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AT&T Announces New Wireless Pricing Plans
Introduces their own $69.99 unlimited plan on the heels of Verizon...

Not to be outdone by Verizon's pricing changes earlier today, AT&T has dropped a late Friday announcement into our inbox that notes they too are shaking up their wireless pricing starting on Monday. According to an AT&T statement, the company will specifically be offering a number of new unlimited plans. As with Verizon, what kind of plans you can sign up for depend on what kind of phone you have -- and you'll note that iPhone customers can't sign up for AT&T's new $69.99 unlimited plan. The pricing breakdown, per device category, as explained by AT&T:

Feature Phone customers may choose unlimited talk for $69.99. Family Talk customers (prices assume two lines) may choose unlimited talk for $119.99 per month. Texting plans remain unchanged at $20 for unlimited plans for individuals and $30 for Family Talk plans.

Quick Messaging Device customers may choose unlimited talk for $69.99 and Family Talk plans may choose unlimited talk for $119.99 per month (for two lines). These plans require a minimum of $20 per month for individual plans and $30 per month for Family Talk plans in texting and/or Web browsing packages for new and upgrading customers.

All smartphone customers, including iPhone customers, may now buy unlimited voice and data for $99.99. For smartphone customers with Family Talk plans (prices assume 2 smartphones), unlimited voice and data is now available for $179.99. Texting plans remain unchanged at $20 for unlimited plans for individuals, $30 for Family Talk Plans.

Thoughts?
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OSUGoose
join:2007-12-27
Columbus, OH

OSUGoose

Member

HEY AT&T

Consider me shocked that you've pulled this. Call me when you come up with an ORIGINAL idea ON YOUR OWN.

del ftl
@algx.net

del ftl

Anon

ARPU

Anything to keep their average iphone users bill at around 110 dollars.

Karl Bode
News Guy
join:2000-03-02

Karl Bode

News Guy

Re: ARPU

That's pretty much it.

en102
Canadian, eh?
join:2001-01-26
Valencia, CA

en102

Member

Re: ARPU

$110 ARPU is pretty steep.

I must be down around the $30 mark, with 2 lines coming out to $66 after tax (was down to $48 before having data).

trebzon
join:2001-09-03
Grandville, MI

trebzon

Member

Re: ARPU

$110 is for iPhone. If you iPhone bill is only $30 or ever was only $30 tell me how it is done.

en102
Canadian, eh?
join:2001-01-26
Valencia, CA

en102

Member

Since I'm on a family, my 2nd line is $9.99, add data for $30, and it's just u under $40. Work gives 28% discount on service.
Angrychair
join:2000-09-20
Jacksonville, FL

Angrychair to del ftl

Member

to del ftl
Yeah, complain and just keep paying it.

Nothing changes until enough people refuse the service.

I've been on that wagon for years, dump the cell phone if you don't like it, people got along just fine without them for millions of years.

Steve B
Premium Member
join:2004-08-02
Auburn, WA

Steve B

Premium Member

Re: ARPU

Problem is, times change, and there is a lot of people who truly need the device. Also, that aside, if enough people refused the service, they wouldn't stand idly by and let their cash cow disappear, they would transfer the cost on to us some other way.

morbo
Complete Your Transaction
join:2002-01-22
00000

1 recommendation

morbo

Member

Re: ARPU

said by Steve B:

there is a lot of people who truly need the device.
Sorry, but no. Food, water, and shelter are all that is "needed" in this world. Everything else is filler.

LightSpan
Premium Member
join:2004-02-18
Lexington, KY

LightSpan

Premium Member

Re: ARPU

You forgot one The second Amendment

morbo
Complete Your Transaction
join:2002-01-22
00000

morbo

Member

Re: ARPU

nope. not needed to live. nice to have though.
k1ll3rdr4g0n
join:2005-03-19
Homer Glen, IL

k1ll3rdr4g0n to morbo

Member

to morbo
said by morbo:

said by Steve B:

there is a lot of people who truly need the device.
Sorry, but no. Food, water, and shelter are all that is "needed" in this world. Everything else is filler.
BUHAHAHAHA
That made my day.

