Watch out AT&T: Operation Chokehold is coming

by Michael Grothaus (RSS feed) on Dec 15th 2009 at 7:45AM

After Ralph de la Vega, chief executive of AT&T Mobility, stated earlier this week that he wants iPhone users to limit their data usage the web exploded with anger. The New York Times sided with AT&T, but others thought that was bogus. Now Fake Steve Jobs is getting in on the action. Fake Steve is telling iPhone users to go crazy with their data usage this Friday, December 18, to teach De La Vega a lesson in for trying to stifle his customers contract-given-rights for unlimited data usage.

Subject: Operation Chokehold On Friday, December 18, at noon Pacific time, we will attempt to overwhelm the AT&T data network and bring it to its knees. The goal is to have every iPhone user (or as many as we can) turn on a data intensive app and run that app for one solid hour. Send the message to AT&T that we are sick of their substandard network and sick of their abusive comments. The idea is we'll create a digital flash mob. We're calling it in Operation Chokehold. Join us and speak truth to power!

I'm in the UK where we have multiple providers to choose from (as many countries do), but I can understand the frustration US users have with being limited to only one carrier with poor network performance and then being lectured about their data usage. So TUAW readers. What's it gonna be? You going to do a little choking come Friday? Watch out AT&T: Operation Chokehold is coming (16 December 2009)

http://www.tuaw.com/2009/12/15/watch- ... tion-chokehold-is-coming/

Guess I don't get out much, first I've heard of it.
I'll be happy when they take note from other companies and reduce their plans. Other people I know on other networks who use similar phones with similar apps, etc., have the same plan as I do for half the price.

Maybe I'm missing something here, but what do these AT&T users expect to achieve by overwhelming the network?

Crash it and then bitch about it? Incur more costs to AT&T? It was never designed for everyone to download at the same time. Kinda like the plumbing in your neighborhood wasn't designed for everyone to flush at the same time.

If they want AT&T to provide more infrastructure, it's going to show up on their bill.

Vote with your wallet.

AT&T promised the world when it signed the contract with Apple. Nobody bitches about the iPhone. It's the service issues with AT&T. The combination of dropped calls, lack of coverage outside of large metropolitan cities. When you sign the contract you are not told any of this. One of things you were promised was unlimited download. Now you signed a contract, and now they want to change it on you because they did not realize there was going to be a problem.

Screw AT&T, and well all cell phone companies as well.

On top of all that, here in Jonesboro, when the newer iPhone model came out, your bill went up $5. Mine didn't as I still have my original one. But I asked when I thought about upgrading why the extra $5 cost? I was told it was because the way the phone operates, net based and it costs more. Something about the 3-G stuff. BUT - We are still on the old Edge network here - we dont' even have 3-G but those here that purchased iPhones and plans after the original have to pay the extra fee anyway.

I'M IN!!!


But I have verizon...






Suck my map!!

There were rumors a while back that apple is considering going with verizon. I don't know as I don't have or want an iphone. But we'll be switching from att to verizon in March when our contract runs out because att's service sucks.

Matthew

I'm waiting to get an iPhone. I want to see if their contract with AT&T ends and they open the phone to any provider that can offer 3-G speed internet.

Either that or I'll get a phone like a Blackberry Storm II that has WiFi. Maybe an HTC Touch?

Im still using a phone that will only do basic text messages and voice calls. Id still be on analog if i could!! We havent had analog phones here since September 2000, they were slowly phazed out starting in the cities from about late 1996. Since 2000, everything has been GSM digital which kicked off over here in about 1992, up til about 18 months or more ago when the 3G network was switched on.

I love my iPhone, problem with switching from ATT here is that virtually everyone here uses ATT. It's the best for this area so far. And if I used a different network, I'd have to pick a very high minute plan as I would not have the benefit of mobile to mobile like I do now.

If you were in Australia, and you wanted all that rubish, it would cost you around $30-$99 AUD a month. Some people love it, i just cant justify that kind of money for something you can easily live without. Could pay off alot of debt with that kind of money!!

I currently pay $10 a month, for that, i get the first $25 worth of calls and SMS for free, and my call rate is 10cents per 60 seconds with no flag fall. Bargain ;)

The last phone plan I paid for was T-mobile, and I didn't have any contract. I would never buy into a phone contract if there's a chance I'll change my mind later. They give you incentives to lock you in. They want 2-year contracts now, and buy exclusive rights to the iPhone. And it works.

People paying for shit they don't use is what makes your fixed rate plan/gym membership/car insurance cheaper.

If those 3% of people using a crapload of data were charged per usage, the service could actually be cheaper for the other 97% of the customers. That 97% should be welcoming usage-based billing from AT&T.

I agree with that mate yes, as far as i know over here they are all usage based, pay a certain amount to have a certain limit, pay abit more and get abit more etc...