AT&T to support Data Sense for Windows Phone? It's a possibility

By Rich Edmonds
published

AT&T has said it's exploring the possibility on whether or not to support Microsoft's Data Sense service for Windows Phone 8 devices on the network. The service, unveiled by Microsoft last year helps consumers control and manage their data allowances to ensure limits aren't breached and high costs added to the account. Data Sense compresses users' data transmissions in order to reduce data consumption.

According to Microsoft, the technology can provide up to 45 percent more web browsing than if the service wasn't activated (or on another platform). Users are also alerted when data allowances are being reached. AT&T provided the following response to FierceWireless:

"We are exploring Data Sense and how to optimize the experience for our customers. In the meantime, we recommend customers use the myAT&T app to track their data usage, as well as manage other aspects of their AT&T account."

Currently Verizon makes use of Data Sense on Microsoft's Windows Phone 8 platform, which is especially handy for those with a carrier-exclusive Lumia 822 or HTC 8X. As AT&T is branded as a premium partner for Microsoft in the states, it would make sense for the companies to work together to bring Data Sense to customers.

Source: Fierce Mobile Content; thanks, Edith, for the tip!

Rich Edmonds
Rich Edmonds
Senior Editor, PC Build

Rich Edmonds was formerly a Senior Editor of PC hardware at Windows Central, covering everything related to PC components and NAS. He's been involved in technology for more than a decade and knows a thing or two about the magic inside a PC chassis. You can follow him on Twitter at @RichEdmonds.

