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AT&T Launches New No Contract Subsidiary Today

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mattwallace24

macrumors regular
Original poster
Nov 25, 2010
180
8
Connecticut
Just saw that AT&T is launching Aio Wireless today. They say it is targeted at value-conscious customers who don't want an annual contract. Initially offered in Tampa, Orlando, and Houston expanding over the next year. Looks like it will be distributed via an independent dealer network.

Good news for consumers looking for this type of plan. Will Verizon quickly follow?

Bad news for T-Mobile. If I'm happy with AT&T's network, but like no contract, now I have no reason to jump to T-Mobile. T-Mobile had their moment of glory, changed the industry, and now goes back to being a 2nd tier carrier.
 
osofast240sx

osofast240sx

macrumors 68030
Mar 25, 2011
2,539
16
mattwallace24 said:
Just saw that AT&T is launching Aio Wireless today. They say it is targeted at value-conscious customers who don't want an annual contract. Initially offered in Tampa, Orlando, and Houston expanding over the next year. Looks like it will be distributed via an independent dealer network.

Good news for consumers looking for this type of plan. Will Verizon quickly follow?

Bad news for T-Mobile. If I'm happy with AT&T's network, but like no contract, now I have no reason to jump to T-Mobile. T-Mobile had their moment of glory, changed the industry, and now goes back to being a 2nd tier carrier.
Click to expand...
no reason humm here are some reasons
1. Unlimited data $50
2. Unlimited 4G/LTE $70
3. Unlimited face time over cellular
4. VoIP
5. HD voice
6. Wifi calling(coming soon)
7. Will be the first to offer LTEa
I can go on and on

Nothing 2nd teir about T-Mobile. The amount of customers AT&T has means nothing over quality.
 
H

hexonxonx

macrumors 601
Jul 4, 2007
4,610
1
Denver Colorado
mattwallace24 said:
Just saw that AT&T is launching Aio Wireless today. They say it is targeted at value-conscious customers who don't want an annual contract. Initially offered in Tampa, Orlando, and Houston expanding over the next year. Looks like it will be distributed via an independent dealer network.

Good news for consumers looking for this type of plan. Will Verizon quickly follow?

Bad news for T-Mobile. If I'm happy with AT&T's network, but like no contract, now I have no reason to jump to T-Mobile. T-Mobile had their moment of glory, changed the industry, and now goes back to being a 2nd tier carrier.
Click to expand...

Not if you can't get dependable data speeds and make a call without it dropping. This is why I switched to T-Mobile.
 
B

barkomatic

macrumors 601
Aug 8, 2008
4,520
2,821
Manhattan
It seems to be similar to a lot of other MVNOs. Also, their "4G" plans top out at 4mb per second, which isn't bad, but not the best. Their "unlimited" data plans are similar to how other MVNO's are structured-- which is to say you have limited full speed data and then unusable speed after that.

I don't see them as being much competition to T-mobile.
 
H

hexonxonx

macrumors 601
Jul 4, 2007
4,610
1
Denver Colorado
barkomatic said:
It seems to be similar to a lot of other MVNOs. Also, their "4G" plans top out at 4mb per second, which isn't bad, but not the best. Their "unlimited" data plans are similar to how other MVNO's are structured-- which is to say you have limited full speed data and then unusable speed after that.

I don't see them as being much competition to T-mobile.
Click to expand...

4Mbps, wow. I am getting 17-26Mbps on T-Mobile on the $30 plan. I used to get 0.00-1.5Mbps if I were lucky which I wasn't.
 
C

CEmajr

macrumors 601
Dec 18, 2012
4,450
1,230
Charlotte, NC
It's not slowing down or stopping Tmobile anymore than Net10 or H20 stopped them. Capped out at 4mbps is pretty low considering I get 18-25mbps down on the iPhone with Tmobile.

It's good that competition has forced AT&T to react though. If priced competitively it will hit harder at companies like straightalk moreso than anyone.
 
