AT&T Follows The Pack Into Unlimited Data, But At Higher Prices AT&T has been dragged, like Verizon, kicking and screaming back toward providing wireless users with the option of unlimited data. The company has announced that it's now offering unlimited data for $100 per month, with each additional line costing users $40 each. Users can add a fourth line for free, bringing the cost to $180 per month for four lines. Previously, AT&T only provided its wireless customers with the option of unlimited data if they also subscribed to AT&T's TV service.

The offering is notably more expensive than comparable offers by T-Mobile, Verizon and Sprint. The $100 price point for one line is notably more than the $50, $70 and $80 per month unlimited single line option being pushed by Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon respectively. The $180 for four line pricing is on par with Verizon's prices, but it's also notably more than the $90 being charged by Sprint, or the $160 for four lines being charged by T-Mobile. Unlike its competitors, AT&T also isn't including tethered hotspot data. The new offer does come with AT&T's "Stream Saver" feature enabled by default. That feature automatically de-prioritizes HD data, and needs to be manually disabled. AT&T's refusal to more seriously compete on price is an odd choice given that AT&T's subscriber totals have been the hardest hit by the spike in competition from T-Mobile. Whereas T-Mobile, Sprint and Verizon added 3.3 million, 910,000, and 209,000 postpaid customers in 2016 respectively, AT&T lost 878,000 of these valuable users during the same period. It's been a busy week for the wireless sector. Earlier this week, Verizon brought back unlimited data, clearly worried about studies showing that T-Mobile was closing the gap in network coverage and speed (long used as Verizon's justification for higher prices). Then T-Mobile doubled down, eliminating restrictions on HD video for T-Mobile One unlimited data customers. That was soon followed by Sprint, which unveiled some new plans of its own that included HD streaming without an additional surcharge. AT&T's AT&T's full release has additional detail. What are your thoughts? Which of the major carriers' new unlimited options do you like the best?







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Most recommended from 48 comments



ptrowski

Got Helix?

Premium Member

join:2005-03-14

Woodstock, CT 31 recommendations ptrowski Premium Member Meh..... Just as always, AT&T wireless under delivers to a deafening "meh". Don't ever expect them to blaze trails.

Takuro

join:2016-10-17

Chapel Hill, NC 4 edits 14 recommendations Takuro Member Too Little, Too Late So let's recap AT&T's business model for a second, holistically, since they like to claim they innovate so much:



Their approach to wired infrastructure:

The company has left DSL lines to rot away in many areas of the U.S. with no plans for replacement. Their recent push for fiber optic was only as a direct reaction to potentially losing customers in some markets to Google Fiber and wanting to also preempt this. Even so, their deployment has been very selective as they cherry pick only large apartment complexes and other areas with high population density, refusing to extend infrastructure to individual residences in some cases as little as a few feet away. They inflate their numbers by claiming to have a market presence in areas where in reality all they offer is DirectTV satellite television.



Their approach to wireless infrastructure:

For customers on mobile data plans, sure, they are now offering "unlimited" data, but just like with their wired infrastructure, this is not happening by choice but out of basic necessity to avoid losing business to competition. They have waited to be the very last of the major 4 U.S. carriers to announce changes to their policies this week. Even then, compared to their competitors, they refuse to offer any amount of tethered data and their soft cap for de-prioritization is on the lower end. They charge significantly more for less. Are you in one of the aforementioned areas where they don't offer any wireline services like U-verse internet yet you want to stream videos online from places like Netflix on your phone, your only means of communicating with, you know... the outside world? Too bad, even though you didn't sign up for DirectTV satellite tv, the only practical way to watch video without hitting your soft cap is by using their zero-rated DirectTV Now streaming service. And until recently, they wouldn't even offer "unlimited" data unless you were subscribed to it.



Conclusion:

AT&T is so blatantly uncompetitive it's laughable. I hope they continue to hemorrhage customers. Their justification for their behavior is paper thin. Case in point: With zero rating, they claim any company that offers streaming services can partner with them to be zero rated as well. However, this requires a fee. In AT&T's case, they are effectively exempting themselves. It makes about as much sense as me setting up a lemonade stand on the corner during a hot day and charging $100 per glass, and when asked why I charge so much, I explain everybody, myself included, has to pay. I then drink a glass and proceed to move a $100 bill from my right hand to my left hand. That's basically AT&T's logic to doing business in a nutshell.



TL;DR AT&T can go f**k themselves.

Anonc6cbe

@digitalocean.com 9 recommendations Anonc6cbe Anon Replace Att leadership Att needs new leadership and a new vision.



Att needs to supply consumers with what consumers want and need. Many consumers may need a hotspot option with robust data. Att may continue to watch their profits slide alog with subscriber loss.



Further,a business practice of reducing data into small packages at high prices is not a smart stradegy in an uncertain economy with perhaps flat wages.



Any intelligent person or corp would know that. Ask T mobile. decifal

join:2007-03-10

Bon Aqua, TN 8 recommendations decifal Member i'd I'd been alright with the higher price if they left in tethering/hotspot... This is just a pointless move by att... Disappointing, but when you have landline monopoly's and extremely good lobbyist in washington, you don't really have to compete.. Especially when sprint/tmobile are out of the way.. The pretend competition will disappear over night... Ya know, for consumer protection and stuff, cause customers want to pay a premium for a non premium service ya know. Just look at the fake pie charts and graphs!

djrobx

Premium Member

join:2000-05-31

Valencia, CA 6 recommendations djrobx Premium Member Guess I'm switching to T-mobile I'm tired of not having hotspot access on unlimited. If Verizon can do it, so can T.



Adios. TelecomRFPro

join:2015-07-28

Holly Springs, NC 4 recommendations TelecomRFPro Member AT& $hit What an absolute piece of junk offer. They refuse to compete. No hotspot or tethering!!!!! More money than all the other 3!!! Let them continue to lose subscribers. Glad I'm with big red. They may be a little more expensive than TMO and Sprint for unlimited but its Verizon, you get what you pay for. Screw you AT&$hit. jorcmg

join:2002-10-24

USA 3 recommendations jorcmg Member Limited Seems pricey for unlimited with so many limits. mist668

join:2011-02-15

Middleburg, PA 3 recommendations mist668 Member Not excited They'll continue to lose subs and then the price will come down. This is just them reluctant to offer unlimited.