AT&T whips up international iPhone data plan, also adding iTunes radio?

We're not sure what took 'em so long -- reports of unhappy customers who traveled abroad with their surreptitiously email-checking iPhones returning home to bills totaling in the thousands of dollars -- have been de rigueur for AT&T since June's launch. Well, today that changes. Despite Apple's addition of an anti-data-roaming option in later firmware updates, the service side now has a new Data Global Plan, which, for $25 or $60 (extra) per month, gives iPhone users 20MB or 50MB of international data access -- but nothing more on the voice side -- in some 29 countries (including our neighbor to the north, and parts of Europe and Asia). Take that SIM unlockers who would rather just buy an overseas SIM and pay something reasonable for their data rates.

Update: AT&T's site also shows an interesting and possibly telling quote: "While using data on iPhone is free within the U.S., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, International data roaming can get expensive quickly. Consider that just 20 minutes of iTunes radio takes 20MB of data. That's why AT&T has created two iPhone International packages with more reasonable rates in 29 countries." (Emphasis ours.) So, iTunes radio, eh? Certainly AT&T isn't talking about downloading tracks over the iTunes WiFi store -- that's only possible via WiFi. Maybe we have something here. Thanks, Ryan.

Update 2: Bonus -- we have confirmation from AT&T that it's not contractual, meaning you can sign up for the Data Global Plan before you hit up a trip and then drop it when you return. We don't have pro-rating details, but we're sure you'll work it out.

[John @ Nov 2nd 2007 12:15PM]

So, you pay a bit over $1 per mb per month... which you might not even have a chance to use if you don't go out of the country every month.

[DickHardknocks @ Nov 2nd 2007 12:19PM]

A better question is why exactly people aren't charged FAIR prices for the USAGE they do use, rather than a flat $40 monthly fee (minimum) which they may or may not utilize.

[Doc Zaius @ Nov 4th 2007 2:50PM]

DickHardKnocks - that would be because AT&T is being charged themselves out the wahzoo for customer's international usage. Why wouldn't any carrier not want to exploit the easiest method of communication for international travelers?

Don't kid yourself into thinking that companies aren't out their to make a PROFIT.

A monthly plan allows AT&T or any company to recoup the costs of providing international roaming -- special billing systems, customer service departments, long distance contracts (all things that you can't expect to just come and go at the whims of YOUR usage), and per minute rates that are attractive to consumers but really have a very low profit margin for the company.

[DickHardknocks @ Nov 2nd 2007 12:16PM]

As slow as the 3G-less Iphone accesses web pages, AT&T really wants to give you LIMITED internet use for a ridiculously high price?

The iphone really isn't worth the money they want for it and AT&T sucks.

Hope the LG PRADA or the HP Ipaq is better.

[Newsom02 @ Nov 4th 2007 3:41PM]

You do not want an iPaq. They may look nice and have a number of features but HP support is suspect. In particular you can count on them not updating your software or upgrading your operating system.

[Nicky-Larson @ Nov 2nd 2007 12:17PM]

I still say this is just a blatant means of extorting the clients. What is so hard in just unlocking the phone when one is leaving the country so that he can use the SIMs sold in the next country where the client is venturing. With the already exorbitant price of the phone and the plan, $25 more or $60 is just ridiculous. I mean are people really serious about paying that amount. WOW, all that money a month for just a phone? gimme a break

[DickHardknocks @ Nov 2nd 2007 12:27PM]

You and I have the same point exactly, but, I think THE BIGGER PROBLEM is that consumer culture jumps to buy devices like this without EVER considering the fact that maybe, just maybe $600 for a cellphone and $50 a month for a plan just might be TOO MUCH.

Yes many professionals make $80,000~100,000 (OR MUCH MUCH MORE) but these phones are digital TOYS and targeted at an age demographic that on average cannot afford a device like this.

True Professionals are more likely to have Blackberry's, Treo's or other smartphones not focused on digital media. funny thing is, if you are a computer teacher in a public school or work for apple, you get Iphones almost free (at the expensse of the taxpayers in many cases).
Many proffessionals with this phone don't even have to pay for it.

