AT&T intros flat rate international iPhone data plans starting at $25

[AppleInsider]

Responding to swelling discontent amongst customers who've been slapped with costly data usage bills for browsing the Web and checking email on their iPhones while abroad, AT&T on Friday announced a pair of flat-rate international data plans starting at just $25 per month.

A new $60 Data Global Plan will offer iPhone users 50MB of data per month to browse the Web, check e-mail and access other information in more than 29 countries, including Canada, China, Mexico and in areas throughout Europe and Asia.

The plan, which must be purchased in addition to the domestic voice and data iPhone plan acquired during iPhone activation, also enables international voice and data roaming, as well as international long distance dialing from the United States at standard rates.

Should customers exceed the 50MB bucket in the 29 countries where the plan applies, they will be charged $.005/KB, AT&T said. Outside those countries, consumers will be charged for their data usage by the kilobyte, at rates starting as low as $.010/KB.

AT&T is also offering a 20MB Data Global Plan for iPhone customers for $$25 a month. The 20MB bucket applies to usage within the same 29 countries, with overage rated at $.005/KB. Outside the 29 designated countries, the data usage rate is $.0195/KB.

AT&T advises international travelers to remember to check their wireless options as a part of their pre-trip planning process. Travelers can visit the carrier's international page to see whether service is available in the countries to which they are traveling.

Travelers can also visit AT&T's Travel Guide to determine whether their wireless device has the frequency and wireless technology needed at their travel destination.

[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]

[EagerDragon]

Originally Posted by AppleInsider

Responding to swelling discontent amongst customers who've been slapped with costly data usage bills for browsing the Web and checking email on their iPhones while outside the U.S., AT&T on Friday announced a pair of flat-rate international data plans starting at just $25 per month.

A new $60 Data Global Plan will offer iPhone users 50MB of data per month to browse the Web, check e-mail and access other information in more than 29 countries, including Canada, China, Mexico and in areas throughout Europe and Asia.

The plan, which must be purchased in addition to the domestic voice and data iPhone plan acquired during iPhone activation, also enables international voice and data roaming, as well as international long distance dialing from the United States at standard rates.

Should customers exceed the 50MB bucket in the 29 countries where the plan applies, they will be charged $.005/KB, AT&T said. Outside those countries, consumers will be charged for their data usage by the kilobyte, at rates starting as low as $.010/KB.

AT&T is also offering a 20MB Data Global Plan for iPhone customers for $$25 a month. The 20MB bucket applies to usage within the same 29 countries, with overage rated at $.005/KB. Outside the 29 designated countries, the data usage rate is $.0195/KB.

AT&T advises international travelers to remember to check their wireless options as a part of their pre-trip planning process. Travelers can visit the carrier's international page to see whether service is available in the countries to which they are traveling.

Travelers can also visit AT&T's Travel Guide to determine whether their wireless device has the frequency and wireless technology needed at their travel destination.

[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]

[ Digg this story ]

umm, 50 and 20 megs seems like very little for a month, and your ussage will vary depending on the amount of images on the sites you visit. I can still see a significant bill or people fidgeting because they cant check the web, its like a drug.

[Bageljoey]

This is welcome news.
Those international roaming charge horror stories were the most obvious source of public discontent with the iPhone.



...Wish I traveled enough to rack up roaming charges...

[waytogobuddy]

So you're saying its cheaper for me to roam data with American at&t in Canada than going with a Canadian Rogers plan? How does THAT work?

Also, I saw a Roger's TV spot yesterday that where the girl wanted "the 8 gig music phone!!!" for Christmas. Problem was, it was a Sony Ericsson.

sigh.....

FYI Rogers is absolute Shit:

Rogers Mobile Internet is your source for:
...
Pay-per-use at 5¢/KB when you browse the mobile Internet, e-mail and chat or save every month with a Mobile Internet Plan

Mobile Internet Plans

$5 5 MB 3¢/KB
$10 10 MB 3¢/KB


to reiterate at&t

"$25 a month. The 20MB bucket applies to usage within the same 29 countries, with overage rated at $.005/KB" - or 1/2 a cent.

