AT&T just threw a large number of their iPhone subscribers under the bus today when they announced that iPhone users can only use FaceTime over cellular on their new Mobile Share plans when iOS 6 is released. AT&T’s tiered plans and grandfathered unlimited subscribers will not be able to use FaceTime via AT&T’s cellular network. However, for subscribers of the AT&T Mobile Share plans, FaceTime over AT&T’s data network will be offered free of charge. As of now we are not sure if the iPad prepaid plans are covered by this statement. If you would like to view AT&T’s full statement, we have embedded it below:
AT&T will offer FaceTime over Cellular as an added benefit of our new Mobile Share data plans, which were created to meet customers’ growing data needs at a great value. With Mobile Share, the more data you use, the more you save. FaceTime will continue to be available over Wi-Fi for all our customers.
To me, this is completely outrageous. Not only can AT&T be breaking Net Neutrality laws, but it’s screwing over some longtime users with unlimited plans or simple DataPro plans by making them switch to a more expensive data plan just to use a simple feature. This may make more users jailbreak their phones or use applications like 3G Unrestrictor to use FaceTime for free over cellular.
Source: The Verge
Image Credit: Yutaka Tsutano
