How much data does streaming audio use?

[medgirl2001]

Now that I have figured out how to get Pandora and some radio stations to play on my iPhone through my car speakers, I am wondering how much data this is going to use. Does anyone use a lot of streaming audio? I know my data plan is theoretically "unlimited," but I'm sure AT&T won't be happy if I use gigabytes of data doing this. I figure that 5 GB is at least a soft cutoff point of how much data they expect people to reasonably use, since that is their limited on tethering plans.

[i0wnj00]

I use about 300-400 megs a days I'm using a Treo 750 on EDGE.
Right now, I have used 1.6 GB, 3 days into the new billing cycle.

One can easily go over 5GB at this rate before the billing cycle ends if I streamed everyday, but it's not that hard to reach 2 GB in a few days (or even hours). I have seen posts where users have done more than 7 GB on their unlimited MEdia Net plans where AT&T hasn't complained.

The way I read it...unlimited is unlimited/infinity/∞ etc...not 5GB, 10GB, 100GB.
Plain and simple for me.

[veriztd]

The way I read it...unlimited is unlimited/infinity/∞ etc...not 5GB, 10GB, 100GB.
Plain and simple for me.

You are correct, the iPhone data package is not capped.

[medgirl2001]

I know the iPhone (and PDA) plans aren't technically capped, but does AT&T ever ask people to cut back their usage? It seems a little odd to me that they have a cap for the more expensive tethering plan, but not for the MediaNet, iPhone, or PDA plans. I know the concern is that people tethering can use tons of data, but with streaming audio/video it sounds like it is definitely possible to use just as much.

[veriztd]

I know the iPhone (and PDA) plans aren't technically capped, but does AT&T ever ask people to cut back their usage? It seems a little odd to me that they have a cap for the more expensive tethering plan, but not for the MediaNet, iPhone, or PDA plans. I know the concern is that people tethering can use tons of data, but with streaming audio/video it sounds like it is definitely possible to use just as much.

Just refer to the prior post, there is NO DATA CAP ON iPHONE DATA PLANS.

[i0wnj00]

I know the iPhone (and PDA) plans aren't technically capped, but does AT&T ever ask people to cut back their usage? It seems a little odd to me that they have a cap for the more expensive tethering plan, but not for the MediaNet, iPhone, or PDA plans. I know the concern is that people tethering can use tons of data, but with streaming audio/video it sounds like it is definitely possible to use just as much.

http://www.wireless.att.com/learn/en...al-notices.jsp

Accordingly, AT&T reserves the right to (i) deny, disconnect, modify and/or terminate Service, without notice, to anyone it believes is using the Service in any manner prohibited or whose usage adversely impacts its wireless network or service levels or hinders access to its wireless network, including without limitation, after a significant period of inactivity or after sessions of excessive usage and (ii)...

AT&T may, but is not required to, monitor your compliance, or the compliance of other subscribers, with AT&T's terms, conditions, or policies.

AT&T apparently can do as they see fit, even if the plan is unlimited considering the mere act of streaming audio can hinder the network QoS for others. They may not take away your plan, but it looks like they certainly can ask the customer to stop whatever they were doing, failing that AT&T can probably prevent you from accessing their data network.

It doesn't matter if AT&T has ever asked anybody to cut their usage. Just know that they have discretion in deciding what to do with you if they feel you're having an negative impact on the network. It's the same discretion that police officers have in giving you a ticket if you whiz by at 5 mph over the limit, only this time AT&T is concerned about network performance as result of audio streaming .

[RogerPodacter]

To figure out how much data streaming uses, just add it up. If using a 128kbps stream, that is 128 kilobits per second. So 1 hour of streaming is 60 sec x 60 min = 460800 kilobits. 1KB = 8kb. So that equals 57600 KB, which is 57.6MB for 1 hour.

Hope my math is right, but you get the idea.

[terhett]

If you really eat up the data AT&T will warn you to cut back from what I hear. If you don't after a warning, they will just cancel you.

[medgirl2001]

To figure out how much data streaming uses, just add it up. If using a 128kbps stream, that is 128 kilobits per second. So 1 hour of streaming is 60 sec x 60 min = 460800 kilobits. 1KB = 8kb. So that equals 57600 KB, which is 57.6MB for 1 hour.

