I, too, have thought about this. Here is the thing. The vast majority of people using an iPhone AT&T) get it subsidized. That means AT&T needs a way to make back the money they are paying towards the phone you have. There is no way in hell they are going to allow you to drop that $15 plan per line. If they did, they'd have to extend the contract longer and raise the ETF.
What I cannot understand is why they don't allow dropping the data plan, or give you a lower monthly rate, if you pay for the handset in full. I know TMO allows this (maybe others do too?) and that seems to make sense to me. That said, we have TMO floundering and ATT rolling in the cash, so that likely has everything to do with it.
I am the first one to admit that $15 for 200mb of data is an absurd price, but they need to make the money back somehow, and I certainly understand that too. For this reason, I doubt we will ever see a family data model, at least not any time soon. I blame Americans for their lust for "cheap" phones. If we were all willing to just pay the dang retail price for the phone and actually keep the phone for more than a year, things would be wonderful. But no, we want a $200 phone and a monthly plan under $50 that somehow also keeps the company who is providing us service in business.
I CAN see a rollover plan that is a per line rollover, and I do see that as being very valuable, and something ATT can legitimately afford to do. You have a 2GB plan but average 1.5GB a month. You go on a trip at the end of the year where your only internet access is your smartphone. You now have 6GB+ to use safely for that month. It also gives you a cushion for the off month that you happen to use something like 2.1GB.
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They have staggered the innovation to maximize profits and the end result is that US got slower internet connection than Romania and other Easter European countries which are part of EU. For example in Poland I can get 3G 4Gb data plan for 15USD, in US AT&T offers me 200mb for $15. And the end result is that US in recession.
I agree with a lot of what you had to say. What is VERY important to understand though, is the US is a different beast when it comes to providing mobile voice and data service. Why? Because it's HUGE! Take Romania, for example. It's about the size of Michigan. Poland? About the size of New Mexico. So, we have covered 2 of the 50 states (and there are a handful of states that are far bigger than that). Look at it another way... we have covered about 7% of the entire US map with just those two states. It's quite a bit more expensive to set up shop in the USA as a provider than it is in any single country in Europe.
To touch a little bit on what I said before, but responding directly to your post this time, do any of the carriers providing the data you quoted subsidize the cost of the phone in Poland/Romania, or do you end up having to pay full retail for an unlocked phone? This plays a big roll as well. I know a lot of european countries require phones be unlocked and off contract.
Also, I am not sure that you meant to imply this, but based on how you worded that last sentence, it seems you are saying that the US is in a recession due to cellular service providers?