You obviously have never seen a teenager today. Their cell phone is an extra ligament (or parasite); you remove it and they will die. Some teens (and older) have texted so much they have mastered the keyboard. I have seen many people type as fast on a numerical keybaord as I can on a computer.
I screw with this one person all the time, I take her phone and she goes NUTS wanting it back, similar to a crack addict.
It's sad really. I would love to not need a cell phone, but due to my life style (running a business, managing servers, email, talking to people ect) it is a necessity.
Expand your moderator at work

N9MD
Too busy to chat
Premium Member
join:2005-10-08
Boca Raton, FL

N9MD to Angrychair

Premium Member

to Angrychair
said by Angrychair:

... people got along just fine without them for millions of years.
Actually, modern humans have only been around for roughly 160,000 years.

Steve B
Premium Member
join:2004-08-02
Auburn, WA

Steve B

Premium Member

Okay....

So they say iPhone customers can't sign up for the $69 plan. Yet they say they can sign up for unlimited voice/data for $99. Its the same thing. We all knew the data plan was required...god AT&T, get with the damn program will you?

I wonder how they will manage the other plans.
tmc8080
join:2004-04-24
Brooklyn, NY

tmc8080

Member

Re: Okay....

said by Steve B:

So they say iPhone customers can't sign up for the $69 plan. Yet they say they can sign up for unlimited voice/data for $99. Its the same thing. We all knew the data plan was required...god AT&T, get with the damn program will you?

I wonder how they will manage the other plans.
In other words.. $720 over the 24 months they lock you in for just to get a slightly subsidized iphone... plus some exta change that the monthly service price is based on.. so it'll be slightly more then actually $720 that your gettting hosed over the non-iphone customer. With all the NEW smart phone choices.. iphone is looking less and less attractive to the consumer. With any luck, the consumer will WAKE UP and Apple will see a decline in iphone sales year over year in 2010.
88615298 (banned)
join:2004-07-28
West Tenness

88615298 (banned)

Member

unlimited data

I think these guys should be honest instead of saying "unlimited" when they mean 5 GB.
JonBoySC
join:2009-06-26
Pickens, SC

JonBoySC

Member

Re: unlimited data

The iPhone data plan is unlimited. No 5GB cap on my line. Now I've never come close to using that much data as I'm usually using the wifi connection as opposed to 3g. 3g is spotty in my area anyways.
goodcow
join:2004-01-28
New York, NY

goodcow to 88615298

Member

to 88615298
There is no 5GB cap. I use about 10GB of wireless data a month on my iPhone account.

Steve B
Premium Member
join:2004-08-02
Auburn, WA

Steve B

Premium Member

Re: unlimited data

Seriously.....you either tether or never put it down....what a shame.
goodcow
join:2004-01-28
New York, NY

goodcow

Member

Re: unlimited data

I stream video podcasts over 3G.

Namely Olbermann and Maddow every morning at work. That's about 200MB an hour.
openbox9
Premium Member
join:2004-01-26
71144

openbox9 to Steve B

Premium Member

to Steve B
Coming from the person who states that people truly need these devices now due to changing times.

Steve B
Premium Member
join:2004-08-02
Auburn, WA

Steve B

Premium Member

Re: unlimited data

I see your point but, until he said he was streaming podcasts, I was thinking the worst I guess.
Big Dawg 23
join:2002-03-27
Northfield, MN

Big Dawg 23 to 88615298

Member

to 88615298
It is unlimited unless you tether! My VZW BB Tour is unlimited data no 5GB cap. Read the fine print.
88615298 (banned)
join:2004-07-28
West Tenness

88615298 (banned)

Member

Re: unlimited data

said by Big Dawg 23:

It is unlimited unless you tether! My VZW BB Tour is unlimited data no 5GB cap. Read the fine print.
well tethering would be the whole point. Some people don't have cable or DSL options. 5 GB isn't going to cut it.
openbox9
Premium Member
join:2004-01-26
71144

openbox9

Premium Member

Re: unlimited data

Since when is tethering the whole point of a smartphone data plan?

skyjock41
Shag Diesel
Premium Member
join:2001-12-11
Patrick Afb, FL

skyjock41

Premium Member

Yawn

Still waiting to read where the good deal is at?

••••••

Space_Ranger
join:2002-07-15

Space_Ranger

Member

It is a flashback..

