AT&T overcharging for data usage?

[TangoWhiskey]

This should prove interesting to follow, not just for AT&T, but all wireless vendors. I've always wondered if there was any good way for a person to audit how much they actually use, without using the "tools" the wireless company provides. You know, something that hooks into the TCP/IP stack and gives actual bytes in/out...

http://www.computerworld.com/s/arti..._on_data?source=CTWNLE_nlt_dailyam_2011-02-01

Henricks' suit also alleged that AT&T bills for nonexistent data transfers. During a 10-day stretch, the same consulting firm found that AT&T billed a new iPhone's account for approximately 2.2MB of data transfers, even though the smartphone had had all push notification and location services disabled, no e-mail account configured, and no active apps.

 

[AuntPeggy]

Ma Bell wouldn't do something like that.

 

[airguy]

The wireless companies bill as "data usage" the packets sent back and forth between the phone and the network towers as the phone travels from place to place in your pocket. The network tracks the location of the phone so you can make and receive calls, and that process of tracking the location requires a certain amount of data passing back and forth.

The only way to truly stop the data flow is to never move the phone. Even turning it off (or going to airline mode) will cost you "black data" because on power up the phone will talk to the network whether you ask it to or not, registering it's presence on the network with the nearest cell tower.

 

[Cap'n Jack]

This happens on any phone, even just a plain old cell phone. They shouldn't charge you for this.

 

[airguy]

This happens on any phone, even just a plain old cell phone. They shouldn't charge you for this.

And they don't - on the standard "dumb" phones - but on the new "smart" phones they actually have a way to track all the data in/out, and they charge you for the data plan, so guess what?