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AT&T Is Boosting Data Plans, Dropping Overage Fees (reuters.com)
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Reuters: ATT Inc, the No. 2 U.S wireless provider, said on Wednesday that it would roll out a new data plan that does away with overage fees and reduces data speeds for wireless customers who surpass their data allowance. Beginning Sunday, customers can choose the new Mobile Share Advantage plan and pay for extra data, if needed, or work with slower data speeds instead of paying for overages, the company said in a statement. Its current plan includes a $5 data overage charge per 300 megabytes on its 300-megabyte plan and $15 per 1 gigabyte on other plans. ATT has also revised prices and data bucket sizes. For instance, its larger 25-gigabyte plan now costs $190 per month for four smartphone lines. It previously cost $235. All the new plans include an access charge of $10 to $40 per month for each device, ATT said. The new plans will continue to have features such as unlimited text and talk and rollover data. Plans above 10 gigabytes also include unlimited talk and text to Mexico and Canada and no roaming charges in Mexico. Last month, Verizon introduced a new "Safety Mode" for its data plans that similarly throttles customers who exceed their monthly allotment to avoid overages. While Verizon charges customers on lower tier plans for the feature, ATT notes that it does not apply any extra charges.
And here I am, having been an unlimited-everything T-Mobile customer for the better part of a decade...
Do not look into laser with remaining eye.
Remember the little closet where they wiretapped everybody in San Francisco, CA, USA? Of course you do this is FBI Slashdot.
Where the industry is going seems rather obvious. Take away Unlimited as well as NO-data plan and have everyone pay for a Mediocre data caps that ensure demanding streaming services can't be sued. That would force them to spend money upgrading their networks
"...all data usage will be reduced to a maximum of 128 kbps for the rest of their bill cycle."
Does it also make the sound of an analog modem establishing a connection every time you send or receive data?
I think I'd rather pay the overage fee...
I'm not saying this in a "we're better than you" sort of way, but it really astounds me how the consumers get screwed over so much in the USA. Whether it's phone bills, health care insurance, cable companies or the dozen other topics. You lead the world in so many ways but seem to defend big business that rapes the general public in so many ways. Unfortunately with "lobbying" so inherent it may only get worse.
Subscribers pay for a service. An access charge to let them actually use the service should be illegal as it lets the provider advertise a false bottom line price, while putting the add-on access charge in fine print that many people don't notice. No thanks, AT&T or Verizon for that matter.
Don't download this file: (51GB bzip2)
>600GB uncompressed
Remember the little closet where they wiretapped everybody in San Francisco, CA, USA? Of course you do this is FBI Slashdot.
Yep. And we know about all the other little closets that everyone else has set up.
Nobody is Mr. Nice Guy (or Ms. Nice Guy, I suppose, this being Slashdot and all).
Faster! Faster! Faster would be better!
Every night, before I go to sleep, I hope and pray to the PTBs that Google will add AT&T to Project Fi's list of carriers. There's a section of the desert between Vegas and LA that is useless on TMo/Sprint/USCellular. Adding AT&T to Fi (and possibly iPhone support for Fi) with decent marketing $ behind it would be the end of direct-from carrier services as we know it here in the U.S.. Needs to happen.
-SoulMaster
they are dropping the data charges but raising the access charge per line by $5. on my 6 line account it would mean $20 less for data but $30 more for access charges which would be a price increase
This looks like a hidden rate increase to me. Rates for data go down but access charges go up. Current: plan with 15 gigs with 4 phones is 100 (data) + 4*15(access charge) = 160. New 16 gigs with 4 phones will be 90(data) +4 *20) =170. $10 increase.
This is actually relevant information in the industry, not marketing. It's true because we reported it as news and we aren't in any way incompetent or corrupt
...how willing phone plebs are to take it up the ass from ATT et. al.
"Oh, you're only going to sodomize me with the 14 inch horse dildo from now on? Thank you kind and glorious master!"
Recently upgraded my Verizon plan. Immediately, my connection at home started to crawl.
But I'm sure there is a perfectly good explanation.
I'm on MetroPCS. $40/mo for unlimited data, talk, texts. That's the same as ATT's "access fee???"
From 2004 to today I have been using AT&T for my off site instrumentation systems upgrading when needed. I have hundreds of systems. Over the last 6 years they have been gouging customers, including my company, in overages, very poor service, and over charges. In fact we are asking for around $20,000 in over payments to be returned to us. After submitting all the obvious documentation showing their errors over time, they stopped working with us and have started to ignore us. Now I have a lawyer doing all the talking. Since 2015 we have moved most of our equipment over to Verizon with absolutely wonderful results. Even the on line abilities to manage our account of hundreds of units is a dream. AT&T has severe operational and system problems. Too bad, I thought they were awesome until around 2012, now I can't stand them.
AT&T just kicked me from a 1GB plan to a 2GB plan because they were discontinuing the 1GB plan. Just make up your mind AT&T.
...back to unlimited plans, driven by competition continues.
^This is a fact.