AT&T matches Verizon, reduces iPhone unlimited monthly plan by $30
Hours after Verizon announced its own reduced rates, AT&T responded in kind, offering a $99.99 per month unlimited voice and data plan for iPhone customers.
Starting Monday, iPhone customers will be able to sign up for unlimited voice and data for $99.99. The new plan is a $30 decrease over the previous rate. AT&T is the exclusive carrier of the iPhone in the U.S.
Customers with Family Talk plans, which include at least two smartphones, unlimited voice and data now runs $179.99. For all plans, unlimited texts will remain an extra $20 for individuals and $30 for Family Talk plans.
"With more than twice the number of smartphone customers as our nearest competitor, we are committed to offering great value and choice for customers who want to talk, text and surf on the nation?s fastest 3G network," said Ralph de la Vega, president and CEO, AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets.
"Our new plans reflect customers' continuing desire to do more with their phones ? including talking and browsing the Web at the same time. Plus these new plans make it even more attractive to choose AT&T which already offers customers the best 3G experience and the industry?s most popular and innovative devices."
Existing AT&T customers can choose to switch to any of the new plans without penalty or contract extension. Just visit the online account management tool at att.com/wireless.
Additional new plans for non-smartphone customers are also available. Feature phone customers can get unlimited talk for $69.99 for individuals and Family Talk plans starting at $119.99. Quick messaging devices can also get those prices.
The pricing changes came in response to new plans unveiled by Verizon Friday. Verizon also announced it is doing away with its $19.99 75MB data package for 3G multimedia phones. In its place is the 25MB, $9.99-per-month plan for all 3G phones, giving access to e-mail, games and the Internet. The $69.999 unlimited calling plan does not include data costs.
Both companies' billing changes come as they are in a heated battle for customers. AT&T and Verrizon were involved in a heavily publicized legal battle that was eventually dropped, though both companies remain engaged in advertising that heavily criticizes the other.
Verizon has parodied Apple's "There's an app for that" slogan by comparing its superior coverage 3G coverage map with AT&T, using the tagline "There's a map for that." And AT&T hired actor Luke Wilson to "set the record straight" on AT&T's coverage and point out areas where AT&T beats Verizon, like the ability to make calls and access data on handsets at the same time.
Verizon's comments on the prospect of tiered data plans were similar to what AT&T President Ralph de La Vega said last month. The AT&T executive's comments led to rumors that the wireless provider intended to introduce tiered plans for iPhone users, something the company emphatically denied was in the works.
Starting Monday, iPhone customers will be able to sign up for unlimited voice and data for $99.99. The new plan is a $30 decrease over the previous rate. AT&T is the exclusive carrier of the iPhone in the U.S.
Customers with Family Talk plans, which include at least two smartphones, unlimited voice and data now runs $179.99. For all plans, unlimited texts will remain an extra $20 for individuals and $30 for Family Talk plans.
"With more than twice the number of smartphone customers as our nearest competitor, we are committed to offering great value and choice for customers who want to talk, text and surf on the nation?s fastest 3G network," said Ralph de la Vega, president and CEO, AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets.
"Our new plans reflect customers' continuing desire to do more with their phones ? including talking and browsing the Web at the same time. Plus these new plans make it even more attractive to choose AT&T which already offers customers the best 3G experience and the industry?s most popular and innovative devices."
Existing AT&T customers can choose to switch to any of the new plans without penalty or contract extension. Just visit the online account management tool at att.com/wireless.
Additional new plans for non-smartphone customers are also available. Feature phone customers can get unlimited talk for $69.99 for individuals and Family Talk plans starting at $119.99. Quick messaging devices can also get those prices.
The pricing changes came in response to new plans unveiled by Verizon Friday. Verizon also announced it is doing away with its $19.99 75MB data package for 3G multimedia phones. In its place is the 25MB, $9.99-per-month plan for all 3G phones, giving access to e-mail, games and the Internet. The $69.999 unlimited calling plan does not include data costs.
Both companies' billing changes come as they are in a heated battle for customers. AT&T and Verrizon were involved in a heavily publicized legal battle that was eventually dropped, though both companies remain engaged in advertising that heavily criticizes the other.
Verizon has parodied Apple's "There's an app for that" slogan by comparing its superior coverage 3G coverage map with AT&T, using the tagline "There's a map for that." And AT&T hired actor Luke Wilson to "set the record straight" on AT&T's coverage and point out areas where AT&T beats Verizon, like the ability to make calls and access data on handsets at the same time.
Verizon's comments on the prospect of tiered data plans were similar to what AT&T President Ralph de La Vega said last month. The AT&T executive's comments led to rumors that the wireless provider intended to introduce tiered plans for iPhone users, something the company emphatically denied was in the works.
Comments
They have a huge wolf that's going to be in it.
Verizon is filming a commercial right now in my back yard (so to speak) in North Vancouver.
They have a huge wolf that's going to be in it.
what?
Thus proving the Verizon iPhone is coming, not that I know what Verizon is.
