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AT&T Introduces New Smartphone Data Plans w/3GB and 5GB Options
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AT&T Punishment for T-Mobile
This is AT&T getting back at everyone who opposed their merger with T-Mobile. Since they had to pay a huge chunk of cash to T-Mobile which they're probably trying to get out of still, they're going to make it back through price increases on their customers.
It is also stupid to sit there and say our costs are going up so were going to charge you more, but oh here's some extra bandwidth cap. WTF does that not defeat the purpose of charging more or are your false limits exactly that, just an excuse to limit use and reap the profits.
This is AT&T getting back at everyone who opposed their merger with T-Mobile. Since they had to pay a huge chunk of cash to T-Mobile which they're probably trying to get out of still, they're going to make it back through price increases on their customers.
It is also stupid to sit there and say our costs are going up so were going to charge you more, but oh here's some extra bandwidth cap. WTF does that not defeat the purpose of charging more or are your false limits exactly that, just an excuse to limit use and reap the profits.
Ugh, I can't wait for 4G iPhones, even if they only get 1/2 of what you just posted!Then I'll be a happy happy Verizon customer.
I'll take 1/5 of what he posted and be happy!!
i don't think there is healthy competition here in the U.S. wireless industry. at&t's argument for acquiring t-mobile is that there is not enough spectrum to support wireless usage. if that is the case, why is at&t giving users more data?
Of course not, but a large percentage do.
Go ahead and look at Flickr's top cameras. Basically, every single Apple handset puts out more photos than previous models.
Even after everything is accounted for, people are using and making more data than ever before.
The killer is actually video, not still photos.
The point here is not what any individual user does with his/her smartphone. It's about the average usage by Joe Consumer who really doesn't know that his new cellphone sends 50% larger video files than his/her previous cellphone. All he/she knows is that the new ones look better.
You really don't get it.
Why did at&t have to raise the minimum data plan cost? Surely they realize they are losing potential $$$ because of the cost of data plans? I guess they figure they'll make more by the $5/month increase on the low end plan vs. enticing new smartphone users with a $10/month plan of, say, 100 MB?
I just wish they would introduce a family data plan!
I just wish they would introduce a family data plan!
you can change it before the 22nd and still keep it after the new plans take affect and when you upgrade your contract
There are more iphone users than ever before, which would explain why the 4/4s are the top phones on flickr. The majority of photos and videos could be uploaded via wifi rather than 3g. given that nearly all iphone users except sprint are on tiered data plans, most people would rather choose to upload their videos/photos on wifi rather than 3g.
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what exactly will this do? At&t and Verizon's LTE networks aren't compatible right now Sprint hasn't announced what type of spectrum and frequencies they will be using so chances are that won't be compatible with any of the two networks. LTE is just as broken world wide as 3G was every company is using different spectrum and frequencies to deploy it. If you have an LTE phone in the states and go to a foreign country you won't be able to roam on their LTE network. BGR did it article about this a few months back.
Still grandfathered in to Unlimited.
The only question is if I can transfer that Unlimited plan to the new Lumia 900 ?
iPhone is ok , ....but I want to try this one out.
This IS an AT&T thread right?
I CAN comment on the topic and the new data plan (the subject) without being berated with fanatical comments or having my post deleted just because I mention something not made by Apple ......right?????
The only question is if I can transfer that Unlimited plan to the new Lumia 900 ?
iPhone is ok , ....but I want to try this one out.
This IS an AT&T thread right?
I CAN comment on the topic and the new data plan (the subject) without being berated with fanatical comments or having my post deleted just because I mention something not made by Apple ......right?????
AT&T is an inefficient operation. It can offer more cellular data today than it could twelve months ago mostly because of backhaul improvements.
I will point out that Sweden has roughly the same population density of the USA, and they've had LTE for years.
There's no technical limitations for AT&T, just a bunch of corporate excuses (and those from AT&T fanboys -- shudder) why AT&T can't perform like a similar entity in another country. Of course, most of those foreign carriers are getting big bucks from their governments.
That said, AT&T gives relatively little for what their customers pay for. If you want really cellular service, move to Japan or South Korea. Those countries' carriers blow doors on what Americans get. Even the Scandivanians eat AT&T and Verizon for lunch.
If you really want to make a statement to US mobile operators, get off your contract and use little cellular services.
$10 for 1000 text messages? (AT&T GoPhone text package).
Only fools pay for text plans.
Weirdly, that's not what I'm seeing on Flickr/Instagram/whatever.
