AT&T (T) Gets Closer to 'Unlimited' Data for Legacy Accounts

AT&T (NYSE: T) is nearing actual unlimited data for its unlimited data plans.

CNET noted that AT&T would begin throttling accounts that used more than 4- or 5-GB of data in a billing cycle. That limited has been bumped up to 22-GB.

The following was posted to the company's website on Wednesday:

Info for smartphone customers with legacy unlimited data plans
Do you have an unlimited data plan? If so, we have information to help you manage your account.

To provide the best possible user experience for all of our customers, AT&T has established certain network management practices.

In line with common industry standards, our network management practices assure that our network resources are used for the benefit of all our mobile broadband customers especially during periods when network demand exceeds available network resources (also known as "congestion").

As you would expect, these network management practices have continued to evolve over time to benefit our customers and take advantage of the billions we have spent to expand and augment our networks. As a result of this evolution, we recently revised our practices such that Unlimited Data Plan smartphone customers can now use 22GB of high-speed data during a billing period before becoming subject to network management practices that might result in reduced data speeds and increased latency.

As always, Unlimited Data Plan smartphone customers will still have the comfort of knowing that, no matter how much data they use in a billing cycle, they will continue to pay a single monthly flat rate. That is the essential promise of the Unlimited Data Plan, and we are pleased to continue honoring that promise. Further, speed reductions will occur only when the customer is using his or her device at times and in areas where there is network congestion and only for the remainder of the current billing cycle after the customer has exceeded the 22GB data usage threshold.

We will notify customers during each billing cycle when their data usage reaches 16.5GB (75% of 22GB) so they can adjust their usage to avoid network management practices that may result in slower data speeds.

Reduced speeds and increased latency may cause websites to load more slowly or affect the performance of data-heavy activities such as video streaming or interactive gaming. The degree of reduced speeds and increased latency will vary depending on the amount of congestion. Congestion can start and stop over a very short time period (often measured in fractions of a second), further minimizing customer impact.

Because the amount of congestion at a cell site can vary significantly, the performance impact for affected unlimited data plan customers may also vary significantly. Standard speeds and latency will resume once the cell cite is no longer congested, or the customer's data session moves to an uncongested cell site. In addition, speeds and latency will return to normal at the start of the customer's next billing cycle.

Customers on tiered data or Mobile Share plans are not subject to these network management practices. Likewise, when customers are using Wi-Fi, they are not subject to these network management practices. Wi-Fi usage does not count against the customer's 22GB data usage threshold.

Learn more about unlimited data plans and reduced speeds

Managing your data usage is easy. Check your data usage anytime by dialing *data# from your smartphone.

If you have one of our Mobile Share® plans or our tiered data plans, this information does not affect you.

Learn more about our Mobile Share Value plans with Unlimited Talk and Text.

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