I rarely, if ever felt the heavy throttle with my unlimited data plan. Then again, I don't go crazy with it, so I doubt I ever pushed past their thresholds in congested areas.
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One can hope.
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AT&T Introduces New Data Plans Without Overage Charges
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I rarely, if ever felt the heavy throttle with my unlimited data plan. Then again, I don't go crazy with it, so I doubt I ever pushed past their thresholds in congested areas.
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One can hope.
After dealing with ATT "customer service", I doubt they have a clue as to who and how many of us are left.
The billing software's underlying business logic is predicated on the concept that ATT doesn't make mistakes in billing.
Last summer, my account was hacked & I got billed $800 on overseas calls. I went to the local ATT store and after 15 minutes, the charges were reversed. The next day, they reversed the charges again - giving me an $800 credit on my bill. When I got that bill, I trooped back down to the ATT store - I spent 2 1/2 hours on line with them trying to get the credit removed - no joy - there was literally no way for ATT to remove the erroneous reverse charge - so I got almost 5 months of free use of both phones on my plan.
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Yes Latvia is small.But we also have a pretty low population density (only ~2 million total), yet the area coverage is something like 99%. And we have cheap EU-wide roaming (about to be dropped completely).
I'm not gloating, just comparing. I suspect North American telecom market lacks true competition and fair regulation. And thus the prices are very high and service is relatively poor.
No, you really don't understand the distances involved. I live in El Paso, Tx - If I hop in my car and drive 1392 km east - I am still in Texas. It is farther from New York City to Chicago than it is from Berlin to Moscow.
The US covers most of a continent. If your phone company was putting up towers to cover all of Europe, you would be looking at the same prices.
On most of these plans wouldn't you be better off getting one of the lower plans and adding 10GB for $20???
Get 1 GB for $30 then
No fan discount on the extra data (or rollover probably) but still...
Get 1 GB for $30 then
- add 10GB for $20 and now you have an 11GB plan for $50?
- add another 10GB and you've got 21GB plan for $70?
- 31GB plan for $90?
- and so on...
No fan discount on the extra data (or rollover probably) but still...
If only t-mobile had decent signal. I tried them for a weak and could not get signal anywhere. Theoretically they have a great price, but the poor signal kills the deal.
to be honest AT&T changes their data plans every few months, so i'm just gonna wait for the 10th anniversary iPhone (3 years between new phones, can it be done?). the whole sharing thing combined with leasing the phone has me thinking they'll have to pry my unlimited plans (iphone and ipad) from my cold dead fingers.
#drama
#drama
I guess you mean the entire rest of the world where data charges are more reasonable? FWIW here in the UK I recently took out a 12 month plan with the operator Three which gives me 15GB data for GBP20 including freedom to use it without roaming charges throughout the USA (and many other countries besides).
I fully understand the distances. Once I actually took a Greyhound bus from New York to Minneapolis (with transfer at Chicago). It was a 2 day nightmare. Really regretted not flying (but it was nice to see a bit of Chicago though).
I travel across Europe with car quite often (my sister lives in London, I have friends in Germany, vacation in Spain, France, Italy, Slovakia etc.). The service across Europe in general is pretty great and reasonably priced. Roaming used to be expensive, but now thanks to EU regulation it is very cheap and about to end completely in June 2017 (so in that regard EU will become even more like US, single market).
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As I said in another post, I'm just comparing. You should demand from your operators more, much better service and better prices. But that is hard without real competition - and the lack of it is probably the fault of your politicians, who work for the lobbies of corporations, not the general public. I'm not saying Europe doesn't have the same problems (there is a good documentary about the nasty lobbying in Brussels), but these problems seem much more prominent in the "free market" US.
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Does your chart include the new service fees? If so then I save money as I'm on the 25GB plan now.
Unlimited Data and get there msgs about throttling every month. Netflix and Youtube. Take away the unlimited data and iPhone gets sold and go back to a basic flip phone. These companies are raping the consumer
What do I have to say to retention department to get 20gb for $100? I currently have the 15gb plan. Is there a specific number or do I have to ask for that department.
