Hasta La Gadget!

Well, it’s no secret that AT&T ruffled some feathers with its decision to make FaceTime over cellular available only to those on shared data plans. After what we can only assume was some deep soul searching, the carrier has shifted gears… a little. Now you’ll be able to fire up the video chat app on your iOS 6 device over LTE, so long as you’re on one of the new tiered data plans. If you’re still rockin’ one of those unlimited data plans — or if you’re unable to hop onto LTE due to device choice or locale — you’re still out of luck. The company explained the decision to initially limit the availability of the feature was due to the number of iPhones on its network. In other words, it didn’t think its infrastructure was ready to handle a sudden surge of video calls. FaceTime over cellular will slowly become available to those on Ma Bell’s tiered data plans over the next eight to ten weeks. For a few more details, check out the PR after the break.

Update: AT&T tells us that you don’t need to be actively using LTE, just have a device that supports it. That’s an odd way to partition customers, although it does mean that there’s more of a safety net for areas where LTE isn’t widespread.

Continue reading AT&T decides to offer FaceTime over cellular, but only on LTE devices with tiered data plans (update: sometimes on 3G)

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, Apple, AT&T

AT&T decides to offer FaceTime over cellular, but only on LTE devices with tiered data plans (update: sometimes on 3G) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 08 Nov 2012 14:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Well, at least no one can blame AT&T for dodging the core issue any longer. After watching Verizon Wireless snag satisfaction crown after satisfaction crown from AT&T over the years, it seems that the latter is finally using a highly defensive blog post on the issue of FaceTime over cellular in order to cop to what we’ve all known: AT&T’s network is in no shape to handle the glut of devices currently running on it. After being taken by storm in 2007 with the iPhone, AT&T has been racing to right the supply / demand curve, and it came to a head once more last week when the operator announced that only Mobile Share users would be able to use FaceTime over its 3G / 4G airwaves once iOS 6 hit. Naturally, pundits were quick to slam the company for implementing a policy that nudges existing users with grandfathered unlimited data plans to slide up to a plan that’s potentially less awesome, but a lengthy letter on AT&T’s Public Policy Blog lays out the real reason.

The company makes clear that the decision to limit FaceTime over cellular to Mobile Share customers does not violate the FCC’s net neutrality rules — after all, it’s being decidedly transparent about the frowned-upon choice — nor does it cross the line on any “blocking” issues. Its argument is simple: it’s not blocking you from using any video chat application you want, but it is exercising its right to manage the doors through which all chat applications can and can’t be used. The money quote is here: “We are broadening our customers’ ability to use the preloaded version of FaceTime but limiting it in this manner to our newly developed AT&T Mobile Share data plans out of an overriding concern for the impact this expansion may have on our network and the overall customer experience.” Despite our scorn, we’re halfway glad the policy is in place — after all, how would you feel if you couldn’t load a vital email because everyone else on the block was chatting with their mum about chimera cats on FaceTime? Rock, meet hard place.

Filed under: Cellphones

AT&T confesses: its network couldn’t handle unchecked FaceTime over cellular originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Aug 2012 10:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson has responded to rumors that Ma Bell plans to add an additional levy upon those planning to use FaceTime over cellular. Speaking at the Fortune Brainstorm conference, he’s quoted as saying that he “heard the same rumor,” but that it was “too early to talk about pricing.” Of course, given that response, it looks like the company has at least been mulling an additional levy for the feature. At present, he says his primary focus is to work with Apple on ensuring the video calling technology works smoothly across his company’s data network, with iOS 6 due to arrive later this year.

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless

AT&T CEO responds to paid 3G FaceTime rumor, says it’s ‘too early’ to talk pricing originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 Jul 2012 06:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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