AT&T defends plan to block 3G FaceTime for non-Mobile Share customers
In a post to the carrier's public policy blog, AT&T representative Bob Quinn characterized criticism of the carrier's decision as a "knee jerk reaction" in which some have "rushed to judgment." The Federal Communication Commission's net neutrality rules require that carrier policies be transparent, and prohibits carriers from blocking services that compete with their own.
Because AT&T does not have a "similar preloaded video chat app" to compete with Apple's FaceTime, Quinn said the carrier believes it is not in violation of the FCC's rules on blocking applications.
"The FCC's net neutrality rules do not regulate the availability to customers of applications that are preloaded on phones," Quinn wrote. "Indeed, the rules do not require that providers make available any preloaded apps. Rather, they address whether customers are able to download apps that compete without voice or video telephony services."
Quinn said AT&T still allows users to download video chat applications from the iOS App Store and other mobile application stores. Apple's FaceTime, however, comes built in to the iOS mobile operating system on the iPhone.
"Although the rules don't require it, some preloaded apps are available without charge on phones sold by AT&T, including FaceTime, but subject to some reasonable restrictions," Quinn said. "To date, all of the preloaded video chat applications on the phones we sell, including FaceTime, have been limited to Wi-Fi."
Starting with the launch of iOS 6 this fall, the iPhone 4S will be capable of making FaceTime calls over 3G wireless networks. But AT&T announced last week that FaceTime calls over 3G will only be available to customers who sign up for the carrier's upcoming Mobile Share data plans.
"To be clear, customers will continue to be able to use FaceTime over Wi-Fi irrespective of the data plan they choose," Quinn said. "We are broadening our customers' ability to use the preloaded version of FaceTime but limiting it in this manner to our newly developed AT&T Mobile Share data plans out of an overriding concern for the impact this expansion may have on our network and the overall customer experience."
He added that AT&T will be in a "learning mode" following the launch of iOS 6 to see the kind of effect FaceTime over 3G has on AT&T's network.
AT&T's Mobile Share plans launch later this month start at a monthly price of $45 per smartphone, plus $40 for 1 gigabyte of data. The more data a subscriber adds to their plan, the less the cost per gigabyte and the cost per additional smartphone. For example, a 4-gigabyte plan with unlimited talk and text has a base price of $70, plus $40 for each smartphone.
141 Comments
What is Verizon's position? Are they supporting Facetime on umlimited plans? I thought Verizon is forcing all customers to their own tiered plans?
As far as I know Verizon is only forcing you to a shared plan if you want to get the subsidized price on the phone. So if I decide to pay full retail for the new iPhone when it comes out I can keep my unlimited data package. I haven't seen them say anything about facetime over cellular yet though.
As far as this goes, whoever this guy at AT&T is he is an idiot. How does the facetime feature being built into the phone have anythign to do with this. The fact is if you use Skype you'll be able to keep using it without changing your data plan, if you use Facetime you'll have to change to the new data plan. That is rediculous. Seems like they are just doing this because Apple has made it easy for them to do. Wonder if they'll do the same thing with tethering. If you want to tether with the new iPhone you have to update to the new shared data plans, otherwise you can't tether?
Sorry single people, AT&T hates you and doesn't think you should be Facetiming while out and about.
It could be argued that having Facetime available to all subscribers, including those who remain on the current minute/data plans, would encourage people to lower the minutes portion of their plan. If that is the case it could also be argued that AT&T is blocking its usage to keep it from competing with a similar service that they offer. I don't know how well it would stand up but I see the two as competing services, voice communication and video communication can still be boiled down to communication.
While true, AT&T may not have it's own video chat application, it does have an international calling app that allows between 2 and 4 cents per minute calls via VoIP. http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/at-t-call-international/id468655530?mt=8
The details state on AT&T's Call International app that calls may be placed over wifi in some countries. That is a VoIP technology call, which is the same as a facetime video call in all practicality, to the consumer.
Facetime also directly competes with the PMOU charges on AT&T's individual calling plans, by allowing customers to bypass the per minute fees when they go over their voice minutes. Forcing customers to use facetime on unlimited voice calling plans with extremely high priced data restricts Apple's ability to compete with AT&T for voice traffic.
Keep in mind in 2009 AT&T bent to allow Skype over 3G, due to pending pressure with an FCC investigation over unfair blocking. This was before the Open Internet Rules were in effect.