As a long time AT&T customer, I'm disappointed by this move. It's so "Verizon-esque". Sneaky pricing increases dressed up as some sort of a gift to their customers. Had they left the per phone charge alone ($15) I'd say this looks nice, but instead they raise the per line charge to $20 but tout "No overages". Who, in this day and age, has overages? If you're unable to manage your data usage and/or buy the right plan so you don't go over, I guess you deserve 128k speed.
Instead of TMobile's UN-CARRIER features making the competition give their customers more, it seems to be having the opposite effect, making TMobile look even more fantastic.
No thanks, ATT. I'll stick with my current 10GB plan, with rollover, and 10GB bonus data they give me each month, 6 lines for $170/mo.
Instead of TMobile's UN-CARRIER features making the competition give their customers more, it seems to be having the opposite effect, making TMobile look even more fantastic.
No thanks, ATT. I'll stick with my current 10GB plan, with rollover, and 10GB bonus data they give me each month, 6 lines for $170/mo.
This seems incredible expensive. I'm on the best operator of our country (The Netherlands) and I'm getting 10GB a month with free 128kbps data hereafter, 500 mins calling and unlimited text for a mere €25. With an iPhone 6S+ 16GB without paying an additional fee for the phone itself, the monthly price would be a simple €45 on a 2-year contract. So as far as I can see the prices are incredibly high, aren't they?
I mean, 80$ for 10GB a month, text and calling free of charge. And you have to pay an additional 20$ if you want a phone maximes this to more than double of our fee? That's sick..
I mean, 80$ for 10GB a month, text and calling free of charge. And you have to pay an additional 20$ if you want a phone maximes this to more than double of our fee? That's sick..
Maybe my maths is just off. Currently, I'm on a 10GB. Why would I want to increase to a 16GB plan, AND pay an additional $20 per smartphone on said plan (there are five smartphones on my account)?
TERRIBLE. Why do companies think they can roll out more expensive, less functional plans and spin it as better for anyone but themselves? Are you kidding me, AT&T? This may potentially benefit some folks but they continue to strangle their lowest tiers so you're forced into the middle tiers for typical usage. If you want to constantly worry or literally don't use your phone for anything, then the lowest tiers are just for you! Sad.
FWIW, besides the Big Four US wireless carriers, the US has a decent amount of other wireless carriers (that don't get MacRumor articles). Most are regional and only offer native service in areas the size of some European countries, but they exist, and many of them compete against the Big Four.
Here's a list of other wireless carriers in the US that operate their own networks:
Adams Networks
Appalachian Wireless
Big River Broadband
Big Sky Mobile
Blaze Wireless
Blue Wireless
Bluegrass Cellular
Breakaway Wireless
Broadpoint
Bug Tussel Wireless
C Spire Wireless
Carolina West Wireless
Cellcom
Cellular One of East Arizona
Cellular One
Chariton Valley Wireless
Chat Mobility
Choice Wireless
former Amerilink Wireless
Choice Wireless
Cleartalk
affiliate of Clear Talk Wireless
Clear Talk Wireless
Colorado Valley Communications
Commnet Wireless (wholesale)
CTC Wireless
Custer Telephone Cooperative
DTC Wireless
ETC
Enhanced Telecommunication Corporation
Evolve Broadband
Farmers Mutual Telephone Company
FTC Wireless
iWireless
Illinois Valley Cellular
Indigo Wireless
Infrastructure Networks
Inland Cellular
Limitless Mobile
Mid-Rivers Communications
MobileNation
Nemont
includes Sagebrush Cellular
Nex-Tech Wireless
NMobile
NNTC Wireless
NorthwestCell
NVC
Phoenix Communications
Pine Belt Wireless
Pine Cellular
Pioneer Cellular
PTCI
Red Zone Wireless
Rock Wireless
S and R Communications
Shentel
Silver Star Communications
Snake River PCS
SouthernLINC
•Including hosted virtual operators
IMS Wi-Fi calling[23]
Sprocket Wireless
•Also known as Cross Wireless
SRT Communications
STRATA Networks
IMS Wi-Fi calling[26]
Thumb Cellular