I hope so! Thats all i've been waiting for after dropping AT&T's crap. NO 3G and horrendous edge in my town yet 10 mins to north and 5 mins to south 3G flourishes. Verizon has outstanding 3G coverage and would rather have a tad slower rate of download(so i've read?) but consistent coverage then spotty ass service from you know who.
I currently pay $59 for 900 minute plan with rollover minutes of which I never go over 900 minutes and I've accumulated like 2000 rollover minutes and I pay $30 unlimited data plan which comes out to $89 for me, so I save $10 bucks...If you have a lot of rollover minutes or never go over 900 minutes I wouldn't switch!
This is not at all what I need. I'm a fairly heavy iPhone 3GS user. Voice communications (the telephone) doesn't make my top twenty in terms of the functions that I use the iPhone for. It's all about Apps for me. I'm constantly checking email, watching a CNN news video, downloading a file from my iDisk, checking stock quotes, checking realtime traffic maps, playing iPod music from the iPhone through my car stereo, etc. I don't like to talk on the phone and don't do it very much. Also don't ever use texting. In fact, I opted out of texting when I set up my current iPhone contract.
Number 1 - I want unlimited data. Number 2 - I want laptop tethering at no additional charge. Number 3 - I want the cell phone service providers to get together and totally eliminate international roaming charges.
Number 1 - I want unlimited data. Number 2 - I want laptop tethering at no additional charge. Number 3 - I want the cell phone service providers to get together and totally eliminate international roaming charges.
and I want whorled peas...
I hope so! Thats all i've been waiting for after dropping AT&T's crap. NO 3G and horrendous edge in my town yet 10 mins to north and 5 mins to south 3G flourishes. Verizon has outstanding 3G coverage and would rather have a tad slower rate of download(so i've read?) but consistent coverage then spotty ass service from you know who.
I guess you will be happy with horrendous customer service, greediness in terms of cost, Verizon control over your use of the phone, and the ability to use only voice or data at a time unlike AT&T and T-Mobile where you can do both [e.g. no talking and surfing the net at the same time]. From experience, as much as I dislike AT&T, I'd rather suffer through it's growing pains then subject myself to Verizon. Verizon gets my vote for worst company on the planet.
Verizon Wireless has always been at the top of all customer service surveys vs. AT&T has always been at the bottom.
Cost has been the same for both Verizon and AT&T --- and it's always Verizon that start the price war with AT&T matching it within hours.
Verizon controlling the phone is the same as Apple controlling the phone --- you the consumer ain't controlling the phone.
3G has been available for about 10 years now. Only now when we are ready to move to 4G that this whole technical deficiency gets any attention --- which means only one thing, Verizon made the correct technical choice for ev-do.
Thus proving the Verizon iPhone is coming, not that I know what Verizon is.
how much data? iTunes movies/tv shows eat up bandwidth quickly and I'd expect a mac touch to tether...
Number 1 - I want unlimited data. Number 2 - I want laptop tethering at no additional charge. Number 3 - I want the cell phone service providers to get together and totally eliminate international roaming charges.
We all want that badly but its never going to happen.
All we need is for someone to drop the Text Messaging rates....the rest will follow.
Thus proving the Verizon iPhone is coming, not that I know what Verizon is.
How does this prove the iPhone is coming to Verizon?
I hope so! Thats all i've been waiting for after dropping AT&T's crap.
I hope it comes to Verizon, too, because it will make my stock jump and it will hopefully alleviate some of the congestion on my AT&T network. Regardless, I’m not giving up rollover minutes (though it’s not like I ever use them), unlimited data, HSDPA/HSUPA that Verizon can’t even come close to matching, and most importantly, simultaneous voice and data for the most worthwhile multitasking option.
3G has been available for about 10 years now. Only now when we are ready to move to 4G that this whole technical deficiency gets any attention --- which means only one thing, Verizon made the correct technical choice for ev-do.
Always with the disinformation. Are you paid for by the 3GPP2 to spew this propaganda or is it just a hobby?
Always with the disinformation. Are you paid for by the 3GPP2 to spew this propaganda or is it just a hobby?
Verizon went national with 3G in 2004 --- and people are only starting to complain about it 6 years later.
3GPP went grandiose with video calling --- and we still haven't seen anyone actually using it --- worldwide.
LTE is a pure digital data network with zero voice --- just like ev-do. The future has spoken --- and it's Qualcomm's vision along.
We have a family plan with 2 iphones and we pay $175.46 each month.
Voice Plan @ 1,400 minutes = $80
Phone 1: Data Plan = $30 + 200 txt = $5
Phone 2: Data Plan = $30 + 200 txt = $5 + Extra Line = $10
Taxes/Fees = $15.46
----
Grand Total: $175.46
MacWorld agrees: "If I understand him correctly, that makes the Nation 1350 with Rollover Minutes especially unattractive come Monday. That plan costs $80 a month, plus the $30 data plan—in other words, $10 more than what iPhone users will be paying for unlimited voice and data starting next week."
http://www.macworld.com/article/1457...?lsrc=rss_main
- Evan