Cellphones, Providers, and Plans → [AT&T] New Mobile Share Value Plans

Received a notice in the mail about AT&T's new Mobile Share Value Plans, but am a little confused.

In the fine print, the letter states:

quote:

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$45/mo: Applies to Value plan w/300 MB data & unlimited talk and text w/1 smartphone w/no annual contract (or on AT&T Next installment agmt). Add'l mo. charge per device & for add'l data.

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To me, this reads that for $45/mo., you get 300MB, unlimited talk and next on the first smart phone, and then an additional monthly fee (say $20/mo.) for each additional phone.

Is that how others are reading it?

At appears to be 300MB which is shared, but their $20 per additional line seems quite high personally. That's even before taxes per line which they love to just forward on to you as an extra charge. Looks like it would be fine for phones to do some mms, and use the included browser to buy ringtones/etc from their services. Is that one of those plans which doesn't give internet to smartphones? I saw on their site recently a plan like that, and it wasn't considered a smartphone internet plan, it clearly said smartphone internet would be over wifi which is what some people want anyway.

Other carriers like T-Mobile don't even charge you for data when it's to their services to see your balance, make payments/add money, or buy ringtones/etc. The data for the mms is included as part of the message plan/charge as they are not trying to totally nickel, and dime the customer.

Go to »www.att.com/esupport/art ··· Joif19rd for the complete details of the pricing structure for the AT&T Mobile Share plans. The actual amount charged per month per device/phone varies with the type of device/phone ("smart" phones are more expensive than "feature" or "messaging" phones for example).

And of course, the base price is based on the amount of data; the 300MB plan you mention is the lowest price plan (and many smartphones can use that amount of data or more each month just sitting idle).

FWIW, I have the 300MB Mobile Share plan with two Pantech Renue "not so smart" phones, and my monthly cost after the usual added taxes and fees are added is $95.

After being talked into the Mobile Share plans from a rep after my fiance and mother were going over their 200 MB each month (conveniently on the last day of the billing cycle even though their usage hasn't changed), I am using the Mobile Share Value Plan with 2 GB shared between three smartphones. I was given a price, even though two lines were still under contract. When my new billing period started, I logged in to check what my bill would be and it was $30 higher than what I was told (not surprised). I called back in, told I was given the wrong amount. I ended up porting two basic phones on my line (I had a total of 5 lines) away from ATT because their usage was so low. I took those lines to H2O wireless on the $10 for 200 minutes good for 90 days.

Apparently, the first rep removed the contract on all my lines so now I am on the Mobile Share Value plan. All of my lines have no contract so I am tempted to port away from ATT completely (I've been with AT&T-Bellsouth Mobility-Cingular since 1999). Regardless, I currently have the 2 GB Mobile Share Value plan and I pay $130/mo before taxes.

$55 for 2 GB of data + $25 per smart phone x 3 = $130