No shock...it is two years again all over when we went through this

No info for the reps yet

•Quick Messaging Device customers may choose unlimited talk for $69.99 and Family Talk plans may choose unlimited talk for $119.99 per month (for two lines). These plans require a minimum of $20 per month for individual plans and $30 per month for Family Talk plans in texting and/or Web browsing packages for new and upgrading customers.

This sounds as if the texting is mandatory here. It also looks like if you have a smartphone and are grandfathered into the data plan not being mandatory you will lose that. I'm sure More specifics will come by Tuesday

SR
Skippy25
join:2000-09-13
Hazelwood, MO

Skippy25

Member

Re: It is a flashback..

You are correct.

So if they were held accountable for their advertising and had to speak the truth pricing would be listed as:

$99.99 for an individual or $149.99 for 2 lines.

Steve B
Premium Member
join:2004-08-02
Auburn, WA

Steve B

Premium Member

What about....

My particular setup is that I have an iPhone and my secondary line (FamilyTalk) is just a regular phone. I wonder how that would work with these new plans. They talk about the cost of two smartphones...not a mix.

Also, as another stated, are they making texting mandatory? That is what it looks like....

Zero5
join:2009-07-01
Collegeville, PA

1 recommendation

Zero5

Member

AT&T: Playing "Follow the Leader" with Verizon

Message to AT&T: Stop trying to mimic Verizon when they make changes that you make changes. Come up with your own original ideas, plans, and pricing that make you unique and stand out from Verizon, not looking like their shadow. Think outside the box!
iansltx
join:2007-02-19
Austin, TX

iansltx

Member

Re: AT&T: Playing "Follow the Leader" with Verizon

First it's me-too with HSPA 7.2, now it's me-too with plan pricing. Hey, at least AT&T isn't falling ridiculously behind everyone else.

Wonder what Sprint will do now; their unlimited voice + text plan is now in line with what AT&T and Verizon charge for the same thing, and Sprint doesn't have a $70 unlimited voice-only option...yet...though on prepaid they're glad to provide unlimited voice + text + data for $50-$60 depending on your phone.

Jim Kirk
Premium Member
join:2005-12-09
49985

1 edit

Jim Kirk to Zero5

Premium Member

to Zero5
said by Zero5:

Message to AT&T: Stop trying to mimic Verizon when they make changes that you make changes. Come up with your own original ideas, plans, and pricing that make you unique and stand out from Verizon, not looking like their shadow. Think outside the box!
They're stuck inside the box because they cut back too much on their capex.
neftv
join:2000-10-01
Broomall, PA

neftv

Member

this is unremarkable.

Blackberry users don't get a break with internet/blackberry email.
True this new pricing is not an original idea. I think the last original idea to come from this company was when it was Cingular and they started the roll over minutes.

perki
join:2008-12-01
Santa Maria, CA

perki

Member

oh boy

120 family plan.... wait txts damn better at $40 and damn iphone data another 60 and taxes those tricky sobs another 12 so thats roughly $232!!! wow.... well i dont have to have Satellite
caco
Premium Member
join:2005-03-10
Whittier, AK

1 edit

caco

Premium Member

Purely coincidence my ass

These bastards might as well share the same offices. I like how they really try to differentiate each other. If this does prove to people that megacorps competing on my price is dead, I don't know what will.

Someone plase explain to me how is texting not considered data.

•••

backfeed
is giving feedback
join:2002-12-16
Peru, IN

1 edit

backfeed

Member

Bye Bye Centennial Wireless

We are in an area that GSM service WAS Centennial Wireless. They had the great feature of all incoming calls and text were free. Only charged for outgoing. It worked well, as I can send text from a pc which I am near most of the time, and the $5/ month txt plan worked for the limited number txt I sent from the phone. On Jan 24 when ATT takes over CW and as the existing contracts run out I will lose this feature. I may very well go shopping for another provider soon in place of ATT. I am not paying $20/ a month for txt along with the voice minutes that I never use up....I hope competition changes this soon. Seriously considering Boost Mobile.
$50/ month for all, including web....only bad thing is it is on the iDEN network..
Looking for thoughts from others??

•••

iBsoLoaDed
@cingular.com

iBsoLoaDed

Anon

In the clouds of.....

