The pitch: You’ll get more data for your money, and prices drop if you sign up for a larger plan. Plus, AT&T says it’s dropping overage fees.
It’s AT&T’s turn to shake up its wireless plans.
The nation’s second-largest carrier on Wednesday introduced new wireless plans that offer more data — but at a higher starting price. The changes echo the shift Verizon’s making with its new plans, introduced last month. AT&T says it’s offering you a better deal on the price per megabyte of data.
The cheapest available plan is now $10 more at $30 a month, but includes 1 GB of data (the previous low-end plan included only 300 MB). A 3 GB plan costs $40 a month, 6 GB costs $60, 10 GB costs $80 and 16 GB costs $90. Heavy data users can rejoice; the 25 GB and 30 GB plans are actually cheaper.
Like Verizon, AT&T is doing away with overage fees for anyone who signs up for these new plans. But AT&T isn’t charging a separate fee like Verizon’s “Safety Mode” program, which costs some customers $5 a month.
AT&T’s move is another jab in the cat-and-mouse game that is the wireless business. In a highly competitive environment where every carrier is vying for your business, big moves often elicit imitation or a response by rivals. T-Mobile has long pressured the big two carriers into ending overage charges, but it took Verizon making its move to spur AT&T into action. Meanwhile, both are offering plans with richer data packages.
“This just shows how competitive the market is with everyone reacting to another,” said Recon Analytics analyst Roger Entner.
As per the usual for carriers, nothing is simple. In addition to the rate changes, AT&T streamlined its device access structure so everyone has to pay $20 a month to connect their phones. Previously, the access fee was $25 for customers who were on a 10 GB plan or lower, and $15 for 15GB and higher. Customers still on two-year agreements pay an access charge of $40 a month.
The changes mean that there will be some situations in which customers will end up paying less, particularly if they are willing to sign up for the larger plans. For example, a 25 GB plan for four now costs $190 ($110 for the 25 GB plus four phones at $20 apiece). It previously cost $235 a month. A 30 GB plan for four costs $215 now, vs. $285 under the old structure.
The plans will be available on August 21. Both new and existing customers can sign up for them.
Source: cnet.com
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Im so sick of paying $100 for 1 phone…. I need to switch to GoogoleFi….
Get the cheapest plan and use wi-fi… ridiculous prices
@ScottPen Right… I have Verizon and they already have been telling me that they are automatically going to “upgrade” my plan to the New Data Plan. Im on WiFi at work, home, friends house. I use only about 1gb/month 4g data but yet im paying $100/month for a phone and service….
No deal. This is just a numbers game. The same data package costs more than what I’m currently paying. It’s $20 per line instead of $15. They’re just trying to make you upgrade to a larger plan with more data.
The charts are misleading if youre having to add a $20 connection fee for your device, which everyone pays. So basically 1gb is $50 (not $30) and 3gb is $60 (not $40), 6gb is $80 etc. I hate when the carriers play games like that with the pricing. So many articles aren’t mentioning the 20$ fee which is misleading. IF you like ATT, Try Straight Talk – It uses the ATT LTE network and you’ll pay $45 for 5gb or $55 for 10gb and you won’t have any connection fees. Youll literally get 10gb a month for less than youre paying ATT for 3gb
Every time there is a change, the consumer ends up paying more at the end. I haven’t changed my plan in many years, every time they try to optimize my plan they cant beat it. Pay more to save less, and “unlimited” data at 40 per line…lies.
@MilwaukeeBugg Considering my ATT bill has been nearly the same since 2006, I would say their prices have gone down over the years, relative to the increase in services offered… certainly lower than the rate of inflation.
16GB for $90 will actually save me money switching from 15GB for $100… can’t believe for once I’m on the right side of one of these changes :clap:
It’s just funny looking at the prices, you get to see how much they are just gouging us.
So it costs you $30 for the first gig but only $10 for the next 2gigs. gets even better father down. You pay $80 for 10 gigs but only $10 more for the next 6 gigs. Which you needed to pay $60 for if 6 is all you wanted. But my favorite is $80 for 10 but only $30 more for 2.5 times that.
They figured out how to charge us for air then change the price and we all get happy.
450min 200 text and unlimited data.
They want me to change but I won’t! smile
Still on the Unlimited plan for $35
@Get_Shorty ME TOO!
Im so sick of paying $100 for 1 phone…. I need to switch to GoogoleFi….
Get the cheapest plan and use wi-fi… ridiculous prices
@ScottPen Right… I have Verizon and they already have been telling me that they are automatically going to “upgrade” my plan to the New Data Plan. Im on WiFi at work, home, friends house. I use only about 1gb/month 4g data but yet im paying $100/month for a phone and service….
No deal. This is just a numbers game. The same data package costs more than what I’m currently paying. It’s $20 per line instead of $15. They’re just trying to make you upgrade to a larger plan with more data.
The charts are misleading if youre having to add a $20 connection fee for your device, which everyone pays. So basically 1gb is $50 (not $30) and 3gb is $60 (not $40), 6gb is $80 etc. I hate when the carriers play games like that with the pricing. So many articles aren’t mentioning the 20$ fee which is misleading. IF you like ATT, Try Straight Talk – It uses the ATT LTE network and you’ll pay $45 for 5gb or $55 for 10gb and you won’t have any connection fees. Youll literally get 10gb a month for less than youre paying ATT for 3gb
Every time there is a change, the consumer ends up paying more at the end. I haven’t changed my plan in many years, every time they try to optimize my plan they cant beat it. Pay more to save less, and “unlimited” data at 40 per line…lies.
@MilwaukeeBugg Considering my ATT bill has been nearly the same since 2006, I would say their prices have gone down over the years, relative to the increase in services offered… certainly lower than the rate of inflation.
16GB for $90 will actually save me money switching from 15GB for $100… can’t believe for once I’m on the right side of one of these changes :clap:
It’s just funny looking at the prices, you get to see how much they are just gouging us.
So it costs you $30 for the first gig but only $10 for the next 2gigs. gets even better father down. You pay $80 for 10 gigs but only $10 more for the next 6 gigs. Which you needed to pay $60 for if 6 is all you wanted. But my favorite is $80 for 10 but only $30 more for 2.5 times that.
They figured out how to charge us for air then change the price and we all get happy.
450min 200 text and unlimited data.
They want me to change but I won’t! smile
Still on the Unlimited plan for $35
@Get_Shorty ME TOO!