[Applefreak @ Nov 2nd 2007 2:10PM]

I think that the iPhone is too overpriced. A cell phone is usually 250.00 or less and not $499. Who would want to buy an overpriced phone.

[NateCow @ Nov 2nd 2007 7:54PM]

Um, both of you are wrong on your facts there. The iPhone is $399, not $499 or $600.

[Constable Odo @ Nov 2nd 2007 10:24PM]

@DickHardKnocks

....... calls the Time Magazine Invention of the Year an effin' toy. The iPhone toy beat out an Anti-Matter Converter and a ten-kiloton yield hand-held nuclear device. That iPhone toy is one damn impressive handset.

[Chris @ Nov 2nd 2007 12:18PM]

Does it work in Iceland?

[waiownsyou @ Nov 2nd 2007 12:19PM]

You spelled BUY in the last sentence as BUT. You'd better fix it before the REAL grammar whores come knockin' on your door!

[Raghu @ Nov 2nd 2007 12:21PM]

The $25 plan has been around for a while. I remember having to turn on roaming service to go to Canada a month ago, and I was offered this plan then. I did see it somewhere on the ATT website too.

As most commenters note it is pretty ridiculous, I just turned off the EDGE roaming (it was two days after that update that I looked this up) and used Wifi only and was fine.

[snitch @ Nov 2nd 2007 12:42PM]

You guys forgot to mention that its not something you could just add if your where goin on vacation or something it requieres a 1 year contract, which Sucks by the way

[cynyc @ Nov 2nd 2007 3:35PM]

No, you are wrong. I just talked to AT&T. These new plans can be added and removed on a month-to-month basis!

[Neeko @ Nov 2nd 2007 12:45PM]

screw that. If i had the itoy and i was goinging overseas id JAILBREAK the hell outta that thing and use the new SIM. CMon its soo freakin easy to mod now.

[snife @ Nov 2nd 2007 1:02PM]

The problem is with data usage is you cant have a sim card for each country so people that travel frequently get absolutely screwed, I have a data plan in the UK which gives me 250MB for 30 pounds (still too much imho), if i travel even within Europe then it costs around 2.50 extra per megabyte if i roam to another Vodafone network, if i have to roam to another network (such as in Slovakia where vodafone dont exist) then I get charge 8 pounds per MB! this imho is robbery, to check my email (lotus notes) would cost be nearly 100 pounds ($200)!

[Reid Conti @ Nov 2nd 2007 1:22PM]

I was thinking, whoa, what's with the double-thickness iPhone in the picture? Then I realized it was just a picture of an iPhone on a reflective surface.

Honestly, this plan is probably just so that AT&T can shrug their shoulders and say "shoulda bought an International plan!" next time someone complains. Don't get me wrong, I don't think Apple/AT&T are doing anything extraordinarily wrong per se when it comes to international roaming -- it's basically the same situation you'd be screwed with with *any* cell phone company based in the US, on any data device. Doesn't mean it's nice, but it's certainly typical.

DickHardknocks,
Actually, its only the corporate suits/slaves stuck on Blackberries and WM because their dull offices require it. Most techies can get whatever the hell they want -- or, like me, pay for the device, but get the plan paid for. My $80/mo plan is plenty reasonable, and sure cheaper than the same thing (900mins + unlimited data) for over $100 on Verizon was when I was cursed as one of their customers. And since everyone in silicon valley makes 100k+, it's not a big deal. $400 for a phone is very normal, and really not an extravagence if you only buy a new phone every few years. Hell, look at the europeans, who, on average, have less disposable income than we do. There are tons of them buying the latest $400-$600 phone every 4-6 months. In the US we don't have the same 'problem' (read: selection).

I guess your point is that Apple is targeting the iPhone at kids. Yawn. Why do you think that? What in the ads suggests that? Oh yeah, nothing. Go back to complaining about alcohol retailers targeting alcohol drinks at kids, cigarette vendors targeting cigarettes at kids, and so on.

Oh, and get off my lawn.

[ralphg @ Nov 2nd 2007 1:32PM]

>"...including our neighbor to the north...

Whose name we don't recall.

