AT&T users can keep $30 unlimited data when upgrading phones... unless they want tethering
By Chris Ziegler 
posted June 2nd 2010 12:56PM
posted June 2nd 2010 12:56PM
There's naturally been a ton of feedback in the past few hours on AT&T's new data pricing strategy, and the company has been responding to comments all morning over on its Facebook page; one of the key tidbits that's come out of the discussion so far is that folks on the current $30 smartphone data plan will be able to keep that plan when upgrading hardware. Translation: yes, you'll be able to get a new iPhone without switching to the $25 / 2GB DataPro plan if you so choose. What you won't be able to do, though, is keep the $30 plan and add on the $20 tethering option -- tethering specifically requires DataPro, so your hopes and dreams of a soft 5GB cap are quashed (unless you want to pay $30 for 3GB of overage, of course).On a related note, we've been tipped that some folks' iPad orders from Apple have been pushed back to June 7 -- an interesting coincidence, considering that's when DataPlus and DataPro go live. If true, it's likely so that Apple can pre-install new orders with updated software for managing the new plans, but it's also a preemptive strike against a horde of people trying to grandfather into the $30 plan over the next few days.
[Thanks, John and Aaron]
@Bluedevil Preparing for the future. I completely concur, 100%. AT&T is omitting the fact of 4G networks in the future, which will need more than a 2G data plan. I hope subscribers who use a lot of data don't fall for this "you'll be saving $5" lie .AT&T is going to make even more money within a few years when 4G starts to roll out.
@Bluedevil
It's actually $30 a month for unlimited data. There isn't a 5GB cap, at least not for smartphones. That is for the Wi-Fi usb/cards. The actual price/plan is $25 for 2GB, $10 for every 1GB over that, and the $15 or 200MB.
@ddddd Or dump your locked down borg phone, head to TMO and get a cheaper plan with no caps and free tethering. Hard call...
If I'm reading this correctly, does that mean I cant switch from the $30 a month plan that don't use anyway to the lower $15 plan that I still won't use? Sounds good, but how about giving us wifi only iPhone users the option of not having to sign up for a data plan.
@memaf here, here. Iphone with wifi only.
@BMills
It's disgusting how much money they make on texting. I pay $30 for unlimited family texting and AT&T has a 99.999999% profit on that service. Of course, something has to subsidize their data buildout.
My Theory: AT&T is aware of the future bandwidth that'll be used with the new iPhone features along with future 4G networks, that they are killing the "unlimited" plan before it's to late to make more money off of subscribers. AT&T say "for now it'll save subscribers money," but within a year or two when 4G is out, they'll make it back and then some, because 2G of data will be useless. My theory.
@derekdevine Exactly what I was thinking.
Just spoke to an A T&T rep and they said that the ipad won't be affected by thischange and if it were to change, its a prepaid plan so the price would go up for everyone.
D*mnit!
overreact much?
In Finland you can get up to 15mbps hspa nationwide for your phone AND usb modem for under 15e/month. Kinda kicks the ass of 4G..
Check out The Motley Fool comments..
http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2010/06/02/thanks-for-nothing-att.aspx
Geez, you guys get milked in US ... in Latvia we have 3 competing companies and the best offer (for a data addon to a voice/sms plan) at this point is 200 Mb for 6$, 2Gb for 10$ and 10 Gb for 20$. If you go over, your speed is reduced to 16k down/ 8k up until the end of month.
@aigarius OH SHIZ U ARE SO FREAKING LUCKY WHAT 10GB FOR LESS THAN THE UNLIMITED 5GB HERE FOR 30$?!?!?!?
WOW
bbdgdfgdfgdfgfdg
@TomSawyer
It was stated that if you already had the $30 Unlimited plan with a smartphone you can keep that plan when upgrading to the iPhone or other smartphone.
At&t will be left in the dust with this. Apple I cannot stand your business ethics but it's time to wake up and smell the roses, Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile should all run you devices.
