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AT&T to End Traditional Voice/Data Plans, Adopt Mobile Share for New Customers on October 25
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Keep in mind that free data roaming is limited to EDGE speeds and if you want the faster 3G/4G speeds...you have to pay.
Looks like I'll be giving up my unlimited data line. I wonder if there's a way I could sell my 'account' and transfer billing to someone else and still manage to keep my number and re-open a new one.
Any takers? $500 plus any other fees AT&T charges to do so.
On a serious note.. it's making more and more sense for me to ditch unlimited and go family mobile share. Because the lines that use about 1GB end up paying $30ea. And since I never really go over 8GB, I can get a 10GB plan shared between 3 lines and overal bill would be less. And I'll have tethering options available.
Any takers? $500 plus any other fees AT&T charges to do so.
On a serious note.. it's making more and more sense for me to ditch unlimited and go family mobile share. Because the lines that use about 1GB end up paying $30ea. And since I never really go over 8GB, I can get a 10GB plan shared between 3 lines and overal bill would be less. And I'll have tethering options available.
I just bought an iPhone 5C. This is the third iPhone I used on a grandfathered unlimited plan. I'll be on that forever. Keep it simple and avoid the BS.
Been with T-Mobile's $30 100/Unlimited plan for 6+ months, couldn't be happier.
I suggest those with AT&T should look into this if you can.
I suggest those with AT&T should look into this if you can.
I did a T Mobile comparison for my 3 lines. I can go unlimited data for $150 a month, still much cheaper than AT&T by $45 in which I pay $195. I'm giving this serious consideration.
I just need the iPhone 5S to be in stock for the wife and the Nexus 5 to be released.
I just need the iPhone 5S to be in stock for the wife and the Nexus 5 to be released.
Look into T-Mobile's $30/month plan 100min talk, unlimited talk & text
or
1200 min talk and 30MB data & unlimited text
I can't wait to leave AT$T as soon as my contract is up this time next year. It will be just in time for the iPhone "6" too!
One year after satisfying my contract with Verizon, I discontinued all cellular service for my iPhone 4; however, I'm still using it to make phone calls, send texts, and access the internet. I use a VoIP app to make calls and text non-iPhone users (Otherwise I use iMessage). I'm near free or installed WiFi most of the day; for mobile access I use a Net Zero 4G hotspot. My monthly cost is $30 a month for unlimited calling and texting and 2Gb of 4G data.
Of course ATT is going to eliminate your plan, because of the 'popularity' of the mobile share plans (popular in the board room)
With current pricing my 4 line Family Plan 5S, 5, 5, 5C going to Group Data would be about $10-20 more a month. No way to fine tune a group plan. Hopefully it will be a while before it is mandatory for all. Not a fan of Data Share. Does not promote harmony between family members. No discipline of use. ; )
If you're going to claim to live in a "city of 200,000" that t-mobile only provides 2G, I call BS. What city? We can all look it up and validate that a) it's not in the middle of Iowa where your "city" is all 10,000 people cities spread across 100 miles, and b) that T-Mo doesn't offer 3.5-4G. Any city of 200,000, tmo has at least HSPA+
People aren't aware that they are actually paying for their phones in full with 2 year contracts. It's just that you think it's subsidized and people think $199 is a good deal. But with hidden costs is built to the data plans for the phone. Which is why those costs are ridiculously high. If you were to take that out of the equation data plans would be a lot cheaper.
AT&T/Verizon however have CONDITIONED us to think that data plan prices are data plan prices whether you bring your own phone or get one subsidized. That's why their upgrade plans (AT&T Next, Verizon Edge) are such a bad deal. They continue to charge you the high data rates even if you buy your phone outright, off contract.
This is what T-Mobile has been trying to point out. And why their plans are cheaper. They charge the data for what it is and the phone is separate.
AT&T charges you for the phone out right AND skim the data plan on top of it. It's not right. Certainly not fair. But they can get away with it.
Phone subsidies should be called subsidies. That's far from what's happening here.
Just another reason I love Tmobile. Individual and family plans are extremely competitive in price.
The mobile share plans are only a good deal if you have several people on the plan who barely use data. That way you can get away with a small data plan.
The mobile share plans are only a good deal if you have several people on the plan who barely use data. That way you can get away with a small data plan.
