AT&T's congestion magically disappears when it's signing up new customers
Unlimited plans throttled after 5GB, but AT&T gives new lines 100GB unthrottled.
by Jon Brodkin
AT&T yesterday began offering "double the data for the same price" to new customers and existing customers who sign new contracts, apparently forgetting that its network is so congested that speeds must be throttled when people use too much data.
Like other carriers, AT&T slows the speeds of certain users when the network is congested. Such network management is a necessary evil that can benefit the majority of customers when used to ensure that everyone can connect to the network. But as Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler has argued, the carriers' selective enforcement of throttling shows that it can also be used to boost revenue by pushing subscribers onto pricier plans.
-or-