Earlier this month we brought you news that AT&T had started throttling the data streams of certain smartphone users. Those who had managed to hang onto AT&T’s now-defunct unlimited data plans were reportedly having their connections throttled after 2.1 gigabytes of data usage per month. This practice raised quite a few eyebrows, since those who still have the unlimited data plan actually pay more per month than those who have the company’s more recent 3 GB data plan. Thanks to the throttling, unlimited users were paying more per month for less data than those who have the 3 GB plan.
Now it looks as though AT&T may have relaxed the throttling a bit. According to recent posts in a discussion forum thread on data throttling, several users with previously throttled connections were reporting that their data speeds had returned to normal. One reported that streaming video and music services were now working as they should, and several posted images from the Speedtest.net app that showed decent 3G connection speeds.
It is unclear whether this apparent relaxation is network wide, only in certain markets, or only with certain users. I sent a message to AT&T asking for clarification, but have not yet received a response.
Throttled data users, have you seen any improvement in your data speeds? Does AT&T have any business throttling the connections of customers who pay for unlimited plans in the first place? Sound off in the comments.