[SpamSandwich]

When in China, always just buy a SIM card to get the best local rates. They are waaaaaay cheaper.

[anantksundaram]

These are still fairly ridiculous contracts and prices. >$1 for 1MB on a $25/$60 monthly plan (i.e., $300/$720 annual plan)?!

Especially when one might travel at most a few days once every couple of months!?



I am going back to my trusted old tri-band Nokia with a local SIM card for my travels abroad. The iPhone (Edge roaming turned-off) will be used for data access only in wifi settings, and as for voice, it will be just an emergency/back-up calling device.

[keefer37]

Now they just need to get with the program and include unlimited SMS as part of the iPhone's data plan. It's ridiculous that I can browse thousands of MBs of data (domestically), but I have a 7 bit text message quota.

[JeffDM]

Originally Posted by keefer37

Now they just need to get with the program and include unlimited SMS as part of the iPhone's data plan. It's ridiculous that I can browse thousands of MBs of data (domestically), but I have a 7 bit text message quota.

The way I heard that was that SMS uses a part of the band that wasn't intended for heavy use, or much use at all, so that sub band could get clogged up a lot quicker than the voice or other data systems.

But this thing just doesn't make sense. You have to put that extra cost into the contract and there's not much there. I would go with the idea of just turning the stupid thing off and buy a temporary phone for overseas use.

[minderbinder]

How is a plan limited at 20 or 50 megs (a tiny amount) "flat rate"? It's a small amount that will be quickly exceeded, going right back to those fat bills.

If they really want to call it "flat rate" shouldn't it be unlimited? Otherwise, it's just a different version of paying per meg.

And this sounds like it has to be added as an ongoing cost. What about people who just need to leave the country one time, is there no affordable option for them?

[aaarrrgggh]

Boy, does AT&T just not get it or what?! (Not that Apple is any better on this issue though.)

If it costs more than the phone for these frigging plans, people are fools to not just unlock their phones to use a local SIM, and get a cheap phone for their AT&T sim for important phone calls.

The good news is that the backlash will eventually cause a change in policies. People that shouldn't get in an uproar over these things (unlike myself) are starting to complain about how stupid it is. One person I work with is actually going to go the Nokia internet tablet route (despite not being a technical person) because of the limitations in the iPhone and iPod Touch! I was amazed; he should be a prime target for Apple given his complete lack of concern for cost and interest in the appearance of things.

Maybe Google winning some wireless spectrum is the best thing that can happen for the telecommunications industry.

[kerryb]

One has to travel quite a bit to make this an attractive plan. Depending on where one is visiting in say, Europe there are many hotspots even if we are thinking cafe's or public libraries. This plan looks to be for business users which I did not think was the target audience for the iPhone.

[secondshadow]

Originally Posted by JeffDM

The way I heard that was that SMS uses a part of the band that wasn't intended for heavy use, or much use at all, so that sub band could get clogged up a lot quicker than the voice or other data systems.

But this thing just doesn't make sense. You have to put that extra cost into the contract and there's not much there. I would go with the idea of just turning the stupid thing off and buy a temporary phone for overseas use.

I'm about 95% certain that this is flatly incorrect. I actual work for a company that manufactures wireless switches as a software engineer and, at least on the GSM side, I'm pretty sure this is quite untrue. I'm less familiar with the CDMA side of things as I don't do much with our CDMA stuff right now. I not 100% certain; however, if anyone really wants me to look into it I can find out Monday. In reality the reason a carrier would charge more for SMS is that they can. That said, you do still have to make it profitable and considering the cost of the switch, on which the SMSC is extra, I can definitely see at least some justification for not making it cost almost nothing.

[winterspan]

Originally Posted by kerryb

One has to travel quite a bit to make this an attractive plan. Depending on where one is visiting in say, Europe there are many hotspots even if we are thinking cafe's or public libraries. This plan looks to be for business users which I did not think was the target audience for the iPhone.