I don't need to tell you where I live. I know exactly the size of my city and it is 190,000 based on 2012 census. And you claim that 99% of the US has HSPA+ is absolute BS. To actually say that only 3 million people in the whole US do not have access to T-Moblie HSPA+ is hilarious and no valid proof whatsoever. No company makes that claim, not even T-mobile. They may have 99% of population covered by at least 2G, but don't be making ridiculous claims of 99% with HSPA+ with 42 Mbs speeds.
Just take a look at THEIR map. I can guarantee more that 3 million people don't even have access to T-Mobile.
http://www.t-mobile.com/coverage.html
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Ehhh, it's still too much for my needs, I only do 20 minutes of talking per month and don't text.
Plus, the coverage sucks. Daily outages.
No Discount if I Own My Phones
AT&T and Verizon's rates assume that you are getting a new subsidized phone every two years. If I own my phones there are no discounts off their rates. Even worse they new programs that allow you to finance a phone at an extra cost per month above your monthly service fee and upgrade your phone every one or two years. Some require a deposit when you upgrade the phone. Since you're paying for the phone separately shouldn't the cost of the monthly service go down?
I currently have five phones on AT&T and it would cost me more per month to switch to the Mobile Share plan. I think there's a higher percentage of us than AT&T is willing to admit. They are charging an outrageous amount for data not because it costs more to provide it but because they can get away with it. Everyone wants it and more of it. No one cares about voice and messaging anymore so why not give them away as unlimited with these new plans to make them seem more attractive.
Verizon and AT&T have become too large for most others to compete. They swallowed almost all of the regional carriers and were allowed bully their way around when the FCC auctioned off bandwidth a few years ago. This left any other viable competition without the bandwidth to properly expand while maintaining their existing networks. Verizon and AT&T have been allowed to become monopolies in the wireless space with tremendous lobbying power in congress and the regulatory agencies that are supposed to police them. They are now fast becoming leading providers in the cable arena so that they can control the home and business wired internet market. If that happens then the cost and options for internet access will be no better than wireless and internet access will be out of reach by far more people than it is now.
AT&T and Verizon's rates assume that you are getting a new subsidized phone every two years. If I own my phones there are no discounts off their rates. Even worse they new programs that allow you to finance a phone at an extra cost per month above your monthly service fee and upgrade your phone every one or two years. Some require a deposit when you upgrade the phone. Since you're paying for the phone separately shouldn't the cost of the monthly service go down?
I currently have five phones on AT&T and it would cost me more per month to switch to the Mobile Share plan. I think there's a higher percentage of us than AT&T is willing to admit. They are charging an outrageous amount for data not because it costs more to provide it but because they can get away with it. Everyone wants it and more of it. No one cares about voice and messaging anymore so why not give them away as unlimited with these new plans to make them seem more attractive.
Verizon and AT&T have become too large for most others to compete. They swallowed almost all of the regional carriers and were allowed bully their way around when the FCC auctioned off bandwidth a few years ago. This left any other viable competition without the bandwidth to properly expand while maintaining their existing networks. Verizon and AT&T have been allowed to become monopolies in the wireless space with tremendous lobbying power in congress and the regulatory agencies that are supposed to police them. They are now fast becoming leading providers in the cable arena so that they can control the home and business wired internet market. If that happens then the cost and options for internet access will be no better than wireless and internet access will be out of reach by far more people than it is now.
worse
Man, this makes these things even worse than ever. I mean, data has seen an at least DOUBLING in pricing in the past few years. This is going to make carriers like Sprint and certainly T-mobile look even MORE attractive, since they seem to be continuing pricing from 2008/2009 today, with numbers around the 30$ a month for either unlimited or 4-5GB..with caps of course and throttling, but for the average joe, that's not a problem.
I think I'm going to get even more LONG TMUS (disclaimer, I entered a position on Thursday morning after they announced their international free data roaming option - up already 6%) but I think I'm going to move money out of T and into TMUS.
Man, this makes these things even worse than ever. I mean, data has seen an at least DOUBLING in pricing in the past few years. This is going to make carriers like Sprint and certainly T-mobile look even MORE attractive, since they seem to be continuing pricing from 2008/2009 today, with numbers around the 30$ a month for either unlimited or 4-5GB..with caps of course and throttling, but for the average joe, that's not a problem.
I think I'm going to get even more LONG TMUS (disclaimer, I entered a position on Thursday morning after they announced their international free data roaming option - up already 6%) but I think I'm going to move money out of T and into TMUS.
No, I'm not. Go back and read my post and the quoted part of the post I'm replying to, which was talking about T-Mobile. AT&T has never offered a T-mobile unlimited plan.