AT&T just confirmed that it will be forgo datum overage fee for all its internet client , which intend if you go over your data point jacket , you wo n’t be fined . The reason ? Coronavirus , of course .
AT&T herald the decisiveness , first reported byVice , in an official statement provided to Gizmodo : “ Many of our AT&T net customers already have straight-out menage internet approach , and we are waiving internet data overages for the remaining customers . Additionally , through Access from AT&T we ’ll continue to offer internet information to qualifying limited income households for $ 10 a month . ”
AT&Ts decision come after17 senators egress a joint letter to the largest ISPs in the U.S.asking for a irregular suspension on data cap and associated fees or throttling in places affected by the coronavirus , or Covid-19 . The letter of the alphabet also asks those same ISPs to work with public school districts , colleges , and universities to bring home the bacon students with loose or at - cost internet entree if they do n’t have it at home . harmonise to the senators : “ No one should be penalize or suffer fiscal duress for following steering of the CDC , their employer , local public health officials , or school leaders . ”
Photo: Getty
FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel also issued anofficial statementtoday calling on the FCC to “ take strong-growing legal action in response to Covid-19 ” and get all of the nation ISPs to lift data caps and remove overage fee .
“ The FCC should work with health care provider to ensure connectivity for telehealth services are available for hospitals , doctors , and nurse treat coronavirus patient and those who are quarantine . In addition , as classroom move online , the FCC should name how it can use its authority to put up wifi hotspots for loan for students whose shoal have closed their doors . ”
With universities , schooltime districts , and fellowship like Google and Twitter requesting students , teacher , and staff telecommute until further observation , more and more citizenry will be reliant on their dwelling internet connection for work and schooling , and getting rid of information caps mean one less thing to worry about .
information cap have been shown to be ineffectual at declogging mesh traffic , Vice note . In 2015 , aleaked Comcast memoinstructed Commonwealth of Puerto Rico representatives to not tell customers that its datum caps are about congestion management , because “ it ’s not . ”
We have give out to some of the other ISPs to see if any of those companies will be waiving data overage fee , and will update this clause if or when we hear back .
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