Hope my math is right, but you get the idea.

That is helpful. So an hour a day would still be less than 2 GB for a month. I can't see myself streaming more than an hour a day anyway, so that should be okay.

[Justacsr]

Currently there is no cap on IPHONE or PDA unlimited data plans.

ATT recently did institute a cap on devices with data plans that have a 5GB limit and controls were put into place that disable data access once the limit has been reached until the start of the next billing cycle. Not a surprise as I have often had calls from customers with over a thousand dollars in overage charges once the limit was exceeded before this cap was put into place.

The network does have limitations, as was painfully obvious during the inaugural ceremonies, with even text messaging experiencing delays of up to two hours in the local area.

As the number of high speed data devices grows on the network, and that number is growing faster than the network can be updated, it would not suprise me to see further limits implemented. Stay tuned.

[RogerPodacter]

Att just needs to learn how to be vigalent and upgrade their network properly. No other carrier has these probllems of insufficient backhaul to the towers like att does. Its their own fault as they are just plain incompetent regarding keeping their 3g network robust as the years go by. Plain and simple. Verizon can handle their network ok, even the smaller tier 2 carriers do better. Poor att...

[GVRD777]

To figure out how much data streaming uses, just add it up. If using a 128kbps stream, that is 128 kilobits per second. So 1 hour of streaming is 60 sec x 60 min = 460800 kilobits. 1KB = 8kb. So that equals 57600 KB, which is 57.6MB for 1 hour.

Hope my math is right, but you get the idea.

Here is a link to calculating data usage: http://www.genesisenergy.co.nz/genes...1-0FED3070A0B6

Email - Text Only 0.005 MB
Web Page - Average 0.150 MB
Word-processing Document 0.04 MB
Music File (4 minutes) 5.0 MB
Movie trailer (3 minutes) 30 MB
Online Games 33 MB per hour
Streaming Audio (128k) 60 MB per hour
Streaming Video (300k) 140 MB per hour
Digital images 0.2 MB

However, when I use FStream for the iPhone, it records 1 minute of streaming @128 kbps with 10+ MB used on WIFI.

[dogdrjohn]

Just to let everyone know - AT&T has recently instituted a hard cap of 5120mb (5.1gb) on their USB cellular modem. I was routinely using 8-12 gb with no response from AT&T, then June 2010 I used nearly 25gb and got a couple of nasty email telling me to cut back on usage. Then when I hit 5120 mg this month the modem stopped working. I thought it was because of my previous over use, but I asked at the AT&T store and they said they are now capping EVERYBODY - not just overusers like me - at 5 gb (or 200mb or 2 gb in the new data plans). They have posted on their website to former "unlimited" users that they will be limited to 5gb, and if they don't like it they can leave the system. They have always reserved the right to change the rules whenever they want

[awj223]

To figure out how much data streaming uses, just add it up. If using a 128kbps stream, that is 128 kilobits per second. So 1 hour of streaming is 60 sec x 60 min = 460800 kilobits. 1KB = 8kb. So that equals 57600 KB, which is 57.6MB for 1 hour.

Hope my math is right, but you get the idea.

That's an absolute theoretical minimum though. The payload of all packets on the downlink would be 57.6 MB per hour. In practical use, there will be overhead from packet headers as well as from traffic in the other direction (TCP acknowledgements, etc.).

[hwertz]

That sucks. However,

1) At least they are not doing it where you get some massive unexpected bill. I have a grandfathered unlimited plan, and Verizon isn't messing with them, but I for damn sure would prefer a card that cuts off to one that charges me $1000s unexpectedly.

2) They should just throttle. This is what T-Mobile does for users going over the limit, although I'm not sure what speed they throttle to. This is also what Verizon does (eventually..) to aircard users on grandfathered unlimited plans, way down in the fine print they now say they reserve the right to throttle them to 220kbps at 5GB. Although I've gone over that without seeing a throttle, perhaps it is applied manually to people that are rocking it hard like i0wnj00 (I've got to admit using over 1GB a day too a few times, although nowhere near that much at other times.)

On a side note, I'll be interested to see what my friend's data use comes too. He just got a Droid X, he popped a usenet client on there and it was pulling files full tilt. He probably used close to 400MB just while we were eating lunch