AT & T with elimination of packet flat rate, this time to limit the communication speed of some users

ByYutaka Tsutano

AT & T which abolished the packet flat rate plan in June last year due to an increase in trafficHas been shown to limit the communication speed of existing users.

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According to the announcement posted on AT & T's official website, the company is introducing a communication speed limit for users who had subscribed to the packet flat-rate plan before June last year when stopping new acceptance of packet flat-rate plans .

This is due to the fact that mobile phone companies face increasing crisis data traffic volume, and since October 1, we have subscribed to the packet flat rate plan, heavy traffic volume is entering the top 5% It sometimes restricts the communication speed of users. It is said that restricted communication speed will be recovered at the next month's billing.

Regarding the amount of traffic to be subject to regulation, AT & T "basically changes thousands of e-mails every month, browses thousands of pages, although it changes according to the total traffic volume of the month, Even if you use time streaming video service, it will not be subject to regulation. "

Conversely, as a typical example to be subject to regulation, users who streaming very many videos and music every day, users who continue to deliver moving pictures shot using the web camera application etc. in real time, and play some online games We list users who are going to do.

This year, AT & T has invested billions of dollars to expand network capacity, and this measure is a means to prevent the network from being overcrowded. Users who feel troubled if communication speed goes down are urged to use the wireless LAN spot that AT & T offers free of charge, or to contract a metered billing plan introduced instead of a packet flat rate plan.

In Japan, mobile phone companies have already restricted bandwidth to heavy users,Only the "UQ WiMAX" developed by UQ Communications that does not have band limitationAlthough it is,SOFTBANK MOBILE Corp. accounts for 2% of users' trafficEven considering the example, it may be unavoidable that communication speed limitation will be put in order to maintain the packet flat rate plan.