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Second Time In 9 Months: AT&T Raises Phone Activation Fee $5, Now Charges $25 (arstechnica.com)
For the second time in 9 months, ATT is raising its activation and upgrade fee. In April 2016, the fee for non-contract customers was raised from $15 to $20. Today, it has been raised another $5, from $20 to $25, according to PhoneScoop. Ars Technica reports: As the mobile carrier switched from contracts to device payment plans, ATT initially did not charge an activation and upgrade fee for customers who brought their own phone or bought one from ATT on an installment plan. But in July 2015, ATT started charging a $15 activation fee to customers who don't sign two-year contracts. (ATT also raised the activation/upgrade fee for contract customers from $40 to $45 in July 2015.) The $25 fee is charged for new activations or upgrades when customers purchase devices on installment agreements, ATT says. Customers who bring their own phone to the network are charged the $25 fee when they activate a new line of service, but not when they upgrade phones on an existing line. "We are making a minor adjustment to our activation and upgrade fees. The change is effective today," ATT told Ars. ATT also still charges the $45 activation and upgrade fee on two-year contracts, but those contracts are "available only on select devices."
...like 5 years ago. 10 more dollars and it'll be about what we pay here for activations today.
Except Verizon has the same charges and their's are higher.
In a small town in Texas, AT&T removed the copper network. Those with POTS lines (nearly everyone as cell coverage is bad at best) were deprived of telephone service. AT&T's response: Here's a free cell phone. Oh, you want it to -work-? That'll cost you - double what your copper line did. More if you didn't sign a 2 year contract.
AT&T also removed the copper network and sold the scrap.
When I say "Feel the AT&T Love" - I'm not talking about the good kind of love.
Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom. It is the argument of tyrants; it is the creed of slaves.
Google's project fi? Just pay for the data used, penny a meg, 20 bucks for unlimited voice/text. Not associated except as a fairly new customer ... Liking it so far.