[felix @ Nov 2nd 2007 2:26PM]

As another commenter says the $25 plan has been out for awhile - it's actually a pretty good deal. The important thing to realize is that it is not part of the contract, you can turn it on when you're going out of the country and turn it off when you're back.

I spoke to them at length about it before my last trip but sadly found out that they didn't have any truck with where I was heading so, no soup for me. But if they had, it's definitely worth it if you need data abroad.

[Emmanuel Farrar @ Nov 2nd 2007 2:46PM]

But we can't even get a copy and paste feature going or the ever so normal MMS???

[Jack Ballz @ Nov 2nd 2007 3:34PM]

STFU BIZOTCH@H!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[xchekox @ Nov 2nd 2007 3:17PM]

Oh My God.. it is even cheaper to pay those data plans than actually per kB rates in México which is one of the 29 countries... 1kB for 1 USD cent.. it's a crime!!

Btw.. the entry should say " in some 29 countries (including our NEIGHBORS to the north AND SOUTH, and parts of Europe and Asia).

[cynyc @ Nov 2nd 2007 3:27PM]

The pricing is really not that bad.
Compared to the US it's expensive, but in most countries in Europe for example, data on prepay is at least as expensive, if not more. Even on subscription plans it isn't unheard of to pay this much. And unlocking the phone and thus losing the warranty isn't something everybody's comfortable doing.

In the past one needed to sign up for a full year though and couldn't just have it for a month. I just talked to AT&T support and YES! that restriction has been lifted! One can sign up for this plan on a month-to-month basis now.

[scifiwiz @ Nov 2nd 2007 3:33PM]

I bet that by radio they mean EDGE style data.

EDGE is Enhanced GPRS... Global Packet -Radio- Service.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enhanced_Data_Rates_for_GSM_Evolution

[Jack Ballz @ Nov 2nd 2007 3:33PM]

The iPhone is cool.

Fck all yall biotchez that think otherwise.

Fck M$.
Fck Verizon.
Fck Nokia.
Fck M$
Fck Steve Ballmer
Fck M$
Fck MSNBC
Fck Universal
Fck Walmart
Fck M$
Fck M$
Fck YOU.

[b_a_boone @ Nov 2nd 2007 4:17PM]

Are you smart enough to use the if phone or do you just carry it because it looks cool?

I'm sorry you other Apple fan boys had to witness one bad seed!

Steve please slap WM6 on the iPhone you would sell even more and all the MS fan boys such as myself would have to shut up and put out $400-600 that is.

[Eric Leung @ Nov 4th 2007 7:35PM]

i guess its apparent that mr. ballz here never had a chance to use them to fck

[Jared @ Nov 2nd 2007 4:11PM]

iTunes radio? That'd be great! Makes sense, don't know why they haven't done that already. In fact that was on of my peeves and why I would love to see 3rd party apps so I could get VLC ported over.

[Harry Reifschneider @ Nov 2nd 2007 4:18PM]

I still don't get it.
Steve was asleep at the switch when he negotiated the deal with ATT.
Blackberry has unlimited international data virtually everywhere for less. Why Blackberry and not IPhone?

[michael @ Nov 2nd 2007 4:56PM]

When Microsoft touted the FM Radio feature on the Zune, iPod lovers were ho-hum, saying that there's no point to listening to the radio if your device has your personal music collection.

When Apple makes iTunes Radio, iPod lovers are somewhat excited by the news.

Strange, eh?

Personally, I like the radio. It's not just music, but radio includes news, talk radio, contest and prizes from nowhere else, chance at discovering some new music, and a ton of things. That's what it means to radio lovers like me.

So iPod having radio isn't really that new of a feature, ok?

[Constable Odo @ Nov 2nd 2007 10:09PM]

Not so strange.
iPhone equals WOW!
Zune equals YAWN!

Every little teensy-weensy feature added to an iPhone is like adding diamond baguettes to a four-carat diamond center stone.

Any feature added to a Zune is like sprinkling salt on left-over popcorn.

No Zune currently built is anywhere's near the class of an iPhone. At least that's what the industry thinks.

[michael @ Nov 3rd 2007 1:51AM]

@constable odo : That's subjective you know?

