AT&T to Introduce $5 Per Day 250MB iPad Data Passes, $25 3-Month 1GB Data Plan

[adam9c1]

You are much better with one of those hotspots

Take a look at Karma
You buy hotspot, then $14 for each 1GB.
No monthly fees, no expirations...

 

[Lindsford]

Seeing this gives me a stronger feeling that Tmobile is gonna have a cellular iPad this year, and release some cool rate plans

 

[Shellbo6901]

You seem to not get it at all, $5 for 250MB is ridiculous, $500 for 50GB is way too ridiculous as well... What can you do with 250MB a day? watch 5 youtube videos and use up all your data for the day? it is R-I-D-I-C-U-L-O-U-S we are not talking about getting it all for nothing, but would you rather buy a DVD for $15 or pay $50 to see it on your phone? How about AT&T gets a more reasonable data plan than their current rip off prices?

Okay, so your point of the price of a dvd vs watching it on your ipad, AT&T should have it so that there is an actual price for lets say a regular version of a movie(rented through apple only of course) and then a version that includes the price(of course everyone won't be the same $) that allows you to stream it through your provider(the difference in price going to them & not apple of course) and it does not take away from your allotted MB usage.

IDK if there's even an ability to do that, but it's something to think about.

 

[winston1236]

They just don't get it

This country needs competition and to break up the telecom monopolies.

 

[shadowblurb]

$5 per day. 1 day = 24 Hours.

So for every 24 hours of cellular data used I pay $5. Sounds like a steal to me.

 

[xxBURT0Nxx]

I don't care even if you only use data a few times a month, this is still a rip off imo. You can get a data only share plan for $30 and get 4gb of data from ATT, so if you are going to use data more than 6 days a month you might as well get a real plan and not pay $5 a day for very little data.

Even if you used data 4 or 5 days a month it would probably be worth the few extra bucks just to not be limited to 250mb.

 

[acarney]

Who ever thinks this is a deal is an idiot. You should be able to use your data how you choose tethering or not. Its nickel and diming and that is all.

I already pay $145 for 2 iphones, 550 min, unlimited text, and 2GB and unlimited internet. And they are getting rid of these plans! Customers love paying 160+ for the same thing I am getting minus the unlimited internet. What a deal!

You think $36 upgrade fees are a deal too? You are already paying the monthly service charges and they need $36 so you can sign another 2 year contract?

Can't wait until I can jailbreak my iPhone 5S and activate the free tethering again.

Haven't paid an activation fee in two or three years. Just walk into the apple store, by my iPhone device only, and walk out. It's easy.

 

[rigormortis]

discounted data plans

might be a little off topic, but....

a warning to original ipad owners

at&t agreed as part of the class action settlement to offer $20 discounts on data plans for 1 year to eligible members who never signed up for data plan

i think this is a latch ditch effort by at&t to try to exclude more people from the better deal that will be offered in the first quarter of 2014.

ipad 1 owners only????
3 month over 1 gig plan = $100 a year for 4 gigs
class action = $30 a month $360 a year for 60 gigs
$25 per gig for new deal vs $6 a gig for class action

 

[j4zb4]

Oh, I get it. You want everything for nothing.

I think you don't get the idea why they are offering it. It's for an occasional user, who may just need access for a day. It's not designed for a heavy user, it's for someone who only needs access now and again and doesn't need a hefty plan with GBs of data they don't use. If you want that, you get the share plan and include your iPad.

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It's not for someone who wants to be streaming movies.

If you want more data, get the mobile share plan, add your iPad and done. Not making you pay twice for anything.

I am confused. Doesn't AT&T offer 30-day "DataConnect Pass" plan that can be cancelled at any time? The last time I checked, it costs $14.99 for 250MB, $30 for 3GB, and $50 for 5GB.

I suppose $5/day for 250MB is for those that intends to use data for 4 days or less ($20 for 1GB total), but AT&T is being real stingy but not offering rollover.

I think this is actually a nice improvement. I usually buy the 250MB/1 month pass for $14.99 when traveling domestically. The new options are obviously better value. Perhaps I'll even keep the 3-month pass active permanently for just $100 bucks a year instead of only activating it case-by-case when I need it.

That's **** expensive... Is it on LTE though...? Here in India I get 8GB for roughly 25$ per month... And Vodafone India doesn't bother whether you tether or not... On 3G though... But I get upto 8mbps of speed which is more than enough for me... And if you have a data pack you can use data even when roaming domestically...

 

[slapppy]

Last time I was in Europe, those SIM data plans were cool if you stayed in the same country. But if you cross a border to a different provider (PTT), often the $20/megabyte rate starts up, just like if you brought a phone from the US: international data rates are insane.

Maybe this has been fixed in Europe, etc. We need WORLD data plans, and roll over data. One should buy a data package by size, not time (instead of size and time as we do now).

Oh, well ...

The $30/3months/1GB is not horrible for occasional use.

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Note that $5 for 24 hours is cheaper than many hotels charge for use of their WiFi...

I don't recall the hotels I've stayed in charging for wifi. It's always included with the room.

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There is a Starbucks every 10 feet. So no need for data plan.

 

[skemez1]

Oh, I get it. You want everything for nothing.

I think you don't get the idea why they are offering it. It's for an occasional user, who may just need access for a day. It's not designed for a heavy user, it's for someone who only needs access now and again and doesn't need a hefty plan with GBs of data they don't use. If you want that, you get the share plan and include your iPad.

