AT&T to raise unlimited data pricing to $35 a month in February
AT&T, the nation's second largest cellular carrier, intends to raise rates for subscribers grandfathered in to unlimited data plans early next year, tacking on a moderate increase of $5 per month.
AT&T will apply the $5 price hike to unlimited data plans sometime in February, meaning grandfathered iPhone users will see their monthly data bill float to $35 a month. The upcoming change was first reported by 9to5Mac and AppleInsider confirmed with an AT&T source.
Unlimited data plans were initially used to lure in potential smartphone buyers when the now ubiquitous devices first hit market in the late 2000s. As the data-hungry handsets gained in popularity, thanks in no small part to Apple's iPhone, carriers nixed all-you-can-eat models in favor of a limit-based tiered structure. AT&T, the first carrier to offer such incentives for iPhone in 2007, began capping data in June 2010.
As part of the new switch to data tiers, mobile carriers allowed customers already on an unlimited plan to continue said services in perpetuity. The deal came with one caveat: once an unlimited subscriber drops a grandfathered plan, they can't switch back.
To its credit, AT&T held off on the inevitable price increase for seven years while competitors T-Mobile, Sprint and, most recently, Verizon boosted monthly fees. Earlier this month, market leader Verizon and upstart T-Mobile kicked unlimited pricing to $50 and $95 per month, respectively.
All four major U.S. carriers also dabbled in data throttling tactics in efforts to ease network congestion. Under these policies, the heaviest users of unlimited data could see artificial speed caps if their monthly usage surpassed a given threshold. Subscribers decried the move, spurring a Federal Communications Commission investigation that led to a $100 million fine for AT&T. In response, AT&T recently shifted its data limit trigger from 5GB to 22GB, though throttling only occurs when networks are congested.
Verizon and Sprint did away with hard data limits on unlimited users earlier this year and currently apply dynamic throttling algorithms to all subscribers based on network congestion.
AT&T will apply the $5 price hike to unlimited data plans sometime in February, meaning grandfathered iPhone users will see their monthly data bill float to $35 a month. The upcoming change was first reported by 9to5Mac and AppleInsider confirmed with an AT&T source.
Unlimited data plans were initially used to lure in potential smartphone buyers when the now ubiquitous devices first hit market in the late 2000s. As the data-hungry handsets gained in popularity, thanks in no small part to Apple's iPhone, carriers nixed all-you-can-eat models in favor of a limit-based tiered structure. AT&T, the first carrier to offer such incentives for iPhone in 2007, began capping data in June 2010.
As part of the new switch to data tiers, mobile carriers allowed customers already on an unlimited plan to continue said services in perpetuity. The deal came with one caveat: once an unlimited subscriber drops a grandfathered plan, they can't switch back.
To its credit, AT&T held off on the inevitable price increase for seven years while competitors T-Mobile, Sprint and, most recently, Verizon boosted monthly fees. Earlier this month, market leader Verizon and upstart T-Mobile kicked unlimited pricing to $50 and $95 per month, respectively.
All four major U.S. carriers also dabbled in data throttling tactics in efforts to ease network congestion. Under these policies, the heaviest users of unlimited data could see artificial speed caps if their monthly usage surpassed a given threshold. Subscribers decried the move, spurring a Federal Communications Commission investigation that led to a $100 million fine for AT&T. In response, AT&T recently shifted its data limit trigger from 5GB to 22GB, though throttling only occurs when networks are congested.
Verizon and Sprint did away with hard data limits on unlimited users earlier this year and currently apply dynamic throttling algorithms to all subscribers based on network congestion.
Comments
AT&T will apply the $5 price hike to unlimited data plans sometime in February, meaning grandfathered iPhone users will see their monthly data bill float to $35 a month.
That's a lot to pay for a dumb pipe.
That doesn't mean they're not expensive to install and maintain.
That sucks.
Means more people will be dumping these Aholes, and moving onto the other providers (including mine
) making them more congested.
That's a lot to pay for a dumb pipe.
Not a very informed comment to be sure. $35 for unlimited LTE data without throttling is not a lot to pay.
That sucks.
Means more people will be dumping these Aholes, and moving onto the other providers (including mine
) making them more congested.
I highly doubt there will be a max exodus of AT&T customers leaving to go pay more on another provider.
Not a very informed comment to be sure. $35 for unlimited LTE data without throttling is not a lot to pay.
What this is really saying is the average 'unlimited' user is using about 15% more data than last year (in other words, the your average user is on line 15% more, or is getting 15% denser data than last year). assuming that the avg unlimited user is somewhere around 20GB/month (and my guess is that's high), that's 3GB. $5 a month for 3GB is a great deal.
But they're recent move to ONLY allow us to continue our 2 year renewal ONLY if we purchase the phone from them directly and not Apple has caused us to consider jumping to apples upgrade plan for phone upgrades, starting with iPhone 7. This year we were between contracts so we bought iPhone 6s+ out right selling our iPhone 6+ for nearly the same price as the new.
Att has continually provided us with data speeds between 40-80mbps. When I check my friends Verizon it's always 2.23mbps. My other friends Sprint is slightly worse 1.88mbps and poor t-Mobile barely clears 1mbps. We use Ookla SpeedTest for consistency but verify it against the FCC app too. Always the same result. We run the test in phoenix where we live but also in Las Vegas 4 times a year. It's shocking how slow the other carriers are. There's no way in hell we'd purposely drop to those speeds I don't care how "great" they say their calling map is. And in the part 7 years I've had 9 dropped calls. They have always been on the other end (at least that's what the other person concurs) I've yet to have a drop call calling another ATT customer or a landline. I'm not buying all the bad press ATT gets by non ATT users. In fact ATT users always respond with "oh you should definitely change carriers" that's less people on OUR network. Lol
Go ahead, AT&T. Try it.
