4 ms·

Ask HN: Anyone planning on dumping AT&T due to the hack?

5 points by ssahoo 2y ago

What alternative you are switching to? I know there could be class action that will result in $1.04 each after providing your home address and other email address. :)

dotcoma 2y ago
And risk getting their data exposed a second time by Verizon? ;)
nullindividual 2y ago
No, I can't see what difference it would make in the long run unless you're jumping from vendor to vendor until you run out of cellular carries to jump to.
quilnux 2y ago
Sadly my data was actually exposed during the hack and I haven't even had AT&T for the last 5 years. So it's pretty bad when I haven't used their service in years. I currently use Ting.
k310 2y ago
I can't even recall using ATT and I got a notice. My credit union was randomwared. (Patelco). They are taking a very long time to recover, and as soon as I can actually make transactions, they are Sayonara. And banks care about security. Carriers? Groan.
- simfree 2y ago
  Your call logs, texts and data usage pattern, DNS queries and such are hard to protect from the underlying carrier on a wireless network. Using an MVNO that is a separate entity from the underlying network (ideally with multi-network access) is a reasonable way to disintermediate your data from the carrier and throw a wrench in the works for SIM swappers who might crack one of the big three carriers postpaid provisioning and activation systems. US Mobile, Ting and others are invested in maintaining separate billing infrastructure from their activation and provisioning infrastructure. I would avoid low quality carriers like Project Fi, MetroPCS and Mint Mobile where they are big carrier owned or have gone entirely to one network, but offer very deprioritized data access (eg: Tower delivers 400Mbps, but Fi users get 27Mbps despite the same carrier aggregation band combo in use) and no domestic roaming.
  - solardev 2y ago
    Just as a different perspective, Fi may not have great speeds (they're not bad, just not great), but they do have other excellent freatures: great US-based customer support (surprisingly) with live humans, good plans, great international features (like included SMS and data abroad, cheap calls), good tethering, etc. I've been very happy with Fi, way more so than the nightmare that was AT&T wireless.
    - simfree 2y ago
      Being dependent on Google as a partner especially on a platform they are actively disinvesting from is a very risky idea. There is no domestic roaming, no network diversity, and their agreement with T-Mobile is worse than most of the other MVNOs. 27Mbps isn't even broadband, when the native carrier's network can deliver 400Mbps and their resellers are hovering around 200Mbps to 400Mbps yet a Pixel 8 on Fi is stuck with stuttery, slow data due to having a very low QCI on the LTE/5G network, only Google is to blame. Fi's international roaming appears to be a cut down version of T-Mobile's roaming agreements, and they have been more aggressive in bricking lines roaming internationally as of late: https://www.reddit.com/r/GoogleFi/comments/1e2juxu/international_data_being_suspended_prior_to_90/ https://www.reddit.com/r/GoogleFi/comments/1e2juxu/internati... Allen and Two Temps (deathstar) is no joy to work with, but I'd hesitate to jump in with what is clearly a legacy offering by Google. The pricing is not good, they are not adding new features to the platform, and it is not a corporate priority. You are much better off using a vendor that is actively and solely focused on delivering the best wireless experience. Don't accept some companies forgotten overpriced afterthought as your carrier, they will happily hang up on you when a real issue arises just like they did to the redditor above.
      - solardev 2y ago
        I don't know what Allen and the Two Temps are, but what is your suggestion exactly? What's a better MVNO or carrier to move to? I've been very happy with Fi, after having used Verizon, T-Mobile, AT&T, and Sprint. But I'm also not dead set on them. I don't really need anything faster than 10 or 20 Mbps anyway, and the Fi app and support team are super easy to work with, which is more important to me than super fast speed or priority. It looks like the reddit person was trying to use it as a permanent international plan, which isn't really what it's for. I do like being able to seamlessly and cheaply use my same plan when traveling for a few weeks though. If Google ever sunsets Fi, that's fine, I'll just move to another carrier then. Doesn't seem like an urgent situation to me? But if there are any better choices for about $80 to $110/mo for two lines, I'd be all ears! T-mobile seems more expensive, but if they have significantly better speeds and international roaming at the same price, that'd be worth considering? If I remember right though, their customer service was horrible. That was a long time ago though. I'd much prefer a slower service with good support than a faster one with automatic or outsourced support.
JojoFatsani 2y ago
T-Mobile has been excellent to me for 4-5 years now. Came from VZW who had been fine, t-mobile is just a good deal cheaper and has better 5g coverage in my area.
Spooky23 2y ago
For security, who are you going to switch to? TMobile? Telcos are a weird industry, and you’re not gonna find much differentiation.