The problem is that charging for a specific amount of data is the wrong way to go about it unless your motivation is strictly profit. Data is not a scarce resource and does not fall victim to the rules of scarcity. When the iPad first came out the data plan was $29.99 unlimited access per month a la carte, no contract. That is the correct way to do it and the current offerings are a greedy step down compared to this. They changed the pricing model (forcing arbitrary data caps) claiming fears of peek time congestion but here is the thing, charging people for discrete quantities of data does little to correct their claimed congestion problem. What it really does is only make them a whole lot richer. The real way to address congestion on the network is to spend money improving the network. So you should restate your assertion about a commenter "wanting everything for nothing" to "At&t wanting more money for less service and less work."

Here is a more ideal version:
$5 Unlimited Access per day
$30 Unlimited Access per month
Both a la carte


here is another example of their dishonesty
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/09/30/apple_att_settle_bait_and_switch_ipad_3g_data_plan_lawsuit/

 

[carmenodie]

This is for suckers. Like the ones that actually purchase the recommended bundles from Amazon.
HEY, THESE ITMES ARE OFTEN BOUGHT TOGETHER. Yeah, two 15 inch MacBook Pros with retina display and the high end Bowers and Wilkins Zeppelin iPod dock.
$5 dollars a day or $150 per month. Or if you download one movie a day at 1 gigabytes that wold be $20 bucks. Bite me.
We're talking $600 a month and believe me I expect some suburban dad to get his a** on tv and bi*** out AT&T when his kid goes crazy with the downloads and rings up several thousand dollars in charges. It's going to

 

[Scarpad]

I'm exploring the option of using a Touch and a wireless hotspot as soon as my contract runs out on my phone, unfortunately its an at&T , Verizon monopoly here in Western Mass as none of the truly good 3rd party hotspot providers are in this area.

 

[deeddawg]

$5 for 250MB is ridiculous. You can't even watch a single movie on Netflix with 250MB. What garbage.

If you're watching netflix movies over cellular data you're not who they're targeting that plan to...

It's obvious that it's aimed at the people who occasionally need a little bit of web/email access when away from wifi, but not often enough to justify a monthly prepaid plan.

I'm no fan of AT&T, but people need to get out of their own little worlds and consider realize other people might just use their devices differently.

 

[iThinkIt]

They just don't get it

you pay to play.. that's AT&T's price like it or not....

granted they are higher than services in other countries.. how about looking at why prices are high... Government regulations for one.. then there are taxes added to the "convenience services". I personally think that the taxes are excessive.

 

[aikomhoch]

There's nothing to stop you from creating a hotspot from your phone to your iPad, given you have a mobile share plan.

I had no idea that mobile share allows you to create a hotspot from your iPhone included in the plan. We have resisted switching from our family plan, since my wife and I are still grandfathered into the unlimited data for $30 (each), but now that my son has an iPhone (250mb plan which forces him to be stingy), it may pay for us to go to a shared plan so our two iPads can now be used in the car, etc.

 

[PracticalMac]

works for me!

 

[iSee]

This actually would make me consider getting a cell-iPad whereas previously I hadn't.

I just don't want another monthly bill, so previously had zero use for a cellular iPad. But it *would* be handy & worthwhile at times. Hm...

 

[blucable]

It is a rip off on any angle you see it, if at least the data would roll over just the same way they overcharge you by going over the limit...

 

[blucable]

I am going to attempt to further clarify what the above user was saying. The new plan is for someone who is going to occasionally need service. That means they most likely aren't watching data-heavy videos on such a small MB allotment. They are checking their email, mapping a destination, using a message/chat program, maybe some social networking. The plan is not intended to stream Netflix on because of course you'd go over limit. This data plan is not marketed to you.

That was an example, it is retarded from any situation you see the plans, for any users.

250MB for $5 is a rip off whether you use it or not. It is more expensive than an international phone call. $5 for a gigabyte would be a little more reasonable. Even 500MB a day for $5 with rollover would be a bit better...

 

[gondor5]

What about the "change" fee?

Last time I had a need to turn on cellular data on my iPad, AT&T wanted to charge me a $36 "change" fee. Of course I ended up not turning cellular data on after I saw that.

 

[carlgo]

The only fair plan would simply meter your data, etc use and charge for that.

At the very least rollovers should be required by law.

Low and moderate users pay for phone freaks whose all day phone addiction accounts for much if not most of the bandwidth.

 

[WaxedJacket]

Nothing these companies release ever truly benefits the customers lol.

"Hi we're introducing a new system that will leech more money off of you. Adding more functionality that you won't use and still charging you more!"

 

[Rigby]

That's **** expensive... Is it on LTE though...?

Yes.

Here in India I get 8GB for roughly 25$ per month...

I have no use for 8GB. I use cellular on the iPad while traveling for some web browsing, email, looking up places on Google Maps, booking hotel rooms and things like that, for which a few hundred MB are plenty. So I much prefer to pay AT&T's $25 every 3 months (or less) over paying your $25 every single month.

And the $5 day plan is clearly intended for occasional use without a longer-term committment, e.g. in place of paid WLAN services in hotels, airports, conference venues etc. Obviously nobody would use this for more than a couple of days at a time.

 

[j4zb4]

Yes.
I have no use for 8GB. I use cellular on the iPad while traveling for some web browsing, email, looking up places on Google Maps, booking hotel rooms and things like that, for which a few hundred MB are plenty. So I much prefer to pay AT&T's $25 every 3 months (or less) over paying your $25 every single month.

And the $5 day plan is clearly intended for occasional use without a longer-term committment, e.g. in place of paid WLAN services in hotels, airports, conference venues etc. Obviously nobody would use this for more than a couple of days at a time.

Yea makes sense for a light user... But still very very expensive...

Well I need more than 8 gigs a month... Our wired lines are not exactly reliable and being in an industry where we need to send and receive really heavy design files all day and not to mention my evening gaming 8 gigs get chewed up before the end of the month...