People use whatever connection is there and Joe Consumer doesn't really know whether or not he/she is on WiFi or cellular data.
Remember that the majority of this planet's iPhone users don't use an American mobile operator at all. It has been that way for years.
Ultimately, it doesn't really matter to me.
I am getting the services I want from AT&T for about $12 per month. If I wanted more from them, I'd pay more, but that's not the case. What I do know is that I'm rolling over cellular data instead of voice minutes. That's important to me. Either way, I'm only paying for services I use.
In any case, I probably you to thank for my expensive pay-as-you-go service. Yes, the margins are probably higher from me because I'm spending more for less. However, I'm not a steady source of revenue. I could pay AT&T $8 one month and $16 another month. Contract retail customers provide a steady stream of income.
I can shove my AT&T GoPhone SIM into other handsets and AT&T won't give a rat's ass which device is sucking down bits and bytes, whether it be the latest iPhone or some swanky Android handset.
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That's nice for you - but a lot of us aren't in a "wifi bubble" when we're not at home or in the office.
200 MB for $15 = $0.075/MB
2 GB for $25 = $0.012/MB
300 MB for $20 = $0.066/MB
3 GB for $30 = $0.009/MB
So per megabyte, these plans are actually cheaper and you all are whining. I bet some of you were the same people whining "I use just over 2 gigs a month and don't want to pay $25 plus a $10 overage each month!!!"
It would be nice if the $15/25 plans were available as options for people who those plans would fit best, but to call this a price increase is a flat out lie.
2 GB for $25 = $0.012/MB
300 MB for $20 = $0.066/MB
3 GB for $30 = $0.009/MB
So per megabyte, these plans are actually cheaper and you all are whining. I bet some of you were the same people whining "I use just over 2 gigs a month and don't want to pay $25 plus a $10 overage each month!!!"
It would be nice if the $15/25 plans were available as options for people who those plans would fit best, but to call this a price increase is a flat out lie.
The information your giving on this site is completely incorrect. Try to know the facts before you state something. You might sell cell phones but you cell them at best buy. That alone should tell people not to believe a thing you say. I've had to fix thousands of customer plans because they went to best buy and some idiot sales associate forced them to take one of the new data plans.
At&t has stated that all current plans would be grandfathered in when the new plans take affect. This includes everyone on unlimited data plans, 2GB plans, 200 mb for 15 dollars, and 4gb plan with teething for $45.
Of course this is prob not going to be the case forever and at one point at&t might say no grandfather plans will be allowed to be carried over. at this point all old 2G unlimited plans were allowed to be grandfathered all 3G unlimited data plans have been allowed to be grandfathered over to LTE 4G.
At&t has stated that all current plans would be grandfathered in when the new plans take affect. This includes everyone on unlimited data plans, 2GB plans, 200 mb for 15 dollars, and 4gb plan with teething for $45.
Of course this is prob not going to be the case forever and at one point at&t might say no grandfather plans will be allowed to be carried over. at this point all old 2G unlimited plans were allowed to be grandfathered all 3G unlimited data plans have been allowed to be grandfathered over to LTE 4G.
It IS a price increase. See how the 15usd plan will no longer exist for new users? So the base amount for ANY new smartphone will now be 20usd? Not 15usd.
They should. I transfer my unlimited from blackberry to Atrix 4G no issues and my brother transfered from iPhone to galaxy S2. We both still have our grandfather unlimited plans.
People have always had options if they use a lot of data, so this move by ATT does nothing for them. But it royally screwed anybody whose usage is between 300 MB and 2 GB, which happens to be a vast majority of people. Notice how large that data gap is between the low usage plan and middle usage plan? Thats so they can charge people for the middle plan and in essence charge for data they DON'T use.
This is why...
USA = 3.79 million square miles (9,826,675 sq km)
Sweden = 173,860 square miles (450,295 sq km)
They have to spend money to cover the areas in between, not just the population centers.
Also, in cities like San Francisco, it takes about 3 years of government red tape to put up one tower to provide better coverage.
Still a net price, though. Now a new customer that could very well go by with the 200mb plan has to pay $5/month more a month not ever needing that extra 100mb that he's paying.
at&t isn't throttling your data at 2gb on the unlimited plan. What they have stated is if you fall in the top 5% of data users for a specific monthly cycle they will begin to throttle you at that point. so the cap depends on how much data people are using. Last week i encountered someone who was being throttled his data usage on the network for the month was over 10gb
You are correct on their policy, but the vast majority of people fall under 2 GB. So you could very well be in the top 5% at 2 GB, which would mean you get throttled.