5 points by ssahoo 2y ago

What alternative you are switching to? I know there could be class action that will result in $1.04 each after providing your home address and other email address. :)

dotcoma 2y ago

And risk getting their data exposed a second time by Verizon? ;)

nullindividual 2y ago

No, I can't see what difference it would make in the long run unless you're jumping from vendor to vendor until you run out of cellular carries to jump to.

quilnux 2y ago

Sadly my data was actually exposed during the hack and I haven't even had AT&T for the last 5 years. So it's pretty bad when I haven't used their service in years. I currently use Ting.

k310 2y ago

I can't even recall using ATT and I got a notice. My credit union was randomwared. (Patelco). They are taking a very long time to recover, and as soon as I can actually make transactions, they are Sayonara. And banks care about security. Carriers? Groan.

simfree 2y ago
Your call logs, texts and data usage pattern, DNS queries and such are hard to protect from the underlying carrier on a wireless network. Using an MVNO that is a separate entity from the underlying network (ideally with multi-network access) is a reasonable way to disintermediate your data from the carrier and throw a wrench in the works for SIM swappers who might crack one of the big three carriers postpaid provisioning and activation systems. US Mobile, Ting and others are invested in maintaining separate billing infrastructure from their activation and provisioning infrastructure. I would avoid low quality carriers like Project Fi, MetroPCS and Mint Mobile where they are big carrier owned or have gone entirely to one network, but offer very deprioritized data access (eg: Tower delivers 400Mbps, but Fi users get 27Mbps despite the same carrier aggregation band combo in use) and no domestic roaming.
- solardev 2y ago
  Just as a different perspective, Fi may not have great speeds (they're not bad, just not great), but they do have other excellent freatures: great US-based customer support (surprisingly) with live humans, good plans, great international features (like included SMS and data abroad, cheap calls), good tethering, etc. I've been very happy with Fi, way more so than the nightmare that was AT&T wireless.
  - simfree 2y ago
    Being dependent on Google as a partner especially on a platform they are actively disinvesting from is a very risky idea. There is no domestic roaming, no network diversity, and their agreement with T-Mobile is worse than most of the other MVNOs. 27Mbps isn't even broadband, when the native carrier's network can deliver 400Mbps and their resellers are hovering around 200Mbps to 400Mbps yet a Pixel 8 on Fi is stuck with stuttery, slow data due to having a very low QCI on the LTE/5G network, only Google is to blame. Fi's international roaming appears to be a cut down version of T-Mobile's roaming agreements, and they have been more aggressive in bricking lines roaming internationally as of late: https://www.reddit.com/r/GoogleFi/comments/1e2juxu/international_data_being_suspended_prior_to_90/ https://www.reddit.com/r/GoogleFi/comments/1e2juxu/internati... Allen and Two Temps (deathstar) is no joy to work with, but I'd hesitate to jump in with what is clearly a legacy offering by Google. The pricing is not good, they are not adding new features to the platform, and it is not a corporate priority. You are much better off using a vendor that is actively and solely focused on delivering the best wireless experience. Don't accept some companies forgotten overpriced afterthought as your carrier, they will happily hang up on you when a real issue arises just like they did to the redditor above.
    - solardev 2y ago
      I don't know what Allen and the Two Temps are, but what is your suggestion exactly? What's a better MVNO or carrier to move to? I've been very happy with Fi, after having used Verizon, T-Mobile, AT&T, and Sprint. But I'm also not dead set on them. I don't really need anything faster than 10 or 20 Mbps anyway, and the Fi app and support team are super easy to work with, which is more important to me than super fast speed or priority. It looks like the reddit person was trying to use it as a permanent international plan, which isn't really what it's for. I do like being able to seamlessly and cheaply use my same plan when traveling for a few weeks though. If Google ever sunsets Fi, that's fine, I'll just move to another carrier then. Doesn't seem like an urgent situation to me? But if there are any better choices for about $80 to $110/mo for two lines, I'd be all ears! T-mobile seems more expensive, but if they have significantly better speeds and international roaming at the same price, that'd be worth considering? If I remember right though, their customer service was horrible. That was a long time ago though. I'd much prefer a slower service with good support than a faster one with automatic or outsourced support.

JojoFatsani 2y ago

T-Mobile has been excellent to me for 4-5 years now. Came from VZW who had been fine, t-mobile is just a good deal cheaper and has better 5g coverage in my area.

Spooky23 2y ago

For security, who are you going to switch to? TMobile? Telcos are a weird industry, and you’re not gonna find much differentiation.