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AT&T Introduces New Data Plans Without Overage Charges

MacRumors said:



AT&T has introduced new Mobile Share Advantage plans that eliminate data overage charges. Instead, after customers use all of their high-speed data amounts, all data usage will be reduced to a maximum of 128 kbps for the rest of their bill cycle, akin to what T-Mobile has offered for several years.

​

Old Plans
- 2GB for $30/month

New Plans
- 1GB for $30/month


BRILLIANT!
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I'll just stick to my TMO 3GB LTE $40/MO PPD for now.
 
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gsmornot said:
I can't wait until the DTV Unlimited plans include the ability to use hotspot.
If you're using one of the plans listed here, many of the prices are indeed better and can't complain too much about the loss of overage fees.
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What makes you think they will?
 
I'll still be keeping the unlimited. $220 for 5 lines beats this pricing. Especially if you bring your own unlocked devices.
 
ATT is doing this because they know many people won't switch over.
BTW: does this also affect 2 year plan people as well? After 2 years they would have to jump to this, right?
 
My wife and I are always on wifi. According to AT&T, we used 1.54GB out of 20GB. I had called to lower the plan, but due to a discount I receive, it was cheaper to stay at 20GB then to drop to 15GB. 6GB was only $10 cheaper.

Maybe with the new plans, I can save some money.

She has an iPhone 5s and I have a 6s Plus and an iPad Pro LTE.
 
oneMadRssn said:
This actually ends up being more expensive in many common scenarios, because the device access fee is now higher. This easily wipes away any savings.

For example:

Old 15GB plan, 4 lines shared: $100 + 4 x $15 = $160/month
New 16GB plan, 4 lines shared: $90 + 4 x $20 = $170/month
​
Dropping cost of data, but raising line access fees, sneaky weasels.
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Plus, $135 for 30gb is still robbery.
 
xaqt93 said:
This is exactly what I thought when I compared. I get one extra gig for 10 dollars. I have an account with 4 lines on it...I rather stay with my current 15Gig shared with Rollover and then get one more gig and have an account change charge.
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Mine situation exactly, not going to change the plan then.
 
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aristobrat said:
The US actually has more than a few wireless options that are cheaper than the "Big Four" carriers (i.e. regional carriers and MVNOs), but since MacRumors doesn't post about them often, seem like most non-Americans are unaware of them.

Frankly, I'm curious to see how cheap the European plans of today will remain once the EU forces European carriers to allow free roaming all over Europe.... Roaming all over the US for free is something something the Big Four have offered for over a decade, even to US areas outside of the continental US (like Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico, etc).

Unless American companies are the only companies in the world that operate on a "for profit" concept, I'm thinking the costs incurred by the European carriers for that will eventually be passed along to their customers.
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Well, I still have an old plan from like 2011 when "free data" was a thing and I never changed it (like most people did just to get a "free phone") so I still pay $28+VAT for unlimited data, calls and text.. Used 144GB last month on my iPhone.. :)

My carrier is the first (and the only one so far) to adapt the new rules and the prices are higher then mine but you get 50GB data, unlimited calls and text, 100GB cloud service and a "free" 64GB iPhone 6s for $70+VAT/month..

If you don't need 50GB you can save $4/month by choosing 24GB data instead for $66+VAT/month..
 
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willdude said:
Agreed. Right now I use between 1-2GB a month, so I'm on the 2GB plan at $55/mo (which effectively becomes nearly 3GB with rollover). With the new plans, I'd have to get the 3GB plan at $60/mo.? That's not better.

Coincidentally, I was planning on switching to T-Mobile this weekend for the cheaper plans. I thought this might be a last chance grasp to keep my business at AT&T. Guess not.
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Switch to Cricket. It's the same network. They just cap your speed at 8Mbps and hotspot is an extra $10 if you want to use it. Other than that, I am happy with it. It's also only $35/mo on autopay for a single user.
 
I am on the 5GB plan for $50 a month. The new equivalent is 6GB for $60 a month. It's not better, it's just different. So really this new tier plan only benefits those paying for the 25GB+ a month. And it's unfortunate that new signups will have to pay $10 more, because they're forced to have an additional gig. Come on AT&T, how about you give the standard consumer a bit more data at the same price. With photo/video sharing and streaming quality on the rise, it's only going to consume more data.

Yeah I'm complaining. Shoot me lol.
 
Cue the "OMG Americans get totally hosed with their rates" comments which happen everytime one of these articles pops up. Was not disappointed. :)

Now I hope Verizon releases revamped plans & rates. I'll be upgrading to the iPhone 7 next month, so it'd be nice to compare between AT&T and Verizon (I'm currently with Verizon paying $70 total for 2GB/mo).

I'm mostly on WiFi throughout the day, though. I usually don't even receive a 75% data usage warning.
 
In many cases ATT is more expensive now because of the device fees. I also notice that they have chosen to not publish the fees for other devices such as tablets. Currently a tablet is $10 per month, I wonder how much they are increasing that by? With my current plan, two phones plus a tablet are 15 + 15 +10 = 40. Now the two phones alone would be 40 and who knows what they are increasing the cost to for a tablet. Even if they follow Verizon's lead with the fee for tablets (leave it at 10) my connection fee would go up by 10 dollars.
 
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TimUSCA said:
I'm sure some people who don't use much data will get hosed by this, but as someone on the 15GB family share plan, this works our wonderfully for me. I'll get 1GB more for $10 less. AND no risk of overage if I approach my data cap? I'm thrilled.
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But your per device fee is going up if you choose these plans, so for more than 1 line the total bill will increase.
 
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oneMadRssn said:
This actually ends up being more expensive in many common scenarios, because the device access fee is now higher. This easily wipes away any savings.

For example:

Old 15GB plan, 4 lines shared: $100 + 4 x $15 = $160/month
New 16GB plan, 4 lines shared: $90 + 4 x $20 = $170/month
​
Dropping cost of data, but raising line access fees, sneaky weasels.
Click to expand...

The line access fees went up? I just don't get these companies, trying to fool consumers when actually raising prices.

I hope we can keep our old plans grandfathered. I had 20gb for $100 minus a 21% FAN discount which was pretty fair IMO.
 
gsmornot said:
Believe me, I will keep dreaming.
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I to keep dreaming. I would LOVE the ability to use hotspot....but then I think about having to give up my unlimited data and actually end up paying MORE a month and worry about overages....no thanks..I wouldn't use the hotspot feature enough to justify all that. Even with my 22% FAN discount I get.
 
spinedoc77 said:
The line access fees went up? Wow whoever wrote that article missed a huge piece of the news.
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There's a whole paragraph in the article about that, no?

"AT&T charges an additional $20 access charge per smartphone per month for each plan. The carrier previously charged $25 per month for 5GB or lower plans and $15 per month for 15GB and above plans. Overage charges, meanwhile, were previously $15/GB or $20 per 300MB for customers on the now-eliminated 300MB plan."
 
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