B

Baggio

macrumors 6502
Oct 18, 2012
442
1
osofast240sx said:
no reason humm here are some reasons
1. Unlimited data $50
2. Unlimited 4G/LTE $70
3. Unlimited face time over cellular
4. VoIP
5. HD voice
6. Wifi calling(coming soon)
7. Will be the first to offer LTEa
I can go on and on

Nothing 2nd teir about T-Mobile. The amount of customers AT&T has means nothing over quality.
Click to expand...

T-Mobile national coverage is why they are 2nd tier. All that tech is meaningless until they get better coverage across the US. I would seriously consider them, but their coverage isn't consistent for my usage outside of area where I live. I live in a fairly urban area and the coverage is still 3rd behind Verizon and AT&T and I can't risk it if I travel. And if they ever get that coverage that pricing won't be there either. There is reason the plans are so cheap and that's because of coverage.
 
osofast240sx

osofast240sx

macrumors 68030
Mar 25, 2011
2,539
16
Baggio said:
T-Mobile national coverage is why they are 2nd tier. All that tech is meaningless until they get better coverage across the US. I would seriously consider them, but their coverage isn't consistent for my usage outside of area where I live. I live in a fairly urban area and the coverage is still 3rd behind Verizon and AT&T and I can't risk it if I travel. And if they ever get that coverage that pricing won't be there either. There is reason the plans are so cheap and that's because of coverage.
Click to expand...
Travel we're? So u roam on AT&T network. Win win. If anyone should be on AT&T it should be me.
 
B

Baggio

macrumors 6502
Oct 18, 2012
442
1
osofast240sx said:
Travel we're? So u roam on AT&T network. Win win. If anyone should be on AT&T it should be me.
Click to expand...

I tested them locally, and didn't like he coverage, so I wasn't interested in testing it out elsewhere in the US. I have AT&T and I am satisfied with their coverage.
 
lordofthereef

lordofthereef

macrumors G5
Nov 29, 2011
13,161
3,720
Boston, MA
I'm not sure why AT&T has decided to offer this under a different name. Maybe test markets? I guess I don't see why they don't just offer this as AT&T prepaid?
 
B

barkomatic

macrumors 601
Aug 8, 2008
4,520
2,821
Manhattan
lordofthereef said:
I'm not sure why AT&T has decided to offer this under a different name. Maybe test markets? I guess I don't see why they don't just offer this as AT&T prepaid?
Click to expand...

I think it's a branding issue. They want "AT&T" to be "premium" so they can charge higher prices to those customers, while offering discount service to others under a different name. The vast majority of people on MVNOs have no idea they are actually on the network of a major carrier.
 
H

hexonxonx

macrumors 601
Jul 4, 2007
4,610
1
Denver Colorado
Baggio said:
I tested them locally, and didn't like he coverage, so I wasn't interested in testing it out elsewhere in the US. I have AT&T and I am satisfied with their coverage.
Click to expand...

It also depends on the phone you have. I have used my 4S on T-Mobile and have spotty 4G coverage. At home, the speeds are amazing, from 6-10Mbos, speeds I never saw with AT&T or Verizon.

On my Nexus 4, I get excellent 4G speeds everywhere I go but that is also because the phone is designed for T-Mobiles frequencies.
 
B

Baggio

macrumors 6502
Oct 18, 2012
442
1
hexonxonx said:
It also depends on the phone you have. I have used my 4S on T-Mobile and have spotty 4G coverage. At home, the speeds are amazing, from 6-10Mbos, speeds I never saw with AT&T or Verizon.

On my Nexus 4, I get excellent 4G speeds everywhere I go but that is also because the phone is designed for T-Mobiles frequencies.
Click to expand...

You are in Denver, which one of the best coverage locations for T-Mobile. It seems like any major urban city gets decent coverage, but drive 30 minutes out of town and T-Mobile drops to Edge, because it lacks 3G/4G in those areas. Even on the AWS frequencies.
 
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