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What percentage of AT&T users still have unlimited?

K

Kendo

macrumors 68020
Original poster
Apr 4, 2011
2,363
922
I feel like most consumers don't even know what plans they have. For example, I told my coworkers about the double data promotions from Verizon and AT&T and they couldn't even tell me if they are on a share plan. Because of this, I feel like most consumers who have an unlimited data plan just stick with it and never changed it because they don't need to or don't care.

If that is the case, is it possible that a number as high as 50% represent the number of AT&T users still on the unlimited plans? If that is the case, it is no wonder why AT&T is forced to grandfather these plans. Because of all the headache involved (calling, mailing, emailing) in moving 50 million customers to a new plan.
 
Kendo said:
I feel like most consumers don't even know what plans they have. For example, I told my coworkers about the double data promotions from Verizon and AT&T and they couldn't even tell me if they are on a share plan. Because of this, I feel like most consumers who have an unlimited data plan just stick with it and never changed it because they don't need to or don't care.

If that is the case, is it possible that a number as high as 50% represent the number of AT&T users still on the unlimited plans? If that is the case, it is no wonder why AT&T is forced to grandfather these plans. Because of all the headache involved (calling, mailing, emailing) in moving 50 million customers to a new plan.
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The point is that they can not move you to another plan with otu you agreeing to it. I have had unlimited all the way back to my Blackberry days and have no plan or reason to change it. This lawsuit might mean we all get TRUE UNLIMITED soon.
 
Newtons Apple said:
The point is that they can not move you to another plan with otu you agreeing to it. I have had unlimited all the way back to my Blackberry days and have no plan or reason to change it. This lawsuit might mean we all get TRUE UNLIMITED soon.
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That's my point actually. I think it will be impossible to just dump everyone off unlimited becasue of the resources involved in moving this many people off a plan. AT&T's customer base has more people than entire nations have citizens. The only recourse I can think of is offering true unlimited.
 
Kendo said:
That's my point actually. I think it will be impossible to just dump everyone off unlimited becasue of the resources involved in moving this many people off a plan. AT&T's customer base has more people than entire nations have citizens. The only recourse I can think of is offering true unlimited.
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My point is that they can not more people off the plan or the only resources they will need will be LEGAL!

If AT&T could moved us off the unlimited plan they would have long ago.
 
Newtons Apple said:
The point is that they can not move you to another plan with otu you agreeing to it. I have had unlimited all the way back to my Blackberry days and have no plan or reason to change it. This lawsuit might mean we all get TRUE UNLIMITED soon.
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Not necessarily. They can easily end unlimited for grandfathered customers the next time they upgrade a la Verizon.
 
JayLenochiniMac said:
Not necessarily. They can easily end unlimited for grandfathered customers the next time they upgrade a la Verizon.
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And unlike Verizon, they let people have the choice to keep their unlimited plans with the guarantee they would never be charged overages. They never sold a throttled unlimited plan. They changed the terms for grandfathered customers, which is shady, but there is no chance they are getting true unlimited back. They will just end it if they are getting sued over it.
 
I vaguely remember reading 3-4 million customers left on the unlimited plan.

I'm one of them.
 
Newtons Apple said:
If AT&T could moved us off the unlimited plan they would have long ago.
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They absolutely could if they wanted to.

You did not sign a life-long contract. It has to be renewed occasionally. At those points AT&T could tell you that your current plan is not an option anymore and lay out all of your new choices for you.

The reason they haven't done this is that this then gives you the thought to try out another carrier. They'd rather keep renewing a plan they don't love rather than lose you altogether.

But it's well within their rights to do it if it comes down to it.
 
Newtons Apple said:
Why would anyone upgrade to Verizone?

We are talking AT&T.
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What he's saying is that it's possible AT&T will make the same move as Verizon and require customers to make a choice between unlimited data and a subsidized phone.
 
We had unlimited data up until the end of last year (around this time last year), I was experiencing sunch SLOW LTE speeds it was crazy, didn't matter if it was the first couple days of the billing cycle or the end, as soon as we switched to the 6gb plan I saw the speeds increased 10x.

Right now we are sharing a 6gb plan, and each line has to pay $40 to access the data, so technically 3 lines are paying $200 for 6gb of data, wich is ridiculous if you ask me. (3 iPhone's on the plan, but 2 of them barley use 1gb of data a month). Might have to up it to the 10gb plan.

EDIT: I just checked, one line on our account only pays $15 to access the shared data, I was told because they made a change to their pricing and that line will be $40 once we renew the contract (they upgrade phone). The only way to pay $15 instead of $40 now is to go with the AT&T NEXT, which saves you $25/month on data charges per line. So we pay $175 for 6gb of data.
 
