AT&T CEO: It's "Too Early" to Talk About 3G FaceTime Fees

[Akshay Masand]

Randall Stephenson, AT&T’s Chief Executive Officer, recently responded to the rumors circulating about the wireless carrier charging a data fee for customers using Apple’s upcoming over-the-air FaceTime feature on its network. He said that he has “heard the same rumor” and that while his company was working with Apple to get the technology stabilized, “it’s too early to talk about pricing.”

Stephenson was also asked about the possible pricing plan that would involve app developers to pay for their customers’ data plans through direct payments or ad revenue. The CEO ended up stating that the situation is similar to that of a “1-800” toll free phone number and noted that some mobile content providers have shown interest in such a system regardless.

It should be noted here though that the AT&T chief recently bemoaned the company’s original plan to offer an unlimited data plan to iPhone users. He said that the business model keeps him “awake at night worrying.” The CEO seems to be interested in leveraging the consumer’s desire to FaceTime over the cellular network, a gesture that is completely opposite from AT&T’s previous stance in the matter.

As of right now, nothing has been discovered regarding the issue on other carriers (such as Sprint and Verizon). For now, those of you who are on AT&T will have to wait and see what ends up happening as iOS 6 comes closer or If AT&T makes an announcement regarding the matter.

Source: TechCrunch

[Carvensno]

Maybe they are finally hearing everyone complain and noticing people leaving to another carrier for service. Hopefully they are getting the picture finally! LOL :P

[izzy1990]

Maybe they are finally hearing everyone complain and noticing people leaving to another carrier for service. Hopefully they are getting the picture finally! LOL :P

Please read the article

I will leave at&t if they do this on another note will my3g have a work around to this or will the carrier know we are using facetime anyway?? I know its not sure if at&t will do this but im just asking

[tlc1217]

I call BS...AT&T is always tryin to make money. I'd be more surprised if they didn't charge for FaceTime. Makes me wonder though how he mentioned 3G and not 4G since the iPhone 5 is approaching...

[turdsmoka]

Maybe they are finally hearing everyone complain and noticing people leaving to another carrier for service. Hopefully they are getting the picture finally! LOL :P

NO! They are waiting for the new devices to be sold under two-year contract before announcing the charges.

[DaddyofTheMacDaddy]

NO! They are waiting for the new devices to be sold under two-year contract before announcing the charges.

EXACTLY! AT&T will nickel and dime its customers all the while smiling and pretending to be your friend.

OH, and BTW, the pic of Randal Stephenson above is what happens when they get you bent over for a two year contract...smile and take it.

[icedming]

The JB community has had facetime on their phone pretty much since it was released. and apple knows what they are doing- I have tried numerous locations and facetime on 3g= the network is not fast enough. Apple released it for wifi only because facetime requires quite a bit of data and they new that the 3g network could not handle it. Truthfully skype for the iphone works much better. I used to use mywi to tether to my comp because I live in the middle of nowhere, I used it before att knew what the heck it was and now I can't use it. Apple knows that the JB community uses it, so now they will allow it so that att and apple can reap the benefits from it.

[skernohan]

"Randall Stephenson, AT&T’s Chief Executive Officer Randall Stephenson".... huge sentence error there... you might want to correct it

[efi2nr]

How is it legal to make people pay for the same data twice?

[GeoffS4]

Nice choice of pictures. Seriously, how apropro.

And of course they are not going to announce any price increases before it's time. If they announce it at the time of the new iPhone release more people will remain mentally commited to still buying from AT&T. If you give people time to acclimate to new pricing structures and time to do their homework (comparison shop pricing, customer service, etc) they would loose a (greater) percentage of customers.

[BhadKarma]

"Randall Stephenson, AT&T’s Chief Executive Officer Randall Stephenson".... huge sentence error there... you might want to correct it

The sentence is correct I believe.

[aidanharris]

If you ask me apple should just do away with all these carriers and spend money investing in an icarrier...

[revblaze]

I call BS...AT&T is always tryin to make money. I'd be more surprised if they didn't charge for FaceTime. Makes me wonder though how he mentioned 3G and not 4G since the iPhone 5 is approaching...

I'm honestly satisfied with my 3G network. I can see the 4G technology in the iPhone over heating, draining the battery quickly, ect.. They would also have to enlarge the device if they wanted to add it in, because with all of the stuff they have packed in their now, it would be very hard to find a place to put it in without it having the "cellular death grip" issues.

[MaStA819]

I call BS...AT&T is always tryin to make money. I'd be more surprised if they didn't charge for FaceTime. Makes me wonder though how he mentioned 3G and not 4G since the iPhone 5 is approaching...

I know when Sprint first released 4G they made customers pay $10/month extra if they had a 4G capable phone even if 4G wasn't available in your area. At least AT&T doesn't charge extra for 4G. I'm not sure if Sprint is still charging extra for it or not. Also, the last I checked all companies are out to make money. I'm currently with AT&T, but I'm considering giving Straight Talk a try since I'm sick of paying $80+ for a phone bill.

[Raptor2213]

So he basically confirmed that there will be a price, he just says that it's too early to talk about what that price will end up being...

[nealh]

EXACTLY! AT&T will nickel and dime its customers all the while smiling and pretending to be your friend.

OH, and BTW, the pic of Randal Stephenson above is what happens when they get you bent over for a two year contract...smile and take it.

Hmm. and Verizon is better with data fees. Less data on the plans and the same price as ATT. Yeah.

[Mrteacup]

How is it legal to make people pay for the same data twice?

Agreed 100%

[1shuttle1]

Great pic. Looks like he's showing us how far he is going to shove his new data plans up our *****.

[hadzo]

Starting with my self I can't believe, we as top of the food chain creatures stoop down to all of this recent smart phone price increase and plan changes. I just cant believe the amount of people (including my self!) that pay these pricks for a service that on individual level cost just a fraction of what your're charge by the carrier. This smart phone disease is getting crazy.

My contract expires by the end of this month... I am planning on just getting a simple phone and turning my iPhone into more or less ipod on steroids.

People really need to wake up and realize that the reason they are shoving it up our ars so hard is because we apparently love it.

[jwlionking]

I call BS...AT&T is always tryin to make money. I'd be more surprised if they didn't charge for FaceTime. Makes me wonder though how he mentioned 3G and not 4G since the iPhone 5 is approaching...

Or... They want another way to try to pull us unlimited data users away from an unlimited data plan.. Similar rational as the wireless tethering.. Must drop unlimited plan to use it.