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

Aston Martin CarPlay Ultra Screen

Apple's CarPlay Ultra to Expand to These Vehicle Brands Later This Year

Sunday February 1, 2026 10:08 am PST by
Last year, Apple launched CarPlay Ultra, the long-awaited next-generation version of its CarPlay software system for vehicles. Nearly nine months later, CarPlay Ultra is still limited to Aston Martin's latest luxury vehicles, but that should change fairly soon. In May 2025, Apple said many other vehicle brands planned to offer CarPlay Ultra, including Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis. In his Powe...
Apple Logo Black

Apple's Next Launch is 'Imminent'

Sunday February 1, 2026 12:31 pm PST by
The calendar has turned to February, and a new report indicates that Apple's next product launch is "imminent," in the form of new MacBook Pro models. "All signs point to an imminent launch of next-generation MacBook Pros that retain the current form factor but deliver faster chips," Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said on Sunday. "I'm told the new models — code-named J714 and J716 — are slated...
Apple MacBook Pro M4 hero

New MacBook Pros Reportedly Launching Alongside macOS 26.3

Sunday February 1, 2026 5:42 am PST by
Apple is planning to launch new MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips alongside macOS 26.3, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. "Apple's faster MacBook Pros are planned for the macOS 26.3 release cycle," wrote Gurman, in his Power On newsletter today. "I'm told the new models — code-named J714 and J716 — are slated for the macOS 26.3 software cycle, which runs from...
iOS 26

iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Tuesday February 3, 2026 7:47 am PST by
We are still waiting for the iOS 26.3 Release Candidate to come out, so the first iOS 26.4 beta is likely still at least a week or two away. Following beta testing, iOS 26.4 will likely be released to the general public in March or April. Below, we have recapped known or rumored iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 features so far. iOS 26.3 iPhone to Android Transfer Tool iOS 26.3 makes it easier...
iOS 26 Home Feature

Apple Gives Final Warning to Home App Users

Tuesday February 3, 2026 8:55 am PST by
In 2022, Apple introduced a new Apple Home architecture that is "more reliable and efficient," and the deadline to upgrade and avoid issues is fast approaching. In an email this week, Apple gave customers a final reminder to upgrade their Home app by February 10, 2026. Apple says users who do not upgrade may experience issues with accessories and automations, or lose access to their smart...

Top Rated Comments

XTheLancerX Avatar
115 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
115 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
115 months ago
Data caps are a scam.
Score: 26 Votes (Like | Disagree)
justiny Avatar
115 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
115 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
115 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)