Small White Car said:
They absolutely could if they wanted to.

You did not sign a life-long contract. It has to be renewed occasionally. At those points AT&T could tell you that your current plan is not an option anymore and lay out all of your new choices for you.

The reason they haven't done this is that this then gives you the thought to try out another carrier. They'd rather keep renewing a plan they don't love rather than lose you altogether.

But it's well within their rights to do it if it comes down to it.
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Does not have to be "renewed occsionally". I am not under contract. Without compensation, it is not within the right to do so.

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KPOM said:
What he's saying is that it's possible AT&T will make the same move as Verizon and require customers to make a choice between unlimited data and a subsidized phone.
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No doubt but why would I agree to a subsidized phone? I am not under contract except for the original contract I signed when I got the unlimited plan many years ago.
 
Newtons Apple said:
Does not have to be "renewed occsionally". I am not under contract. Without compensation, it is not within the right to do so.

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No doubt but why would I agree to a subsidized phone? I am not under contract except for the original contract I signed when I got the unlimited plan many years ago.
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If you're not under contract, ATT could end your unlimited tomorrow without any form of compensation. And there is absolutely nothing you can do about it, I'm afraid. The original contact you signed was binding for two years. That's it.

As far as the OP's point that it would be too difficult to move people off of unlimited, it's all going to depend on their risk analysis, really. If it's monetarilynworth it for ATT to end the plan, they will. It really is that simple.
 
JayLenochiniMac said:
It's in the fine print that they can end unlimited anytime. All it means is those under contract will be able to get out of paying the ETF. It's moot if you're not under contract.
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I would have to see that to believe that. If that were so, why would ATT care as they could just send you a text and end unlimited.

I thin this would break a users contract and allow them to get out of the ETF, etc. Like I said it does not matter to me, I can see ATT dumping all unlimited accounts. Just not going to happen. Even if they lose the lawsuit, but who knows.

If ATT called me tomorrow and said they were canceling my account and the nine phone on it, I would seek new service and the world would just keep spinning. I bet that will never happen.
 
Newtons Apple said:
I would have to see that to believe that. If that were so, why would ATT care as they could just send you a text and end unlimited.

I thin this would break a users contract and allow them to get out of the ETF, etc.
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That's exactly the reason. At least at&t is being generous compared to Verizon in actually allowing grandfathered customers to keep unlimited when they buy subsidized. FTC's action may put an end to this.
 
Newtons Apple said:
I am not under contract. Without compensation, it is not within the right to do so.
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And you're going to stop them with the contract you don't have?

Newtons Apple said:
If ATT called me tomorrow and said they were canceling my account and the nine phone on it, I would seek new service and the world would just keep spinning. I bet that will never happen.
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And that's exactly why they haven't done it. But that's a marketing choice, nothing to do with what they're allowed or not allowed to do.
 
Newtons Apple said:
Are you going to get a larger car?

I will jot have to stop them, as they are not taking my plan away. Why do you seem to care so much?
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It's a discussion. We are discussing the issue. You keep brining up erroneous points and people are pointing those out to you. M that's sort of how discussion works.
 
lordofthereef said:
It's a discussion. We are discussing the issue. You keep brining up erroneous points and people are pointing those out to you. M that's sort of how discussion works.
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What I am saying is I really do not care as I am not in fear of losing my account or unlimited. Even if I did it would not be the end of the world.

Y'all keep going but I am done here. Thanks for the entertainment.
 
I have a family plan where the primary line is unlimited data, but the other line is not since it's no longer an option. I've actually been told by one CSR that if I drop my second line and become a single line, I would lose my unlimited data.
 
Newtons Apple said:
What I am saying is I really do not care as I am not in fear of losing my account or unlimited. Even if I did it would not be the end of the world.

Y'all keep going but I am done here. Thanks for the entertainment.
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I understand very well that you don't care. But you keep coming back with the contract you signed 2+ years ago and thusly would require compensation if Att ever took the plan away. Irregardless of how you feel about what Att May or may not do, the latter part of your statement isn't factual.

Many people come here with questions. I don't find it strange at all that people are correcting you, politely, I might add. You just don't seem to want to have any of that and are attempting to back pedal the conversation stating you never cared in the first place. That's well and good. The things you said were, indeed, said (written if we want to be overly technical) and that has spurred this segment of the discussion.

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Small White Car said:
I, for one, am super excited that this turned into a face-off between a cat and a dog and I got to be a part of that.

Gotta love Macrumors :D
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Touché lol.
 
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