Are you serious... While it is more profitable, it's hardly the same price to serve up 200 MB as compared to 2 GB. Now that would be if everybody with the 2GB plan actually used 2GB. Most people on the 2GB plan use just a little over 200 MB, which is why the data buckets are the way they are.
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Someone Explain ATTs Pricing in a way that makes sense
- Thread starter marty1980
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Are you serious... While it is more profitable, it's hardly the same price to serve up 200 MB as compared to 2 GB. Now that would be if everybody with the 2GB plan actually used 2GB. Most people on the 2GB plan use just a little over 200 MB, which is why the data buckets are the way they are.
This is why i dont want the AT&T buyout of T-Mobile to go thru. I have unlimited data w/ TMo for $20. Have that on two phones. I have 5 lines on my plan and i pay $168 a month. Just the two phones have data.
Maybe I did misunderstand. Since I can't go back and look and that article was from AT&T and dated appropriately to your claim. If so, then my bad.
I guess if you ride the short bus then the math is hard. Glad you feeling better, time for some juice.I still felt better afterward
YOU gave up your Unlimited Plan and now are upset for having to watch what data you use. The plans that AT&T offers are it, your choice to take it or leave it.
AT&T will survive with out you.
A lot of you misunderstand the real concern here. I can live with the limited data. I already do, as you reiterated.
It comes down to this... AT&T started with this tiered pricing when the iPhone 4 came out. Even for the time (only a year ago) 200MB was pathetic.
What I assume is that AT&T analyzed their customer data usage across feature phones and smartphones and found a starting point that would lure feature phones users to upgrade to smartphones while offering minimal use smartphone users a lower-priced plan in order to keep them around in case the competition (Verizon) started looking like a better deal.
It's the way it is, but it also seems to point towards a crappy future for smartphones and cellular data. Where do they go from here? Do they add more data to the $15 plan when their network is upgraded or do they add more tiers? Does the $25 plan get more data or get less?
There are more and more reasons to use cellular data and the number of people getting on these cellular networks is growing. I understand the business perspective of it all, but it feels like customers are getting shafted.
I started this thread with a rant. Then spent my time waiting for responses to this thread by getting the companies side of the story. Some of you took that the wrong way and I made the mistake of being suckered into pathetic arguments with trolls. I apologize for that.
Maybe the majority of people don't agree with me. Maybe they're happy paying $25 for 2GB because they use more than 200MB and possibly less than 2GB?
I'd really like to see AT&T increase both data plans. The $15 to 500MB and the $25/30 to 4-5GB. Hopefully the competition will push them towards that in the next year or two. I'd like to see the limits continue to increase over the next 5 years or so.
It comes down to this... AT&T started with this tiered pricing when the iPhone 4 came out. Even for the time (only a year ago) 200MB was pathetic.
What I assume is that AT&T analyzed their customer data usage across feature phones and smartphones and found a starting point that would lure feature phones users to upgrade to smartphones while offering minimal use smartphone users a lower-priced plan in order to keep them around in case the competition (Verizon) started looking like a better deal.
It's the way it is, but it also seems to point towards a crappy future for smartphones and cellular data. Where do they go from here? Do they add more data to the $15 plan when their network is upgraded or do they add more tiers? Does the $25 plan get more data or get less?
There are more and more reasons to use cellular data and the number of people getting on these cellular networks is growing. I understand the business perspective of it all, but it feels like customers are getting shafted.
I started this thread with a rant. Then spent my time waiting for responses to this thread by getting the companies side of the story. Some of you took that the wrong way and I made the mistake of being suckered into pathetic arguments with trolls. I apologize for that.
Maybe the majority of people don't agree with me. Maybe they're happy paying $25 for 2GB because they use more than 200MB and possibly less than 2GB?
I'd really like to see AT&T increase both data plans. The $15 to 500MB and the $25/30 to 4-5GB. Hopefully the competition will push them towards that in the next year or two. I'd like to see the limits continue to increase over the next 5 years or so.
You answered your own question with that. That's exactly AT&T's business practice.
The price is set in the way, that make majority of customers go with the $25/2GB plan because it's the "sensible" choice, they know 200MB isn't really enough, so they make you feel that you are getting a better deal by paying little more but get 10x usage, even though normal people won't use close to 2GB.
Just to be a little exaggerating, AT&T would love offer a $30 20GB plan, the extra $5 is pretty much free money in AT&T's pocket because users won't consume much more data just because they have a 20GB limit instead of 2GB.
Now on the side note, as comparison, I suppose you would like China's data plan more, because it's a lot more "proportionally" sensible. It is:
5 CNY = 30MB
20 CNY = 150M
50 CNY = 500MB
100 CNY = 2G
200 CNY = 5G
(btw 6.5 CNY = 1 USD)
Customers have no contract obligation, and can change plan every month without any fees. I started with the 500MB plan, and if it was not enough I would upgrade to the 2GB plan, I found out 500MB is enough for me. I don't stream music or video's, what for, why would anyone want to watch a movie on 3.5" when you have a big screen at home?
..., why would anyone want to watch a movie on 3.5" when you have a big screen at home?
Friends post youtube videos on Facebook that I'd like to watch while out and about and I watch Netflix during my lunch. I've been lucky enough that the wifi at work still allows streaming Netflix, but I don't know how long until they block it. I like watching movies on the go.
On long trips I'll upgrade to the 2GB plan so I can stream movies to my car video system for the kids so we don't need to carry along a bunch of DVDs.
Maybe over in the UK, but here in the US, it is one of tha carriers with the least amount of service locations, meaning they have the least reception of the main 4 in the US, Sprint, AT&T, and Verizon offer better service. I know this for a fact as I had T-Mobile 1.5 years ago for a work phone, and most of the times I could not get service and would use my personal phone.
