AT&T CEO Acknowledges Rumors of Cellular FaceTime Charges, Says 'Too Early' to Discuss

att logoFollowing yesterday's discovery of a dialog box in the latest iOS 6 beta suggesting that AT&T users may be subject to restrictions or additional charges if they wish to use the FaceTime video calling feature over the carrier's cellular network, the company issued a brief statement simply acknowledging that it was working with Apple and that more information would be released in the future.

TechCrunch now reports that AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson was specifically asked about the issue at Fortune's Brainstorm conference today, with Stephenson saying that it is simply "too early" to discuss how AT&T will handle FaceTime over cellular networks.

“I’ve heard the same rumor,” he said, insisting that for now, AT&T is focused on working with Apple to get the technology stabilized, so “it’s too early to talk about pricing.”

Stephenson's comments certainly do not rule out the idea of additional charges for the feature, and it is even unclear what the carrier's timeline is for supporting it at all. AT&T has on several occasions delayed support of similar features such as tethering and iPad personal hotspot connectivity.

In a separate report today from The Wall Street Journal, Sprint indicated that it will not be charging additional fees for cellular FaceTime usage, considering it part of the customer's existing data package. Verizon, the third major iPhone carrier in the United States, declined to comment on the issue.

Popular Stories

iOS 19 Mock WWDC25 Feature

iOS 19 Expected to Run on These iPhones

Monday March 31, 2025 5:28 pm PDT by
iOS 19 will not be available on the iPhone XR, iPhone XS, or the iPhone XS Max, according a private account on social media site X that has accurately provided information on device compatibility in the past. The iPhone XR, iPhone XS, and iPhone XS Max all have an A12 Bionic chip, so it looks like iOS 19 will discontinue support for that chip. All other iPhones that run iOS 18 are expected...
maxresdefault

Apple Releases iOS 18.4 With Priority Notifications, Ambient Music, New Emoji and More

Monday March 31, 2025 10:03 am PDT by
Apple today released iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4, the fourth major updates to the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 operating system updates that came out last year. iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 come two months after Apple released iOS 18.3 and iPadOS 18.3. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to...
watchOS 11 Thumb 2 1

Apple Releases watchOS 11.4 With Sleep Alarm Update

Tuesday April 1, 2025 10:34 am PDT by
Apple today released watchOS 11.4, the fourth major update to the operating system that runs on the Apple Watch. watchOS 11.4 is compatible with the Apple Watch Series 6 and later, all Apple Watch Ultra models, and the Apple Watch SE 2. watchOS 11.4 can be downloaded on a connected iPhone by opening up the Apple Watch app and going to General > Software Update. To install the new software,...
AirPods Pro Firmware Feature

Apple Releases New Firmware for AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4

Monday March 31, 2025 11:27 am PDT by
Apple today released new firmware updates for all AirPods 4 and AirPods Pro 2 models. The new firmware is version 7E93, up from the 7B21 firmware that was installed on the AirPods Pro 2 and the 7B20 firmware available on the AirPods 4 and AirPods 4 with ANC. It is not immediately clear what new features or changes are included in the new firmware, but we'll update this article should we find ...
iPhone 17 Pro 34ths Perspective

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 10 New Features

Sunday March 23, 2025 10:00 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of March 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
macOS Sequoia Feature

Apple Releases macOS Sequoia 15.4 With Mail Categorization and More

Monday March 31, 2025 10:04 am PDT by
Apple today released macOS Sequoia 15.4, the fourth major update to the macOS Sequoia operating system that launched in September. macOS Sequoia 15.4 comes two months after the launch of macOS Sequoia 15.3. Mac users can download the ‌‌macOS Sequoia‌‌ update through the Software Update section of System Settings. It is available for free on all Macs able to run macOS 15. With...

Top Rated Comments

levitynyc Avatar
166 months ago
Thats the problem!

THERE IS NOTHING TO DISCUSS!!!

DATA IS DATA!

Whether I spend my limited 4GB of data using FaceTime or watching porn, how in the name of all that is holy does it affect AT&T?????

Not to mention that I can tether my iPhone to my Macbook Air and use FaceTime for Mac without a problem.

Do they realize how dumb they sound sometimes?
Score: 67 Votes (Like | Disagree)
palmerc2 Avatar
166 months ago
I'm sure you'll figure out a way, prick.
Score: 54 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Helixc0de Avatar
166 months ago
If I'm charged for FaceTime

If I'm charged extra for FaceTime I'm going to switch carriers. AT&T Sucks!
:apple:
Score: 38 Votes (Like | Disagree)
hobo.hopkins Avatar
166 months ago
It's simply awful that a carrier can dictate how allotted data is used, and charge extra for certain activities. It makes absolutely no sense!
Score: 34 Votes (Like | Disagree)
simplemind Avatar
166 months ago
oh shut up Stephenson... it's my data, I will use it how the hell I want to.

One more thing, improve your damn network man!
Score: 32 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Xenomorph Avatar
166 months ago
AT&T charges a fee when you sign up (even though they have you sign a contract as well).
AT&T charges you for a data package, even if you don't want it.
AT&T sets a very low monthly cap that you are able to use up in just a single day.
AT&T can start charging overage fees within hours of your billing cycle starting.
AT&T charges you again for the SAME DATA when another device connects through your phone.
AT&T charges you again for the SAME DATA when you make a video call.

You can get charged twice, three times, or maybe even four times for the same data they are already over-charging for.

Soon, AT&T will charge an "Entertainment Extra" fee when you load your web browser.

AT&T will charge a "Communications Fee" when you load email.

This is what AT&T wants. Nickel and dimes. It all adds up. BILLIONS of dollars in profits just isn't enough.
Score: 31 Votes (Like | Disagree)