You are all completely ignorant!! It's called competition. And it's the 2 top wireless companies, what would you expect them to do. Did any of you every take economics??? The bottom line is AT&T had the better data experience, hands down.

••••
iansltx
join:2007-02-19
Austin, TX

iansltx

Member

More expensive than Verizon

If you have what Verizon would call a multimedia phone on AT&T, the cheapest your plan can be is $60 now, either with a limited data package and a limited text package or an unlimited messaging pack. Verizon OTOH is $50 per month (voice + mandatory $10 data plan), though if you use more than 1000 texts per month and don't use any data AT&T wins.

I have a sneaking suspicion that AT&T didn't include a mandatory data plan on their feature phones because their data network is not as robust as Verizon's and people would complain. Texting takes a lot less net-work than data.
agill81
join:2007-02-26
Beverly Hills, CA

agill81

Member

Rip off

These new plans are a RIP OFF!

DevlishHusky
join:2004-06-07
New Milford, NJ

DevlishHusky

Member

Reminds me of King of the Hill

Reminds me of that episode of KotH where the 4 gas companies work together to raise prices across the board. there's a name for that, it's called Price Fixing. ATT and Verizon are doing it. If other carriers start doing it then the crime is just MORE blatantly obvious. :/

••••
beaups
join:2003-08-11
Hilliard, OH

beaups

Member

Collusion

I'm eagerly awaiting some consumerist spin to somehow present this as collusion. Since the majors raising their SMS rates in tandem is collusion, certainly lowering rates together is collusion as well, right????
delltechkid
join:2004-11-09
Hermitage, TN

delltechkid

Member

so long

I'm done being ripped off by AT&T. I ported our lines to Virgin Mobile today. I have 2 lines, one with an iPhone and we use collectively about 100 of our 600 family plan minutes a month. Total cost $115 or so and that's with an 18% discount from my employer. New phone bill, $55/month for 200 min per line and 1000 txt messages on one of the lines.

I don't really need an iPhone so goodbye AT&T. I've had service with them since with you since you were SunCom in my area (1998ish). You've charged me too much for service for too long.

hmm
@verizon.net

hmm

Anon

economy

I have never seen people complain so much. Everything goes up..... gas fluctuates every day...so do cell phone plans every once in awhile... so what?We can't do anything about it. We have to pay it regardless. Im blogging because Im wondering, don't you all have anything better to do than complain about cell phone service on some blog? And to the gentleman who says he changed from at&t.. to Verizon... and is now mad at Verizon and is now going to Sprint... SERIOUSLY?? You have THAT much time on your hands?
wayne8888
join:2005-10-16
Baltimore, MD

wayne8888

Member

Re: economy

Mr hmm, It takes a very small percentage of the time on my hands to try to make the best deal that I can make for myself and, as they say, time is money and saved money is worth the time! I'm not so much complaining about the fact that the new pricing at Verizon or at ATT is much ado about nothing just making a note of it. Part of making it in the not so roaring 2000's, is knowing how to work the retention departments be they at Comcast,Verizon, Directv (got a great deal from them just by saying that I was ready to go on to less expensive pastures "Dish") etc. I actually left ATT after 5 years as customer after the buying an Altima Hybrid which did not play nice with the windows mobile 6.1 bluetooth stack in my ATT Tilt so I got a Storm and went to big Red. Now I bought an unlocked Storm 2 at (which is infinitely better than the Storm). I must admit that I'm tempted at the Sprint deal. Verizon and ATT are not doing anything evil they simply have been successful competing against each other and ignoring the smaller small fry as well as the larger small fry (Sprint and T-mobile). Should they start losing significant numbers of customers, they may start lowering their prices to match some of the small fry. Once Verizon does it ..... you know that ATT will follow (as usual).

Edrick
I aspire to tell the story of a lifetime
Premium Member
join:2004-09-11
San Diego, CA

Edrick

Premium Member

Sooo

if I have an iPhone and then a regular phone on family talk how much will it be for unlimited?

FastiBook
join:2003-01-08
Newtown, PA

FastiBook

Member

Re: Sooo

Mixed iPhone/other phone accounts are treated as 2 separate parts, the iPhone part & the other part. iPhone data does not apply to the other line etc. Unlimited would be the same as listed in the list above, plus 30 for iPhone.

- A
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