTIES' INTERNET-BASED RESOURCES INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO EXCESSIVE CONSUMPTION OF NETWORK OR SYSTEM RESOURCES (WHETHER INTENTIONAL OR UNINTENTIONAL) AND "DENIAL OF SERVICE" (DOS) ATTACKS AGAINST ANOTHER NETWORK HOST OR INDIVIDUAL USER; OR (VI) INTERFERENCE WITH OR DISRUPTION OF OTHER NETWORK USERS, NETWORK SERVICES OR NETWORK EQUIPMENT. EXCEPT FOR CONTENT FORMATTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH AT&T'S WIRELESS CONTENT STANDARDS, UNLIMITED PLANS CANNOT BE USED FOR UPLOADING, DOWNLOADING OR STREAMING OF VIDEO CONTENT (E.G. MOVIES, TV), MUSIC OR GAMES. FURTHERMORE, UNLIMITED PLANS (EXCEPT FOR DATACONNECT AND BLACKBERRY TETHERED) CANNOT BE USED FOR ANY APPLICATIONS THAT TETHER THE DEVICE (THROUGH USE OF, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, CONNECTION KITS, OTHER PHONE/PDA-TO-COMPUTER ACCESSORIES, BLUETOOTH® OR ANY OTHER WIRELESS TECHNOLOGY) TO LAPTOPS, PCS, OR OTHER EQUIPMENT FOR ANY PURPOSE."

So, does anyone know if that means you cannot run SLINGBOX on this device under any of the AT&T data plans? This would totally suck. I called and talked to about 5 customer reps at AT&T, but OF COURSE, no one had any clue whatsoever.

Tony

Edited September 19, 2007 by Tones@

[Guest drokkon]

Not that it matters to a Coloradoan like me (we have yet to see 3G), but that's a kind of bummer. I don't own a slingbox, but I do own Vista, and this article excited me: http://www.engadget.com/2007/09/17/microso...edia-center-pcs

Now isn't it downright irritating when you know more about a CS or retail rep's job than he/she does? And I find myself downright irritated all the time.

Yesterday I went into my local AT&T store and there were 6 employees doing absolutely nothing. Asking about the Tilt or 8925 brought nothing but blank stares. Finally a manager asked who makes it, looked up HTC on his computer where, of course, he found no new models. Then he told me that smartphones usually arrive in this "sector" a few months after they land in other places. Say what?!? Colorado Springs may only hover around 500,000 or so, but we're certainly no backwater mountain village! But then, AT&T hasn't even released 3G in Denver yet, so...

(So on another note, is there anyway to find out the 3G rollout schedule for AT&T? I mean without consulting a crystal ball? Will it be here within a few months? Decades? What?)

[Guest borg.cube]

Not that it matters to a Coloradoan like me (we have yet to see 3G), but that's a kind of bummer. I don't own a slingbox, but I do own Vista, and this article excited me: http://www.engadget.com/2007/09/17/microso...edia-center-pcs

Now isn't it downright irritating when you know more about a CS or retail rep's job than he/she does? And I find myself downright irritated all the time.

Yesterday I went into my local AT&T store and there were 6 employees doing absolutely nothing. Asking about the Tilt or 8925 brought nothing but blank stares. Finally a manager asked who makes it, looked up HTC on his computer where, of course, he found no new models. Then he told me that smartphones usually arrive in this "sector" a few months after they land in other places. Say what?!? Colorado Springs may only hover around 500,000 or so, but we're certainly no backwater mountain village! But then, AT&T hasn't even released 3G in Denver yet, so...

(So on another note, is there anyway to find out the 3G rollout schedule for AT&T? I mean without consulting a crystal ball? Will it be here within a few months? Decades? What?)

When I talked to AT&T Premier last week -- it showed up in their computers under the AT&T SKU 64761 but with a stock level of zero. Premier can't sell it until there is a positive stock level. So it looks like everything is in place for it to be released as soon as AT&T corporate says go.

Edited September 20, 2007 by borg.cube

[Guest Tones@]

When I talked to AT&T Premier last week -- it showed up in their computers under the AT&T SKU 64761 but with a stock level of zero. Premier can't sell it until there is a positive stock level. So it looks like everything is in place for it to be released as soon as AT&T corporate says go.

Yea, but what about the unlimited data plan and streaming media?

Tony

[Guest Kchrpm]

I assume it will work, but if your data usage is above a certain level, they'll tell you to switch to a tethered data plan and/or discontinue service or something. In other words, go on and Sling, but if you do it too much they may contact you about it and will have a leg to stand on legally.

Unfortunately I believe wording like this is involved in every providers TOS, some is just harsher and stricter than others (for example Verizon has a hard limit for its unlimited plans, 4 GB).