A growing number of AT&T subscribers on the MacRumors forums appear to be having issues downloading apps and streaming music over LTE, with some claiming AT&T is throttling App Store downloads and Apple Music content.
When connected to Wi-Fi, users report that apps download normally, but over LTE, app downloads do not progress. Other users are reporting issues streaming content from the Apple Music app, with songs that start and then hang. As described by MacRumors reader Blizaine:
I have three different iOS devices. Two are running iOS 9.0.1 and one is running iOS 8.4.1. When they are connected to wifi, apps download fine. When on LTE, the app just sits there and the progress bar does not move, even after a very long period of time. When I run a speed test over LTE, I'm getting a solid 10-15Mbps down (3-4 bars).
Also, i have a VPN configured on one of the iOS 9.0.1 devices and when I enable the VPN over LTE, apps download fine. One of the devices also uses a different iTunes account. I supposed it could be a regional problem. I'm in Indianapolis Indiana, USA. I've tried toggling the Download over Cellular option off and on and I've reset the network settings on one device and even did a factory reset on another, with no success.
Verizon and T-Mobile users do not appear to be experiencing any issues downloading content over LTE, suggesting the problem is limited to AT&T subscribers. Affected customers are using a range of iPhone and iPads, including the iPhone 4s, iPhone 6, iPhone 6s, and iPad Air 2.
One MacRumors reader contacted AT&T's Advanced Tech Support line and was told that this is an issue AT&T has been receiving multiple calls over. AT&T support claimed it was a problem related to iOS 9/iOS 9.0.1 that would be fixed with iOS 9.0.2, but yesterday's iOS 9.0.2 release does not seem to have fixed the problem for most users.
It is likely the trouble people are running into downloading apps and songs over LTE is a bug and not intentional throttling. Some users who are having trouble with downloads are also reporting slow speeds, pointing towards a possible network issue, but others say their LTE speeds are normal. The issue may also be limited to specific geographical areas, as there are some in California and Colorado that are not experiencing problems.
The problem seems to have begun over the past few days, and it does appear that AT&T is making an effort to fix it, with some users reporting intermittent success getting app downloads and Apple Music to work today.
Top Rated Comments
It took me an hour to download a 15Mb app while I had my brother on Mobile try it and it downloaded in 2 seconds.
My other apps were loading just fine. AT&T better not be pulling any crap on me.