AT&T has been showing off and talking about its Digital Life home automation service for the better part of a year now, but after missing its March launch target, it's finally making the service available in 15 markets this week. AT&T has been testing Digital Life in Dallas and Atlanta since last summer, and plans to have it available in 50 markets by the end of this year.

Digital Life is similar to Verizon's Home Monitoring and Control service, with the major difference being that AT&T's solution doesn't require a customer to have an existing wireless or broadband service plan with the company to purchase it. The service gives customers access to things such as a security system that is monitored 24/7; the ability to see live camera feeds from anywhere in the world; controls to adjust climate and door locks remotely; and monitoring for water leaks, as well as the ability to shut off water mains if such a leak is detected. All of these services can be accessed from AT&T's app on iOS, Android, Windows Phone devices, or the web, and the carrier has plans to bring it to BlackBerry in the future. The app also provides access to the live video feeds if cameras are installed, as well as the ability to program rules that automate lights and other things within the home.

Plans for Digital Life start at $29.99 per month, with a $149.99 initial equipment fee. That's for the Simple Security package, which offers 24/7 home monitoring, 24-hour battery backup, a wireless keypad, a keychain remote, recessed sensors, and an indoor siren. For $10 more per month and another $100 installation fee, customers can choose the Smart Security package that a choice of three sensors, including a motion sensor, carbon monoxide sensor, glass-break sensor, or takeover kit. If you step up to the Smart Security plan, you can also add to it with à la carte options for cameras, climate control, water detection, and more. But each of those options increase your monthly bill by up to $9.99 per month, not to mention the extra installation cost, so things can get expensive in a hurry. Customers are able to purchase any of the packages at AT&T retail stores, on the phone, or online.

Grid View

















AT&T is launching the Digital Life service in Atlanta, Austin, Boulder, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Philadelphia, Riverside, San Francisco, Seattle, St. Louis, and certain areas of the New York and New Jersey metropolitan area. The carrier did not say when its next rollout will happen, but it did say it would be aggressively deploying the service throughout the rest of the year.