Official Manual of Operations
Part the First - What This is About in a Nutshell
The previous Operation Chokehold was about overloading AT&T's network to show them that their customers were angry with poor service. This time, we're attempting to demonstrate how quickly someone can use up 2GB of data (the new monthly cap).
This second operation was triggered by AT&T's announcement on June 2nd regarding new data plan pricing. We concede that for some users, the less expensive $15/month plan is great. However, as time goes on and as applications and devices become more advanced and data-intensive, the monthly plans that seem reasonably priced for now won't seem so appealing anymore. Operation Chokehold 2G intends to prove to the consumer that these lower-priced plans will be a bad marketing tactic in the long term.
Part the Second - The Operation Itself
On Monday, June 7th, at 3:00 PM EDT, immediately following Apple's WWDC keynote, the operation will begin. The goal is to begin using data-heavy applications over AT&T's 3G network (not WiFi), and working to the 2GB finish line.
The instructions below are applicable only to the iPhone. If you have another AT&T smartphone, you're more than welcome to participate in Operation Chokehold 2G, although you'll be on your own for data usage monitoring.
Before proceeding with the operation, be sure to turn off WiFi (Settings > WiFi > Off), and resetting your usage statistics (Settings > General > Usage > Reset Statistics, see picture on the right). If you don't want to reset your statistics, scroll down to the bottom of the page for an alternative method.
You might find it a good idea to turn off iPhone's automatic screen lock. This way, you can leave your iPhone plugged in while constantly using data-intensive applications without shutting off on its own.
You're now ready for the operation. Start using those data-intensive apps and don't forget to have fun!
Part the Third - How to Use Lots and Lots of Data
There's no single solution to using 2GB of data fast. There are, however, lots of different ways to easily do it.
- For one thing, you can just create a large YouTube playlist of long videos and start watching them.
- If you're on a 3G-enabled iPad, start watching Netflix movies or other streaming video content.
- The Ustream app is a great way to watch video as well.
- Skype for iPhone now allows users to make calls over 3G for free. We think this alone will soon result in higher data usage for many average users.
- Grab Download Manager from the App Store, and find large files across the internet to download over 3G. (Thanks Ryan for the tip!)
- Go to a website with large downloadable images and start downloading.
Do not attempt to overload a single website (i.e. the AT&T website) constantly to use data while simultaneously overloading the site's bandwidth. This is known as a Denial of Service attack, which is illegal in the United States. Use common sense when downloading large amounts of data.
Have other ideas for ways to use lots of data? Send us an email at operationchokehold@gmail.com and we'll include your idea in the list above!
Part the Fourth - I've Used 2GB, Now What?
If you're participating in the operation, you've probably been checking your cellular data usage (see picture at right) fairly frequently. Once the Downloaded section is at 2.0GB or higher, take a screenshot (press the Home and power buttons simultaneously) and send us an email at operationchokehold@gmail.com. When taking the screenshot, remember to include the date and time of your last reset (included at the bottom of the page). Your submission will only be valid if the reset time is at or after the start of the operation. Be sure to also mention which time zone you're in, and describe in a few sentences how you achieved the 2GB cap.
An Alternative Method for Checking Data Usage
Thanks to Abraham for this description!
If you don't want to reset your usage statistics, you can dial *DATA# (*3282#) and AT&T will send you a text message with your current data usage for this month. Once you have the current count, you can use the 3G network and then dial it again from time to time to see if you've used another 2GB. If you've recently modified your data or messaging plan, AT&T may not allow you to access the information via *DATA# until your next billing cycle.
Have any questions? Concerned about anything related to Operation Chokehold 2G? Don't hesitate to email us at operationchokehold@gmail.com, and we'll personally respond to you as soon as possible and address your question or concern.
Happy downloading!