86 Comments
  • Tbh I don't even use this feature on my 8x with Verizon.
  • You should. The data usage tracking is neat (although arguably less useful for people on "share everything" plans). But the website compression is super awesome -- if for no other reason than it makes websites load noticeably faster, even on 4G.
  • Just gotta figure how to set it up lol.
  • Go to IE's settings, then advanced settings, then make sure "Reduce data use by sending URLs to the Data Sense service" is checked.
  • Windows Phone is a best choice in future because it has nice interface and security applications. bingo sites
  • I see Nokia is trying to adopt Samsungs mentality; flood the market with your smartphones, and drub everyone else out. I don't think HTC, Huawei, or Samsung have any shot at getting good WP8 sales with Nokia around.
  • wow bingo great news if nokia is i strying to adopt samsun policies .it is god sign its  will boost nokia market which is dyeing any way  lets expect for something good out of it
  • That won't happen. How would ATT be able to rape its customers with overage charges if they help us stay under? That would be good customer service and we all know ATT isn't about that.
  • A little change isn't bad, you know.
  • That's exactly what I read into the response from at&t. They'll "look into it" but doubt they'll implement it.
  • Yeah, like Verizon charging $36 per year with state and local communications tax for Visual Voicemail.
    Thank goodness for the useful Data Sense.
  • They already send a text message when you are approaching your limited. It would be easier to have the functionality built in.
  • I love how because cell providers give us service they see fit to control our most personal computers. US consumers really need to break the habit of staying with one provider for ten years at a time.
  • Maybe we would if we had the option of buying any phone we want, to use it on any carrier we want.
  • That'd be nice!
  • Expansys.com they sell, mostly, unlocked devices.
  • Amazon, expansys, ebay, negri. Unlocked phones are great! The thing is, VZW uses CDMA and not GSM. But, the cool thing is that when you get phones from them (e.g. 8X, DNA), they are global ready and can be used with any GSM service. You have to pay a lot though.
  • I wish I knew more about what it does behind the scenes. I have it on my 8x, but since I have unlimited data, I don't really know what to do with it
  • You have unlimited on Verizon?
  • Probably bought his phone in full and didn't sign an agreement to keep his unlimited.
  • I don't even care about its compression / data saving features that require server side work from AT&T. All I want is the app on the phone that tells me how much data the apps are using. Is that so much to ask??
  • No, its not at all.. Great idea!!!!!
  • And that is what DataSense can do (with many other things very very usefull!)
  • That's all I want it for as well. I hope Rogers can get on board with this. Those as another said, these company make a pretty penny off overage charges.
  • Exactly. At that shouldn't require the carrier to implement anything, right? I mean, it's there on Android.
  • Att will never bring this in. They want my money and don't care about me. :(
  • Data Sense is awesome. I love it on my Verizon 8x. I have it pinned to my start screen, and it flips to show how much data I have remaining. The best part of Data Sense is seeing the data consumption per app.
  • +1
  • +2 - Would like to have this option.
  • +2
  • +10000
  • +1. Love it on mine and agree, data consumption per app has been very, very useful.
  • Data consumption is not a concern... I got the 3GB a month and most of the time I'm connected to wifi. The world is at my finger tips gentlemen. 
  • That's you, but for very many, especially those who tether, data usage is a big issue, especially if you're facing more charges, and are on a budget..
  • :(
  • FU.. A$$ hole.. Lol!! Just joking..
  • You c##k sucker m####r f####r piece of s##t a## hole d##k head.. Lol!! Just joking..
  • Give us this already. My cousin keeps going over his data plan.
  • The problem with AT&T and thier my* apps, is that if you are on a business account, none of the my* accounts work.  Taking this into consideration, I would love data sense support for AT&T.
  • Yeah I'm having a really hard time keeping up with my data usage, even with at&t's app. I need something that shows my data usage in real time! Does anybody know of any apps that can help, or does anyone have any idea of what I can do to more accurately keep track of my data in real time?? Real time is the key here, not at&ts app which takes days to update the usage
  • Try 3282#, I use it all the time, it should be under v in the apps for view data usage
  • Did nothing on my phone except show me my phone number. 920 on at&t.
  • On AT&T, In the dialer Enter *3282# and hit the call button. You'll get an acknowledgment shortly followed by a text with your current data usage. Btw, 3282 Is data on the keypad. I think there is mins, and several others as well.
  • Yup sorry missed the star in front, also not in apps but under people hub
  • Create a contact using *3282# and pin it.
  • This is why Wp8 is doomed! Data Sense on your Flagship device? Of course that would make too much sense. I can't believe Microsoft actually believes it can compete in the smartphone market and consistently drop the ball over and over.
  • It's not Microsoft! It's AT&T that's not letting it happen.
  • http://www.wpcentral.com/users/phasar
    This guy almost exclusively bashes windows phone. There's no point to feed him.
  • This is WP forum in case you didn't know. And yes, I do bash WP for being totally inept. I could name numerous decisions that would convince a thinking person to believe that WP is doomed to failure because of the ineptness of Microsoft and Nokia!
  • What really irritates me is that MS once more bent to carriers wishes and allowed them to decide about data sense. Built the functionality in the damn phone and you have another reason to say that WP8 is better than the competition. But once again the racket dictates "what is best for customers".... Yes right!
  • And 99% of every other carrier out there.
    Most of us will never get to use this feature. It sucks.
  • It is MS that bent, as usual, to carriers dictates and did not built the functionalities straight in the OS.
    I had the counter feature built in my MicroTac in 1990.
    Leaving the power to implement it to carriers.... and they will have first to verify if it is "useful" for customers. Yes sure!
  • You are a complete dumb ass. You hear me! Let me say it once again.. YOU ARE A COMPLETE STUPID FUCK!
  • I just want Nokia Counters on my Lumia 920 D:
