AT&T Launches $60 'Unlimited' Prepaid Plan as T-Mobile Raises Throttling Minimum to 30GB

[MacRumors]

AT&T today introduced a new GoPhone prepaid plan with unlimited talk, text, and data at a max speed of 3 Mbps for $65 per month, or $60 with AutoPay enabled. However, unlike AT&T's new $90 Unlimited Plus plan with up to 10GB of 4G LTE tethering, the GoPhone plan does not include Mobile Hotspot capabilities.

Each line that exceeds 22GB of data usage may experience reduced speeds to a max of 128 Kbps on that line for the remainder of the 30-day term, but only at times and in areas where there is network congestion, which is similar to 22GB and 23GB soft cap policies from Verizon and Sprint respectively.

T-Mobile this week raised its own deprioritization threshold to 30GB, up from a previous minimum of 28GB, as spotted by TmoNews.

A cheaper GoPhone plan is available for $45 per month, or $40 with AutoPay, and includes unlimited talk, text, and up to 6GB of data at a max speed of 3 Mbps. After 6GB, data speeds are slowed to a max of 128 kbps for rest of the 30-day term. Unused data rolls over to the next month. No tethering is included.

Both plans have Stream Saver mode enabled by default, which reduces streaming video to 1.5 Mbps or around 480p quality, but it can be turned off through AT&T's website to stream video in HD quality. Both plans also include talk, text, and data roaming in Canada and Mexico at no additional charge.

The new GoPhone plans are ideal for customers that do not need tethering and are looking to avoid credit checks, activation fees, and deposits, but otherwise AT&T's new Unlimited Plus and Unlimited Choice plans and competing options are worth considering for better features or value.

AT&T's pricing includes monthly access charges, but the plans are not inclusive of taxes or additional fees. Comparatively, Verizon Unlimited starts at $80 per month, Sprint Unlimited starts at $50 per month for a limited time, and T-Mobile ONE, which includes all taxes and fees, starts at $70 per month.

The new prepaid plans are available now. Additional lines can be added to each plan, with multi-line discounts ranging between $5 and $20 per month.

Article Link: AT&T Launches $60 'Unlimited' Prepaid Plan as T-Mobile Raises Throttling Minimum to 30GB

 

[dannyyankou]

AT&T today introduced a new GoPhone prepaid plan with unlimited talk, text, and data at a max speed of 3 Mbps

Each line that exceeds 22GB of data usage may experience reduced speeds to a max of 128 Kbps

Not much of a decrease, lol

 

[ElZeus]

AT&T's new data plans are as misguided as Google's messaging apps.

 

[BlandUsername]

ATT has all the tools and the toys, but refuses to see how to put it all together. Get beyond the pricing games and just hit the basement plus a few profit points, bundle directv now. work with the Pro sports, bundle 2 or more, get a real price break. Boom! own it all.

 

[BeSweeet]

"Throttling Minimum"

I still don't understand why sites are using the term "throttling" since that's not how it works (as the actual post details). Misleading.

 

[dlewis23]

I don't get why they are not limiting it to just 3 Mbps. Thats really low, and just stupid.

 

[oneMadRssn]

I don't understand why consumers have such a hard on for "unlimited." I'll take a capped plan with no strings attached any day over an unlimited plan with web of restrictions and limits and gimmicks. If you have issues with a capped plan, then set a higher cap. Easy.

 

[Porco]

Kudos for putting "'Unlimited'" in inverted commas in the headline.

As for 'Unlimited Plus'... just... lol...

All these companies should stop calling their products 'Unlimited' unless and until such a time as there are ever truly unlimited. IMHO.

I don't understand why consumers have such a hard on for "unlimited." I'll take a capped plan with no strings attached any day over an unlimited plan with web of restrictions and limits and gimmicks. If you have issues with a capped plan, then set a higher cap. Easy.

Is it the consumers' desires or is it just the companies' perception of consumers' desires? Genuine question, I'm not really sure.

