Don't mess with unlimited

But first, here's an old toy I played with today for the first time in a while. I had to put in some new batteries first, but it still works over 15 years after I first got it. In other technology-related news, the Federal Communications Commission has slapped AT&T with a US$100 million fine, accusing America's second-largest cellular carrier of improperly slowing down Internet speeds for customers who had signed up for "unlimited" data plans. The FCC found that when customers used up a certain amount of data watching movies or browsing the Web, AT&T "throttled" their Internet speeds so that they were much slower than normal. Millions of AT&T customers were affected by the practice, according to the FCC. The fine, which AT&T says it will fight, is the largest ever levied by the agency. It serves them right. By not properly disclosing the policy to consumers who thought they were getting “unlimited” data, the company violated the FCC's rules on corporate transparency. Consumers deserve to get what they pay for. Broadband providers must be upfront and transparent about the services they provide. And this isn't the first time AT&T's unlimited data policy has landed the company in hot water. The Federal Trade Commission sued the telecom company in October, alleging that 3.5 million users had their Internet service slowed to dial-up speeds an average of 12 days every month. SO DON'T DO IT.