  • Really could've used it while roaming in Europe. The myATT app's network billing backend is slow to update. I'm back in the states and I've only seen a small fraction show up.
  • Yawn...get a decent plan and use WiFi at home.
  • Yawn... I have both but would still love data sense for the additional info. Mainly how much data is used per app.
  • Att will implement Data Sense when their network becomes overloaded and only then. They will mess around and blame this and that and won't let it run on their network. Hopefully MS or Nokia finds a way around that.
  • Possibilty my ass.  Just do it AT&T.  Pretty please.  :D
  • Why microsoft relies on Carriers to do so many things (data sense, restore, etc....) is beyond me.
  • Simple solution... Do as three do in the UK, build a HSDPA2+ network "built for the internet" and offer truely unlimited data. Problem solved.
  • I though this was only limited exclusive for Verizon, for like 6 months or so and then everyone gets it. I don't see at$t getting it so they can force you to use there my at$t app instead. All of a sudden, were looking to see how best to optimize it. Just put the damn thing on our phones. Don't really use internet on phone anyway but wood be nice to have I guess.
  • Oops, like how I spelled wood. I meant would.
  • I could have just edited it but didn't feel like it. Thought would be easier to just write a correction on the bottom. Its nit, should have edited. Oh well, live and learn.
  • Oops like how I spelled nit. I meant not.
  • Didn't Joe say it was coming to other US carriers in Q1 of this year? Plus they're supposed to be delivering some new wallet features... clock is ticking!
  • I miss the Counters app on WP8.
    This thing of giving carriers control over this App is utter bullshit. This Data Sense business is just a free-pass for carriers to suck money out of us. I just hope Nokia goes around this and releases Counters for WP8 too.
  • @NokiaCareUS says it is not coming to wp8 :(
  • Technically it shouldn't be necessary since there's Data Sense. Except Microsoft left that App in the hands of carriers and they are clearly refusing to put it on the phones.
    I hope Nokia Europe releases Counters. Then maybe Nokia US will follow. That or Microsoft decides to do the normal thing and release the App for everyone.
  • No it shouldn't be necessary but carriers suck :P
  • I suppose it's a great app for Verizon... The only thing is that there are 3 phones that can currently use that app on Verizon alone.
  • It would be nice if Rogers did this too... This is visual voice mail for WP on Rogers would be great. I hope someone from their company reads these postings.
  • They'd better support it. It was a huge bullet point for the OS and everytime I see it on my dad's 8x I get jealous.
  • Remember how Joe said Data Sense was also suppose to come to WP7 as an app? Yea, that's as likely to happen as Sprint announcing a 7.8 upgrade for the Arrive.
  • A little off topic but just got a response on twitter from @NokiaCareUS about the Counters app and they said it will not be coming to wp8.....wtf Nokia
  • Nokia are getting worse by the hour, it seems... Totally nonsensical decision, by all accounts.
  • Totally agree, at least give us some form of functionality if the stupid carriers won't.....
  • I hope Rogers would have this too. Probably not cuz they have "My Rogers"- - super slow
  • I swapped my Lumia 920 for a GS3 because this app (and no thers like it) were available on EE in the UK.
    This should be classed as a basic feature. I'm surprised this isn't even available to all WP devices.
  • While it seems against their interests to reduce data use and lose revenue, the networks are congested and this will only get worse. LTE is more efficient than 3G but people will use their phones even more if the experience is good, ie. no buffering.
  • (This sounds like a troll comment but its not) BlackBerry's compress data by default.  This was a feature that Mike and Jim thought would propel BB's ahead of the pack (and it did for a while) because they predicted that demand for data would out pace bandwidth.  Carrier's quickly realized that data compression = less revenue, and in my opinion is one of the reasons the carriers just don't push BB's like they used to.  (sure throw in the comment that BB's are crap, but this is still one of the reasons).  Data compression comes in very handy when you are in a situation where the cell towers are overloaded with traffic - you can get a BB message through long after every other phone gets stopped in its tracks.  I think data compression (either by app or built in) is a great feature.  But I'd be surprised if the carriers liked it.  Less $ for them.
  • This functionality would be very nice to have, but honestly, after paying more to upgrade my UVerse plan to support the Cellular Apps, I moved to AT&T specifically for the App after being told by their sales person how awesome it was. I purchased my Nokia 920 and downloaded their App only to learn it's 10.00/month more... Then I went to USE the app. Looks like a fith grader with a box of crayons tried to make it. Thought it might just be me and read review after review of very upset customers. Many who moved from other platforms only to find the App is a joke on the Win platform and the additional cost an absolute insult. So when and if AT&T decides to support this functionality and support it fully... believe it when I see it, oh and that's also if they don't charge an extra 10/month to use it...
  • ATT, the company that make you get a 5gb data plan, even though you use less than 3gb, just for the privilege of flipping the "Internet Sharing" button on your phone. Data Sense, what's in it for ATT, not going to happen. Or they will charge extra for it, so you don't actually save any goddamn money.
  • I'm another one who has it on my Verizon 8X and I dont use it. I checked on Verizon's site and I have already used 1.9gb of data this month and I am only 1/2 way through the month. I also have Unlimited data (grabbed a used 8X for a unreal deal). All I have to say, is I have great LTE coverage in my home and it's even faster than my wi-fi connection, so I never us Wi-fi at home (wish I could remove the caps on downloading apps because it would be faster)
    I would package it up and give it to AT&T users but, there is no offical hacks for WP8 yet so I can't create a XAP and send it over....YET...
  • Sprint don't need this due to all you can eat unlimited data lol... Sprint will announce wp8 in mobile world congress in Spain which will be available in summer. Lets see if he will give me bad comments
  • Robbie, tell us how you really feel.  
    Though I concour, it is sad they have been able to block this app.  I use it on a Verizon Windows phone.