AT&T Customers With Grandfathered Unlimited iPad Data Plans Will See Throttling After 22GB of Usage - MacRumorsOpen MenuShow RoundupsShow Forums menuVisit ForumsOpen Sidebar
Skip to Content

AT&T Customers With Grandfathered Unlimited iPad Data Plans Will See Throttling After 22GB of Usage

AT&T today sent out emails to customers who continue to have a grandfathered unlimited data plan for the iPad, informing them that its unlimited status is essentially being eliminated on May 24, 2017.

Going forward, customers with an unlimited tablet data plan may see their data usage throttled when using more than 22GB of data during a single bill period. According to AT&T, data may be slowed down during times of network congestion.
grandfathereddataplanchanges
While that's in line with AT&T's policy for its newly announced unlimited data plans, it's a big change for iPad owners who are not used to having a data cap in place. Prior to the change, iPad owners with the grandfathered unlimited plan have not been subject to restrictions.

AT&T briefly offered unlimited iPad data plans after the original iPad was released in 2010, but phased them out just months later. Since then, customers who managed to purchase one of the plans have been able to hold onto them, making the unlimited plan highly coveted.

The plans required no contract and cost $29.99 per month, with customers able to transfer them to new iPads and even sell them to other iPad owners. With the change coming on May 24, the original unlimited iPad data plans will be much less attractive.

(Thanks, David!)

Tag: AT&T

Popular Stories

iPhone Handoff Feature

AT&T Responds to iOS 27's New iPhone Handoff Feature

Wednesday September 23, 2026 7:06 am PDT by
Apple added a new iPhone Handoff feature to iOS 27 that allows you to switch between two iPhones while using the same phone number on each device. T-Mobile and Deutsche Telekom are the first carriers to offer iPhone Handoff, and Apple said Verizon and EE will add support later this year, but AT&T is noncommittal about the feature. A spokesperson for AT&T told CNET that the carrier sees...
deep black iphone 18 pro

Some iPhone 18 Pro Max Users Experiencing AT&T Cellular Issues

Friday September 25, 2026 10:02 am PDT by
A subset of iPhone 18 Pro Max users in the U.S. are experiencing issues with AT&T cellular connectivity and/or eSIM provisioning, according to complaints across the MacRumors Forums, Reddit, and the Apple Support Community. Affected users are unable to connect to the AT&T network for phone calls, text messages, or data. Notably, the U.S. version of the iPhone 18 Pro Max is the only new...
Home Hub Command Center with Dome Base Feature

Apple Smart Home Hub to Feature iMac G4-Style Design

Wednesday September 30, 2026 4:36 am PDT by
Apple's long-rumored smart home hub will have an iMac G4-style design and a host of unique features, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports. The smart home hub is said to feature a square 6-inch display, with variants that can be placed on a countertop or mounted on a wall. It features a single FaceTime camera on the front, with microphones and speakers in its connected base. Gurman described the...

Top Rated Comments

XTheLancerX Avatar
123 months ago
I hate when articles are so misleading and click-baity like this. It's still unlimited. Users will still likely be able to use 30, 40, 50, even 100GB and beyond on their iPad. It IS NOT a throttle. It IS NOT a data cap.

What it IS, is deprioritization. Your data is prioritized lower than other users ONLY DURING TIMES OF CONGESTION. And that doesn't mean you are going to see a hard cap to your speeds, you are just going to see slightly slowed speeds so that other users will have enough bandwidth and higher priority.

This is why everybody is so wrongly antagonistic and hostile toward the new unlimited plans, because they are convinced there is a 22GB **CAP** where you will be throttled down to unusable speeds. That is NOT the case, and people are unable to understand that because of constant misleading articles such as this.

Yes, speeds *might* be slowed. But only in areas that are very congested. Most users are not going to be on a super congested tower all the time where you'd actually see this "deprioritization".
[doublepost=1493429025][/doublepost]
Data caps are a scam.
It is NOT A DATA CAP.
Another reason to switch from att. I really can't think of a reason to use them anymore.
You're overreacting. Besides, you will have the exact same "limit" (that really isn't even a limit) on every other carrier.

It is not a cap. It is a threshold at which users will see lower priority. If the tower is extremely congested, then their speeds will be slightly slowed so that other users will have usable speeds. No, it isn't going to strictly limit speeds to 128kbps or anything like that at all. What it might do, is reduce ALREADY SLOW SPEEDS. The network experience would already suck, even when not deprioritized.

For example, if the tower can only put out 5mbps to you because of congestion, then while deprioritized you might see something more like 1-2mbps. And this might only happen for a moment, as well. When there is less traffic again, speeds will go back to normal and be the same for everybody, those who are past the 22GB threshold or not.

To put things into perspective, prepaid customers ALREADY ARE ALWAYS DEPRIORITIZED.

I am sick of articles such as these misleading people.
Score: 52 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AngerDanger Avatar
123 months ago
I've always wondered how they determined the number "22" was too much used data.
They use an advanced analytical device:



Attachment Image
Score: 38 Votes (Like | Disagree)
A MacBook lover Avatar
123 months ago
Data caps are a scam.
Score: 26 Votes (Like | Disagree)
justiny Avatar
123 months ago
I've always wondered how they determined the number "22" was too much used data.

