So, it is my sad duty today to report the loss of our good friend: Unlimited Data Plans. Today, AT&T announced that starting June 7th, they will no longer be offering unlimited data consumption, which was a monthly $30 fee. Now, for those of you who have that service, fear not. You won't be required to change your service, though you can if you want. Here's how the new plans work out:
The DataPlus plan costs $15/month for 200MB of data, which according to AT&T is "enough to send/receive 1,000 emails (no attachments), plus send/receive 150 emails with attachments, plus view 400 Web pages, plus post 50 photos on social media sites, plus watch 20 minutes of streaming video". Oh boy. The DataPro plan is $25 a month for 2GB of data (Don't have math on this one, pretty irrelevant considering how dumb this all is anyway). The only thing that saves this bad move are the overages. Instead of the per KB charges seen on aircards, they'll have overage bundles. For the DataPlus, if you go over your pitiful 200MB, you get another 200MB pack for another $15. Those using more than the 2GB limit imposed by the DataPro plan will have to pony up another $10 per GB overage.
Good News: Tethering! Bad News: It's really not. Other companies who offer phone-as-modem give you a 5GB allowance just for tethering, in addition to your regular data consumption. That makes sense, right? You pay more to use more data. Not to AT&T (big shocker, I know). Their tethering package will cost you an additional $20 a month on a smartphone (which does include an iPhone running 4.0), but it uses the data that using your phone does too. Key difference: it does it a metric ****-ton faster. Seriously, how on God's green Earth can they justify charging you a premium to tether if you gain literally nothing from it. How does it cost AT&T more to send data to your phone for your computer than your phone for your phone? That was rhetorical, by the way. Everyone knows the answer: They're dumb and evil.
Oh, and they somehow managed to find a way to make the iPad even worse (I know, I didn't think it was possible either). They are also abandoning the unlimited data plan for Apple's tablet (which just opened up internationally and has now sold 2 million units, but the discussion on the idiocy involved there has already been discussed), in favor of the $25/2GB plan. I wouldn't be surprised if you start seeing some (probably frivolous) lawsuits over this grand-scale bait-and-switch soon.
The best thing about this ridiculous move is that AT&T will be sending automatic texts at regular intervals warning you about your consumption, something the FCC is considering making all carriers do. So they deserve credit there, but ultimately AT&T has yet again taken 1 step forward and 3 steps back. And they wonder why so many people say "I love my iPhone, but I hate AT&T!" or "I want an iPhone, but I hate AT&T!" or just plain old "JESUS I HATE AT&T!".
But let's leave today on a high note. Friday, the HTC EVO 4G comes out. And I know most of us here at BluePrints are pretty pumped about it (at least 3 of us are getting one launch day). And I have it on good authority that Dan Hesse, Sprint CEO, is probably having an awesome week because of it and AT&T yet again trying to throw customers at him.
The one thing I do like about ATT's move is the rare generosity that not only can existing customers keep the $30 all you can eat plan, but they can do so even when switching smartphones. Normally a feature change like that forces your hand.
ReplyDeleteNow where you must switch is when you want to add tethering from this point on. Paying for tethering on tiered data plans is ridiculous but it is ATT.
What I still want to find out is will these data tiers be the catch all pricing for ALL phones. What I mean is that standard and quick messaging devices would normally get unlimited internet for $10-15 based on text bolt-ons. If so, those users just got crippled too.
The only small group that this really benefits is the casual use person who only wants a smartphone for the looks of it and doesn't want to pay more than $15 for data.
Will this affect my Nokia GoPhone's ability to make a basic phone call?
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