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This doesn't really make sense to me because it seems that over time it will reduce the threshold for the entire network. Here is what I'm thinking: suppose tha

This doesn't really make sense to me because it seems that over time it will reduce the threshold for the entire network. Here is what I'm thinking: suppose that for the first month the top 5% uses 50gb of data per month. Well once the throttling kicks in they will not be able to reach the 50gb per month that they usually hit, and instead they only hit 40gb. Next month the top 5% of usage rates is 40gb per month, and so the threshold kicks in sooner. If this repeated over the course of months then the threshold would get lower and lower, until it began to infringe on normal usage. I'm willing to assume that AT&T is doing this intelligently, and that the top 5% is a static measurement, but the way it is described makes it sound like a sliding scale that will lower the threshold more and more over time. And that doesn't even touch the issue of always throttling connections for 5% of their customers...

dkokelley 15y ago
They're not capping the top 5% each month. They're throttling it. That means that the top 5% could always be a certain range. So if the top 5% is over 50GB/month, then once you hit 50GB you'll be slowed down, but not stopped. You can keep going, and this is why the top 5% can stay the same from month to month. It's possible that they can hit 50GB next month just as before, unless their behavior changes. You're right that this plan could bring the top 5% down to 40GB over time, but that's only if the users behavior on aggregate changes. Once you're in the 95th percentile of users, I'm not sure how much extra usage is needed to get to the 99th, or even how much changing your behavior will significantly lower the averages.
- NathanKP 15y ago
  When your bandwidth is limited it becomes difficult to get many more gigabytes as that is the whole point of a throttle. So when that throttle is applied to the power users then they physically can't download as many gigabytes as they used to. So my theory is that over time the difference between the 99th percentile and the 95th is going to decrease as the power users who used to raise the bar higher are throttled down to a more normal gigabyte per month usage.
chc 15y ago
It might lower the ceiling, but I don't see how it could bring the threshold lower. Since the throttling is reset every month and doesn't kick in until you hit the threshold, it will only affect people who go over the threshold to begin with. If you were consistently below the threshold before, I don't see how this would cause the threshold to pass you by unless the top 5 percent just get pissed off and leave altogether.
- slowpoke 15y ago
  unless the top 5 percent just get pissed off and leave altogether. But this is exactly what will most likely happen. Assuming that at least a larger percentage of this top 5% are 'power downloaders', I can pretty much assure you that those will not take this, and leave (if they can, that is).

dkokelley 15y ago

They're not capping the top 5% each month. They're throttling it. That means that the top 5% could always be a certain range. So if the top 5% is over 50GB/month, then once you hit 50GB you'll be slowed down, but not stopped. You can keep going, and this is why the top 5% can stay the same from month to month. It's possible that they can hit 50GB next month just as before, unless their behavior changes. You're right that this plan could bring the top 5% down to 40GB over time, but that's only if the users behavior on aggregate changes. Once you're in the 95th percentile of users, I'm not sure how much extra usage is needed to get to the 99th, or even how much changing your behavior will significantly lower the averages.

NathanKP 15y ago
When your bandwidth is limited it becomes difficult to get many more gigabytes as that is the whole point of a throttle. So when that throttle is applied to the power users then they physically can't download as many gigabytes as they used to. So my theory is that over time the difference between the 99th percentile and the 95th is going to decrease as the power users who used to raise the bar higher are throttled down to a more normal gigabyte per month usage.

chc 15y ago

It might lower the ceiling, but I don't see how it could bring the threshold lower. Since the throttling is reset every month and doesn't kick in until you hit the threshold, it will only affect people who go over the threshold to begin with. If you were consistently below the threshold before, I don't see how this would cause the threshold to pass you by unless the top 5 percent just get pissed off and leave altogether.

slowpoke 15y ago
unless the top 5 percent just get pissed off and leave altogether. But this is exactly what will most likely happen. Assuming that at least a larger percentage of this top 5% are 'power downloaders', I can pretty much assure you that those will not take this, and leave (if they can, that is).