Triangle Mobile
Union Wireless
United Wireless
•Includes Westlink Communications
U.S. Cellular
Viaero Wireless
VTel
West Central Wireless
•Including Right Wireless and Five Star Wireless
Here's a list of MVNO "carriers" that resell access to the Big Four's networks for less $$ than the Big Four's plans:
Affinity Cellular
AirVoice Wireless
Armed Forces Wireless
Black Wireless
Boost Mobile
campusSIMs
CellNUVO
CALLMR
Cellular Abroad
Charge Communication
Chit Chat Mobile
Consumer Cellular
Credo Mobile
Cricket Wireless
China Telecom Americas (CTExcel)
Defense Mobile
EcoMobile
envie mobile
Español Mobile
Expo Mobile
FamilyTalk Wireless
Flash Wireless
FMP Communications
good2GO Mobile
GoSmart Mobile
GreatCall
H2O Wireless
KDDI Mobile
Harbor Mobile
Helio
Infinium Wireless
i-wireless
Jaguar Mobile
Jolt Mobile
Kajeet
KidsConnect
Krew Mobile
Liberty Wireless
LycaMobile
Madstar Mobile
MetroPCS
Mobal
NET10 Wireless
NetZero
NTT DoCoMo USA
OTG Mobile
Page Plus Cellular
Patriot Mobile
Pix Wireless
Project Fi
Proven Wireless
Pure TalkUSA
Puppy Wireless
Ready Mobile
Red Pocket Mobile
Republic Wireless
Ring Plus, Inc
ROK Mobile
Scratch Wireless
Selectel Wireless
Simple Mobile
SkyView Wireless
Speed Talk Mobile
Straight Talk
Telcel América
Tello US
Tempo Telecom
TextNow
The People's Operator USA
Ting
Total Call Mobile
TotalWireless
Touch Mobile
TracFone
Ultra Mobile
Univision Mobile
UppWireless
US Mobile
UVA Mobile
UWT Mobile
Value Wireless
Virgin Mobile USA
Walmart Family Mobile
Wireless Services US
ZingPCS
ZIP SIM
I think that is why I find it so ridiculous. At&T better not ever take unlimited from us.
The game ran its course here in about 2 weeks. Most of the data is video (Netflix, You Tube, and Amazon Prime) as we spend time in the car for sports. I and the rest of the family use the highest quality settings. Why not, we are not limited on data. Sure they can throttle at a certain point but its rare they do in my experience.
That's the boat I'm in now. I just pulled 75/19 on 3 bars in Speedtest, but I only have 1 bar in most of the places I frequent, and I think my battery is draining quicker because of it. So I'm going back to the Death Star this weekend. I'd rather have more 'normal' speeds but better coverage.
Here's another sneaky thing about that access fee increase. We are all now paying full prices for our phones. To offset that since AT&T is no longer subsidizing phones, AT&T gave us a "discount" of $25/month off the access fee of $40/month. Since before we could upgrade every 20 months, that was worth $500 towards the full price of a phone. Now that discount is only $20/month so that is now only $400 towards the phone.
What next? Keep chipping away at that discount until we are paying full price for phones AND paying full price for phone service?
What next? Keep chipping away at that discount until we are paying full price for phones AND paying full price for phone service?
It is just that this is IT related. People have become used to seeing lower prices for that retail sector than pretty much anywhere else in the world. Whether the price disparity is all that after local taxes are taken into account is another matter. Having said that, the perception of US + computers = cheaper than here still obtains. This is why those super high ATT prices stick out. It seems to be a reversal of fortunes and consequently attracts comment.
I don't think this is close to the reason. There are similarly sparsely populated parts of Europe, like Norway and Sweden with vast distances, less than optimal climate and tricky geography to contend with. Prices there are still much lower than in the US even without the latter's economy of scale. The reality is that it is mostly the same few conglomerates in charge of mobile infrastructure all over Europe and the US. Building regulations are also an issue in Europe, particularly in the more built up areas. You cannot put up a mast anywhere without dealing with a ton of red tape, which drives up costs.
Overall, I think it is a wash in terms of hurdles to climb. You pay more because not enough are voting (or can) with their wallets.