Dallas - Jul 29, 2011 - AT&T users with smartphones with unlimited data plans on their network may have their data rates reduced should they happen to be among the top 5 percent of the heaviest users during the billing period. Those users would see their data rate return to normal at the beginning of the next billing period. The changes start on Oct. 1, 2011.

According to AT&T's statement: "The amount of data usage of our top 5 percent of heaviest users varies from month to month, based on the usage of others and the ever-increasing demand for mobile broadband services. To rank among the top 5 percent, you have to use an extraordinary amount of data in a single billing period.

"Typically what puts someone in the top 5 percent is streaming very large amounts of video and music daily over the wireless network, not Wi-fi. Streaming video apps, remote Web camera apps, sending large data files (like video) and some online gaming are examples of applications that can use data quickly."