I'm on a contract. Raise my cost and I can keep the phone and dump them and switch.
Go ahead, AT&T. Try it.
They said you can cancel within 60 days of the price increase without incurring an ETF.
Not necessarily and if they did move it would be dumb on their part since NOT ALL "pay to switch or buyout switch offers" cover all costs of switching
Add in that most carriers charge more than this $35 rate for unlimited now and you could get screwed on throttling. ATT at least is more reasonable and transparent now in that regard hell I would gladly take 22GB of 4G LTE No throttle for $35 vs $115 for 30GB I have now.
Agreed! There is however a limit before throttling still far better pricing than modern capped plans
22GB 4G LTE $35 vs 30GB $115 ( 2 years ago ) vs $145 40 GB Nowadays. It's still a no brainier what the better bargains are!
Granted ATT is by no means the best at price competition but some good deals past and present do tend to come along especially if you compare them against other ATT Plans.
Sometimes plans are best for current customers being nudged to switch plans when upgrading sometimes albeit it very rarely they can actually compete with the competition ( albeit nowhere near as well as days long past )
You do realize you're NOT no matter what going to find a better deal for Unlimited anymore?
Most carriers charge 10 to 60 bucks more if they even come close to unlimited
Have fun with the costs associated with switching. Even if you don't have ETF's getting your phone unlocked or another phone will cost you.
And no guarantees your unlocked phone will perform well on other networks
I hope they'll allow me to finally use my phone as a hotspot
You can, and always could (I did on mine), it's just not included for free (like it is with the family shared data plans).
You do realize you're NOT no matter what going to find a better deal for Unlimited anymore?
Most carriers charge 10 to 60 bucks more if they even come close to unlimited
Have fun with the costs associated with switching. Even if you don't have ETF's getting your phone unlocked or another phone will cost you.
And no guarantees your unlocked phone will perform well on other networks
I swear to God some of these commenters have an advanced case of Tourette’s Syndrome. The nonsense that is blurted out is so bizarre it can’t be rational thought but involuntary reactions.
They said you can cancel within 60 days of the price increase without incurring an ETF.
Exactly. Since my phone is just over a year old, I'd be able to upgrade early AND have a phone worth selling.
I'm getting a damn good price and plan right now on two phones, but if I'm going to pay more, I might as well see if someone else is willing to also pay me to switch, etc.
You do realize you're NOT no matter what going to find a better deal for Unlimited anymore?
Most carriers charge 10 to 60 bucks more if they even come close to unlimited
Have fun with the costs associated with switching. Even if you don't have ETF's getting your phone unlocked or another phone will cost you.
And no guarantees your unlocked phone will perform well on other networks
I'm not talking about getting unlimited somewhere else. I realize those days are gone. I'm talking about not accepting an unjustified price hike. I'll take my money and go elsewhere and benefit from them trying to charge me more for the same service. I don't use shit-tons of data, but don't want to see my bill go up. In the end, I get some incentives to switch and they feel a little pain from losing a customer.
I'm not talking about getting unlimited somewhere else. I realize those days are gone. I'm talking about not accepting an unjustified price hike. I'll take my money and go elsewhere and benefit from them trying to charge me more for the same service. I don't use shit-tons of data, but don't want to see my bill go up. In the end, I get some incentives to switch and they feel a little pain from losing a customer.
So, why is it "unjustified"? Just wondering your line of reasoning. Most services don't hold the same price forever, year over year over year.
So, why is it "unjustified"? Just wondering your line of reasoning. Most services don't hold the same price forever, year over year over year.
usually advancing technology lowers cost & improves performance.
see: home broadband.
i pay the same for 25 mbps FIOS that i paid for 10 mbps FIOS 5 years ago.
This is why i think i am okay with the throttling - don't charge more just mange your network better.
Att has continually provided us with data speeds between 40-80mbps. When I check my friends Verizon it's always 2.23mbps. My other friends Sprint is slightly worse 1.88mbps and poor t-Mobile barely clears 1mbps. We use Ookla SpeedTest for consistency but verify it against the FCC app too. Always the same result. We run the test in phoenix where we live but also in Las Vegas 4 times a year. It's shocking how slow the other carriers are. There's no way in hell we'd purposely drop to those speeds I don't care how "great" they say their calling map is. And in the part 7 years I've had 9 dropped calls. They have always been on the other end (at least that's what the other person concurs) I've yet to have a drop call calling another ATT customer or a landline. I'm not buying all the bad press ATT gets by non ATT users. In fact ATT users always respond with "oh you should definitely change carriers" that's less people on OUR network. Lol
reception completely depends on where you are.
i switched to TMobile in July - consistently get 24 mbps down /7 mbps up with speedtest.
On ATT, i consistently got 6 mbps down/ 4 mbps up - same iPhone 5s.
On top of that i had about 10% success rates with calls inside my 120 year old row home with ATT. TMobile has not had this issue.
This is just north of Center City Philly.
Oh, and TMobile is giving me free unlimited data for 3 months. Why? Just because. Its like they care about customers!!