Of course, I bet you never even looked at the Zune closely enough to know what it actually does.

Or even the latest one.

And the iPhone is still 1st gen, meaning it's a test product. So I'll dealing with something established, thank you.

[a @ Nov 2nd 2007 5:08PM]

what planet are you guys from? 60 dollars for a voice and unlimitted data plan is the LOWEST rate globally for that service. European data rates are FAR more expsensive and often LIMITED. If you go to Europe on ANY of your service providers and roam internationally without first estabilishing an international plan, you're going to get RAPED when the bill comes.
The reason:
Each phone company in Europe isn't neccisarly connected to one another, nor are they connected to AT&T, Verizon or Tmobile (yes, I know they're German). They have to track your GSM card info back to the US, back to your service provider, who in turn, passes it down to you along with all of the default rates that they got stuck with when you traveled without any pre-existing arrangement. They'll pass that on to you, along with their own punishing up-charge. Europeans who cross boarders frequently will be familiar with the network shenanigans that go on when you cross into bordering networks.
You're the dumbass for going overseas without perparing to either upgrade your plan or buying a foreign pre-paid device.

[b_a_boone @ Nov 2nd 2007 4:14PM]

It's not a voice plan it's just a data plan on top of your other services. Reading is Fundamental!


I wee tar did

[Emre Aydinceren @ Nov 2nd 2007 5:20PM]

No body reading? Article says "ITunes Radio" which doesn't exists (yet). This article is not about roaming or if data plans are cheap or expensive. This article hints Apple may offer streaming radio through IPhone ITunes.

[Christopher Harley @ Nov 2nd 2007 5:35PM]

Wait a second, the update I read said, "While using data on iPhone is free within the U.S., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, International data roaming can get expensive quickly. Consider that just 20 minutes of iTunes lather, rinse, repeat takes 20MB of data. That's why AT&T has created two iPhone International shampoos with more bounce and fluff in 29 countries."

What gives? I want my Apple Shampoo!

[Dave Stolte @ Nov 2nd 2007 6:29PM]

Still no unlimited plan like Blackberry users get... keep trying, AT&T!

[Reid Conti @ Nov 2nd 2007 9:33PM]

Dave,

Are you speaking of unlimited international data roaming? I'm not familiar with Blackberry plans, so I'm not sure if there is such a thing. If you're speaking domestically, all iPhone data plans are "unlimited."

[ron @ Nov 2nd 2007 7:00PM]

Pretty interesting article, but who the f&#$ asked any of you dimwitted people to look at an iPhone. You idiots are paying more if you are using blackberry, treos or ms crap, but when when it comes to iPhone you guys hue and cry for nothing. If you are so interested in not having anything to do with then WTF are you people interested in... f&#$ off...

[Hoyt L Kesterson II @ Nov 2nd 2007 9:23PM]

I subscribed to this service for a trip to Geneva and London that started in mid-September and ended 30 September. I bought the 20 MB package and terminated it on the day after my return home. That package is $24.99 per month and they pro-rated it to $12.50. Be sure to turn it off as soon as you get back, I called the day after my return. However, my bill still showed a charge for the whole month of October for $24.99. I called customer service and they told me that I had already been credited for $23.32 leaving an apparent pro-rated charge of $1.67 even though I was back in the US on 30 September. Customer service agreed to credit me for that amount also. So my data use in London and Geneva for half a month was $12.50.

Voice calls for 47 minutes was $60.63. High but the convenience was worth it. I did learn to completely turn the phone off while I slept after a 4am call from a friend who did not know I was out of the country.

[parsnip @ Nov 2nd 2007 10:09PM]

ok... some quick math: a 32k mp3 stream for 60 seconds is 1.92 Megs a minute (32 * 60). At 20 minutes that's 38.4 Megs (20 * 1.92).

This almost 40 Megs or twice the amount of bandwith they mention. Doesn't sound like streaming radio to me if you are going by the numbers. Or is my math off?

