> …You may also consider switching to a tiered data plan if speed is more important to you [...] Customers on tiered plans can pay for more data if they need it, and will not see reduced speeds. (from the blog post)
That's why. AT&T has shown that nearly every move they make is for the sole purpose of squeezing out all the money they can from their users.
In this case the problem is that they offered an unlimited plan and then did stick with their offer.
It is unconscionable that wireless communication, which is fast becoming a necessity, amounts to a $100/month/person tax on the citizens of this country, payable to the corrupt interests of two or three companies. The government has laws to prevent this, they should be enforced.
I pay for my and my SO's cell service. The combined bill is 55$/mo. That includes unlimited calls, unlimited txts, and for the time being 20k/s data bandwidth. Note that I did not pay extra for the data.
And yes, I'm within the US, using a division of T-Mo.
Of course, customer switching is less likely for service providers where there are real barriers in place that effectively prevent users from actively doing so (e.g., coverage issues, other networks with similar policies, etc)
It's the whole "yeah, we're taking advantage of you, but it's not like you have any other real options here, so sit back and like it." thing that just makes me sad.