Verizon & AT&T: Unlimited, Tiered & Shared Plans

[Dwalls90]

I created this chart to give consumers the ability to calculate their total annual cost, based on their carrier and current or future plan.

Below are assumptions for all current existing plans, or some that can be started with either major carrier. It is assumed only one line, with a user upgrading annually.

Some interesting notes:

1.) If you use 1Gb or less, an AT&T shared data plan will save you almost $200 per year, versus a tiered or unlimited data plan.
2.) Unlimited data plans are obviously the best bang for buck for high data consumption, but the real savings begin after the 4Gb or more data mark.
3.) If you are using more than 6Gb of data on AT&T, a shared data plan will provide increasing savings the more data you consume, versus a tiered plan.
4.) Even with paying $650 for your Verizon phone, you actually save more per year by maintaining your unlimited plan if you consume 5Gb or more of data.
5.) Verizon's shared data plans are as cheap as AT&T, if you consume 2Gb or more of data, on a single line.

Overall advice for unlimited users:

Verizon: 5Gb or higher users, KEEP your unlimited plan.
AT&T: Unlimited plans provide the best value, but you will be throttled at the point in which the data plan begins provides maximum savings.

I'm curious to hear your discoveries or comments.

 

[randy98mtu]

If you have multiple phones, I think AT&T gets cheaper fast. I have 6 phones. With VZW it would cost me $340 for 6 phones with 10 gig. With AT&T I pay $300 for 6 phones. The gap widens with my corporate discounts. I get 15% off the $100, for a new total of $325. With my 20% discount from AT&T on the $120 data, my new total is $276. So I'm saving $50 per month with AT&T for the same 10 gig of data shared with 6 phones.

If you have multiple phones and buy a larger data plan, AT&T gets cheaper fast with their decreasing phone costs. With my 6 phones, the 10 gig is cheaper than the 6 gig plan, because the phones would cost me the difference of $30, and the difference in data is only $24 for me because of my 20% discount. Even without the discounts though, AT&T would be $40 less per month.

 

[jesusplay]

unlimited data? It's a scam. I'm going to cancel it and put my family on a share plan to save money and unlock basic features!

 

[Dwalls90]

If you have multiple phones, I think AT&T gets cheaper fast. I have 6 phones. With VZW it would cost me $340 for 6 phones with 10 gig. With AT&T I pay $300 for 6 phones. The gap widens with my corporate discounts. I get 15% off the $100, for a new total of $325. With my 20% discount from AT&T on the $120 data, my new total is $276. So I'm saving $50 per month with AT&T for the same 10 gig of data shared with 6 phones.

If you have multiple phones and buy a larger data plan, AT&T gets cheaper fast with their decreasing phone costs. With my 6 phones, the 10 gig is cheaper than the 6 gig plan, because the phones would cost me the difference of $30, and the difference in data is only $24 for me because of my 20% discount. Even without the discounts though, AT&T would be $40 less per month.

i couldn't include discounts, that would create too many scenarios. This was to demonstrate trends for the average user. I could make it for multiple lines if enough people are interested!

 

[aneftp]

OP, thanks for the chart.

However, Americans are too lazy to understand the tiered data vs. post paid contract plans.

You need to dumb it down to them.

1. 1-2 lines, just go to pre paid. Pay full price.

2. 3 lines (judgement call especially when you factor in discounts).s

3. Than after they have exhausted (1 AND 2). THAN GO TO OPTION 3.

That means your chart is good for those with 3-5 lines post paid.

Which is than your option.

 

[Dwalls90]

OP, thanks for the chart.

However, Americans are too lazy to understand the tiered data vs. post paid contract plans.

You need to dumb it down to them.

1. 1-2 lines, just go to pre paid. Pay full price.

2. 3 lines (judgement call especially when you factor in discounts).s

3. Than after they have exhausted (1 AND 2). THAN GO TO OPTION 3.

That means your chart is good for those with 3-5 lines post paid.

Which is than your option.

That's true but they should try to understand so they don't get screwed.