These are TERRIBLE!

Oh thank you AT&T for the "reasonable rates" for using my iPhone when I go to my aunt's house across the pond.

Buying their "volume discount" package for $59.95 gets you 50 Megabytes of data = $1.20/MB.

Wow, what a ******* deal. Think of all the amazing things you can do while traveling with your iphone.
1) Use this apparent yet-to-be-released Itunes "radio" service over your iPhone.. for the low, low price of $1.20/min. And they created these 'special' plans because of this? WTF?

2) Everyone loves to browse the web right? Lets take a look at that...

Website__________Page Size _____________Cost PER PAGE LOAD
Apple.com________414KB = 0.41MB_________$0.50 [0.41MB * $1.20/MB]
NYTimes.com______402KB = 0.40MB_________$0.50 [0.40MB * $1.20/MB]
Macrumors.com____235KB = 0.24MB_________$0.30 [0.24MB * $1.20/MB]

Now lets say it's time to get to work, and I need to review a small powerpoint show before a meeting, but I can't find a free wifi hotspot. Or lets say my friend emails me a small set of vacation photos he took with his digital camera:

Powerpoint attachment OR set of ~10 vacation photos (9MB) = That will cost you $10.80 !!!

Also I love their clever use of kilobyte units in their overage rate to disguise the *REAL* RIPOFF to the average consumer. "wow $.005 can't be too bad"

Well, actually, $.005/KB * 1000 = $5.00/MB. FIVE DOLLARS a megabyte!
Seriously, how long can it take to go through 50 Megabytes... People will be hitting this overage all the time. Jeeeeezus, It's OUTRAGEOUS!

So when traveling, after you have used up your drop-in-the-bucket data allotment, be prepared to have that overage fee make you CRY:

* $5.00/min to listen to iTunes radio
* $2.00 PER PAGE to read Nytimes.com
* $45.00 to download that Powerpoint attachment
* $45.00 to download that set of Digicam vacation photos

And remember, the $59.95 is on top off your already $50-80 bill.
So You are already paying an arm and a leg and then they have the **** nerve to charge me $5.00/MB after 50MB (aka one day) ??? WTF?

People need to BOYCOTT these outrageous fees! Vote with your wallet!








BTW, I love how Apple insider uses qualifiers such as "as low as $0.019/kb". as "low" as??? WTF $0.019/KB = $19 A FRICKEN MEGABYTE!

[njm]

This doesn't sound like a good deal at all.

By the way, does this article sound a bit like a press release?

More specifically, like this press release?

AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) today announced a new international plan that gives iPhone users 50 MB of data per month to browse the Web, check e-mail and access other information in more than 29 countries, including Canada, China, Mexico and in areas throughout Europe and Asia.

The new Data Global Plan is available to iPhone customers for $59.99 a month, which is in addition to the domestic voice and data iPhone plan they purchase during iPhone activation. The Data Global Plan enables international voice and data roaming, as well as international long distance dialing from the United States at standard rates.

The plan requires customers to first purchase a domestic voice and data plan for the iPhone and is not available as a stand-alone offer. Normal eligibility requirements for international plans apply. Should customers exceed the 50MB bucket in the 29 countries where the plan applies, they will pay $.005/KB. Outside those countries, consumers will simply pay for their data usage by the kilobyte, at rates starting as low as $.010/KB.

AT&T also offers a 20MB Data Global Plan for iPhone customers for $24.99 a month. The 20MB bucket applies to usage within the same 29 countries, with overage rated at $.005/KB. Outside the 29 designated countries, the data usage rate is $.0195/KB.

AT&T advises international travelers to remember to check their wireless options as a part of their pre-trip planning process.

[JeffDM]

Originally Posted by njm

This doesn't sound like a good deal at all.

By the way, does this article sound a bit like a press release?

More specifically, like this press release?

Unfortunately, that's how AI authors write, I think it's unnecessarily putting on airs, a bit stiff in my opinion.

All the basic info looks to be the same, but re-written in different words.