[jbstingray @ Nov 2nd 2007 11:36PM]

Your math is just a little off. Remember that songs are encoded at kilobits per second not kilobytes per second. So, realistically, when AT&T says you are getting 20 minutes for 20MB, you are getting 160mbits. So, in a minute you can use 8mbits or .133mbits a second, or, in terms of kilobits, 133kilobits per second. So, in essence, AT&T would be saying that it is 128kbps encoded music running over EDGE, giving us a data download of roughly 1MB per minute.

[Norman Speight @ Nov 3rd 2007 7:17AM]

Wonder what this will produce in Europe when the phone is introduced here? The EC, very recently, laid down the law on excessive mobile phone charges.
Huge penalties here for going against EC rulings as Microsoft can testify.
10% of the world wide turnover is the limit on the fine and the EC is ALWAYS looking for more money.
Hope they try it on.

[Stephen Jesson @ Nov 3rd 2007 1:11PM]

I took my locked ATT iPhone to Europe. Because I have the 'GoPhone' plan, the phone does not work or even show a signal in Europe. In fact, you can not even call ATT at 611 or any carrier in Europe.

Once I removed the SIM card, I was able to use the iPhone and all it's features (except GSM calls) using Wifi. I was able to access the internet, my contacts, send and receive emails. It was not a perfect solution, but was pretty good.

There were no charges of any kind using the Wifi. Once I returned, I put my SIM back in and it worked right away in the Atlanta airport.

Using email to SMS was convenient and other than the telephone calls, (I brought a $10 Ericsson GSM European phone), I was doing okay.

What I really liked was:

1. Wifi data is faster
2. I had all my data
3. the Ericsson phone was small and because I used European prepaid, I always knew what I was spending.
4. $10 for an Ericsson disposable phone, seemed like a good deal.

All in all, it was not that bad. I routed my calls from Vonage (local US number) to the Ericsson European number on Vodafone. The incoming calls using Vodafone in most spots are FREE. If I went to a new country with a better plan (like Meteor in Ireland) I simply bought a new SIM and changed the forwarding on Vonage.

Everyone who wanted to call me, was able to call on a local US number (no charge to them) and the call was routed by Vonage toll free to me.

[SkinRock @ Nov 4th 2007 1:00PM]

You said there was no change in wifi and then you said what you liked better was that wifi was faster.

[Stephen Jesson @ Nov 4th 2007 1:48PM]

I said 'no CHARGE'. I was not charged for using the iPhone with Wifi in Europe with the SIM removed.

I have a prepaid plan (GoPhone) and the phone would not work with the SIM in. Although I could not make phone calls, I could use all the Internet features. Web, email, Google maps, etc. It was convenient, considering the time difference it was very useable.

I did not have to unlock the phone or mess with it. I used the Ericsson GSM phone for calls.

Steve

[lbalk @ Nov 4th 2007 7:32AM]

I recommend not using the data plan out of the country, The edge network is so slow and unreliable in the locations I have been which is Poland and Germany you just wait for the data which is unreliable and then get a huge bill.

However if you really must have the international data plan, get the name of the person who activated it, ask them to confirm they updated the record properly. Then call back again and get a different rep and confirm it is activated and the notes from the last rep are there and ask the new rep to confirm you called back in to confirm. This all may sound silly but AT&T is so disconnected from one department and call center to the next you just need to do this and have a record of who you spoke with if you need to challenge your bill over the next month. I was one of the lucky ones who was charged over $5000 for a week in Europe even though I called and rarely used the data plan. It took 4 reps and 6 weeks to get the bill resolved.

[Doc Zaius @ Nov 4th 2007 2:39PM]

"Update 2: Bonus -- we have confirmation from AT&T that it's not contractual, meaning you can sign up for the Data Global Plan before you hit up a trip and then drop it when you return. We don't have pro-rating details, but we're sure you'll work it out."

-- Not quite! You can drop the data plan after you are -billed- for the international data usage -- not right after you return. International usage isn't recorded live like domestic usage is, it comes in batches, and the rates you are charged, for that usage, are dependent on what discounted features (or lack thereof) you have on your account at that point and time.

[salee @ Nov 5th 2007 7:39PM]

>_< gosh darn it no!! This is going to be such a pain to explain (works in att&t customer care)