 

[Zaft]

I don't get why they are not limiting it to just 3 Mbps. Thats really low, and just stupid.

For social media and some light browsing its fine.

 

[Akack]

Lol so THIS is ATT's response to Verizon and TMobile....

 

[eric89074]

Why would you get this when you can get cricket unlimited for $55 a month that does 8mbps down on ATT towers and no longer sends traffic through a proxy?

 

[Little Endian]

Why would anyone want any of At&t's ne plans? Att should take note from Cricket wireless which they own.

https://www.cricketwireless.com/cel...oo_medium=TopBanner2&woo_content=Browse_Plans

Unlimited everything for $55 a month taxes and fees included. Data speeds capped at 8Mbps instead of 3Mbps.

 

[rich4647]

This isn't mac news.

This is mobile phone data plan news.

If I want news about AT&T's latest plan, I'm pretty sure I can sign up for that with them.

 

[eyeseeyou]

data at a max speed of 3 Mbps for $65 per month

Stopped reading after this

 

[FasterQuieter]

T-Mobile has been getting slower and slower where I live. These cheap unlimited plans are only going to make it worse. For a regular user, someone who is not watching multiple HD movies per month, service is deteriorating by the day. And the prices are static. I'd like to see some competition at the lower end. Some incentive to use less data and save some money. I'd switch to Project Fi in a heartbeat if they supported iPhones.

 

[oneMadRssn]

Is it the consumers' desires or is it just the companies' perception of consumers' desires? Genuine question, I'm not really sure.

Great question. I actually think this is the carriers trying to shove higher-priced plans down customers' throats. Sure, $80/month for limited unlimited sounds like a bargain compared to $60/month for only 5GB capped. But the carrier knows you'll average 3GB regardless of the plan, and they just increased your bill by 33%.

But consumers do seem to respond positively to it. Something about the word unlimited seems to click and make then open their wallets.

 

[danmart]

Are these speeds considered 'good' in America? I get over 20Mbps from my mobile here in the UK and I'm not even in an urban area.

 

[yanki01]

.
c'mon att! you're better than this.

 

[mattjackbrown]

gotta love limited unlimited plans

 

[Joe Rossignol]

This isn't mac news.

This is mobile phone data plan news.

If I want news about AT&T's latest plan, I'm pretty sure I can sign up for that with them.

Thanks for joining the forums and sharing this feedback.

MacRumors was launched in 2000, before the iPod, iPhone, and iPad existed. We've expanded our coverage accordingly. We are still committed to publishing the latest Mac news and rumors, when there is information worth sharing, but it is currently a slower time of the year in the Apple news cycle. As a general rule of thumb, we accept news tips from all readers via email at tips@macrumors.com.

 

[miniyou64]

Don't bother. AT&T is the worst.

 

[dannyyankou]

This isn't mac news.

This is mobile phone data plan news.

If I want news about AT&T's latest plan, I'm pretty sure I can sign up for that with them.

Luckily for you, this website uses tags and you can bookmark the tags.

 

[dlewis23]

For social media and some light browsing its fine.

It's $60 for "unlimited" that they limit to just 3 Mbps. Cricket doesn't even limit it that low.

For less than $10 more per month you could get T-Mobile One and not be limited to just 3 Mbps.

 

[dominiongamma]

70-85 Mbps on T-Mobile here and I pay less too no thanks att

 

[guzhogi]

Are these speeds considered 'good' in America? I get over 20Mbps from my mobile here in the UK and I'm not even in an urban area.

I've heard from time to time how other countries have faster connections than the USA, and people say that it's because the USA is so much bigger geographically, so it's a lot harder to upgrade. I concede that, but how many more people does the US have, and how do AT&T's, Verizon's, etc. profits compare to the telcos in other countries? I'd love to see a comparison of the various telcos' profits vs how much it'll cost them to upgrade their infrastructure.