I'm calling it the Catch-22 Rule.
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
pdaholic Avatar
123 months ago
My wife was fed up with AT&T, and coerced me to give up my grandfathered unlimited data plan to switch to T-Mobile. Our bill went from $170 per month on AT&T to $80 per month on T-mobile with unlimited everything. And lots of percs on T-Mobile. Wish I had dumped AT&T long ago!
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
OneMike Avatar
123 months ago
Another reason to switch from att. I really can't think of a reason to use them anymore.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Latest Stories
iPhone 18 Pro Sales Jump in China Ahead of iPhone Duo Launch
iPhone 18 Pro Sales Jump in China Ahead of iPhone Duo Launch
5 minutes ago
Apple TV Still Down for Some Users Following Apple Services Outage
Apple TV Still Down for Some Users Following Apple Services Outage
50 minutes ago
PSA: Apple Mail on Mac May Stop Syncing Microsoft 365 Accounts Today
PSA: Apple Mail on Mac May Stop Syncing Microsoft 365 Accounts Today
1 hour ago
Apple's Smart Home Hub: Everything We Know So Far
Apple's Smart Home Hub: Everything We Know So Far
12 hours ago
Apple's Home Hub Borrows From the iPhone Duo's StandBy Mode
Apple's Home Hub Borrows From the iPhone Duo's StandBy Mode
13 hours ago
Apple Invites App Updated With Three New Features
Apple Invites App Updated With Three New Features
17 hours ago
Apple Event on October 13?
Apple Event on October 13?
18 hours ago
Apple Watch SE 3 vs. Series 12 Buyer's Guide: Which Should You Buy?
Apple Watch SE 3 vs. Series 12 Buyer's Guide: Which Should You Buy?
20 hours ago
iPad Mini 8 to Offer These 10 New Features
iPad Mini 8 to Offer These 10 New Features
20 hours ago
DoorDash Unveils AI Food Ordering Through Apple's Messages App
DoorDash Unveils AI Food Ordering Through Apple's Messages App
21 hours ago
Amazon Takes Up to $150 Off Select M5 MacBook Air Models
Amazon Takes Up to $150 Off Select M5 MacBook Air Models
21 hours ago
Apple Still Plans to Release a New Full-Sized HomePod
Apple Still Plans to Release a New Full-Sized HomePod
23 hours ago
Apple Working to Expand HomeKit
Apple Working to Expand HomeKit
1 day ago
Apple Smart Home Hub to Feature iMac G4-Style Design
Apple Smart Home Hub to Feature iMac G4-Style Design
1 day ago
Three New Apple Smart Home Products Coming on October 13
Three New Apple Smart Home Products Coming on October 13
1 day ago
Apple Pay Now Available in India With Axis Bank Cards
Apple Pay Now Available in India With Axis Bank Cards
2 days ago
OpenAI Launches Always-On 'Dots' Agents to Rival Meta's Muse
OpenAI Launches Always-On 'Dots' Agents to Rival Meta's Muse
2 days ago
AirPods 5 Teardown: Batteries Removable, Case Still Tough
AirPods 5 Teardown: Batteries Removable, Case Still Tough
2 days ago
iPhone 18 Pro Owners Complain of Speaker Crackling or Popping
iPhone 18 Pro Owners Complain of Speaker Crackling or Popping
2 days ago
You Can 'Get Ready' for iPhone Duo Pre-Orders on October 12
You Can 'Get Ready' for iPhone Duo Pre-Orders on October 12
2 days ago
Apple Pay Reportedly Launching in India Today
Apple Pay Reportedly Launching in India Today
2 days ago
Apple Releases New AirPods Beta Firmware
Apple Releases New AirPods Beta Firmware
2 days ago
Apple Shares New Guide for Using iOS 27 Parental Controls
Apple Shares New Guide for Using iOS 27 Parental Controls
2 days ago
Apple Creator Studio and Final Cut Camera Get New Features
Apple Creator Studio and Final Cut Camera Get New Features
2 days ago
Apple Explains Why It Removed ICE Tracking Apps Last Year
Apple Explains Why It Removed ICE Tracking Apps Last Year
2 days ago
Amazon Expands $779.99 Apple Watch Ultra 4 Deal to More Models
Amazon Expands $779.99 Apple Watch Ultra 4 Deal to More Models
2 days ago
Switch Siri AI for ChatGPT on Your Mac
Switch Siri AI for ChatGPT on Your Mac
2 days ago
Apple Says Emergency SOS via Satellite Now Available in Norway
Apple Says Emergency SOS via Satellite Now Available in Norway
2 days ago
AppleCare Guide: Is it Worth Paying For?
AppleCare Guide: Is it Worth Paying For?
2 days ago
Apple Reportedly Planned to Replace 5,000 Support Employees With AI
Apple Reportedly Planned to Replace 5,000 Support Employees With AI
2 days ago

🔗 Related Apple News & Rumors

Stay updated with the latest Apple ecosystem news and verified rumors