@rutter9
Made the switch from ATT Iphone to Sprint in Chicago. Much better service and can get the 4g Evo. Never looked back
$25.00 for 2gb? wtf! its like a slap in the face to ATT customers. How about $10 instead
I'm seriously considering selling my recently replaced iphone on ebay and utilizing skype and my $30 unlimited ipad plan to make and receive calls. I'll simply tell people to call my google voice number and if the ipad won't receive calls from google voice, I can call them back on it. Between two of us, we will save 200 a month on iphone charges and pay 30 each for unlimited data on the ipad.
That's good enough for me, ATT shouldn't have tried to screw with people after they bought the ipad. Big mistake. big big big big mistake.
Thank God I can keep unlimited data, cuz I use the JB app MyWi to tether and I am getting speeds of sometimes 3.6Mb down and 1.5 up! Glad this doesn't affect me (YET)
greedy sobs
AT&T IS BECOMING AN ASSHOLE!
Their idea of thinking is that this will lower the data usage, thus traffic etc and I'd drop less calls.
Now will someone tell me, HOW IM GONNA DROP CALLS I CAN'T MAKE TO BEGIN WITH? 99% of time that I'm at work, my phone is in "searching" or "no service" mode.
Not entireley a bad idea. Think of how many more people will be introduced to iPhone and other smartphones because of this. People have been complaining for years that they can't buy a smartphone and just use the WiFi signal for "free" since they already pay for it. This allows people to use their already paid for (or hacked from a neighbor or coffee shop) WiFi for $15 per month. I know a few people who would sign up for the $15 data plan and likely not exceed the 200 Mb if they compliment it with their WiFi. What a great option and it isn't that hard to see how much data usage you have in a current month... The iPhone is now a phone in reach of even more people. If you are one of the 2% of people who might exceed, then please stop exceeding so I can have some bandwidth.
@bp97302 I agree creating a lower price point is not a bad idea, however why punish people made it what it is today. 4G will create higher data usage and costs will only go through the roof.
One more thought... AT&T wouldn't proceed with something like this without the blessing of God/Jobs himself.
Something like this doesn't just happen just overnight... When we where given the opertunity to buy the iPad 3G we were told it came with a data plan that we could order on a moth to month basis, and unlimited data would be available for $30.00. See http://www.apple.com/ipad/3g/ It still says this is a FEATURE of the iPad. It is one of the selling points. Now only certain iPads will have a very limited ( you got to pay every 30 days, not every month at the same time)... How many people will lose there unlimited plan because they forgot to pay? IMHO the iPad 3G is worth less now. Wasn't it sold as a device to consume media from the Internet with?
It's smart business! I know what they are doing and its smart!!! I just have one question...with all the Hulu apps and You Tube apps and all other streaming video services, especially Slingbox, how in gods name do they expect you to stay within 5GB when your streaming HD Video?? Don't get that one!
In addition to the best unlimited plan -- and now the only one -- Sprint's GPS is crazy good. I think that is the most under-spoken benefit of being with Sprint. No joke, it's better than the GPS on my new VW.
Uh, isn't tethering controlled locally? I mean, if my device supports it how can my carrier ever know i use it? I get the signal and spread it to nearby devices and thats it, unless my device only liberates tethering after carrier authorization, but that makes really nosense (at least for consumers, for companies it should be really lucrative)... Am I right?
Wow $20 extra to use the same amount of data just on a different device? Wow just wow...
@ddddd Tethering should be free. Look at Android. And that's why ATT will receive another deadlast customer award this year (just like last year)
http://j.mp/att-deadlast-carrier
Im tired of big companies being able to do whatever they want. Thanks to this recent withdrawal of the unlimited plan, other wireless data providers are planning on doing the same thing. This means potentially there would be no smartphones with unlimited plans anymore. Here's where I read this stuff:http://theinvestmentreporter.wordpress.com/recent-news/
Stop and consider for just a minute that if all 2% switch and pay an extra 30 dollars a month just 4% of the user base switiching to the lower data plans would cancile any savings gained by this. This ONLY makes sense if far more the 2% of users are using far more than 5 GB per month!
I checked my usage and the wife's usage, and only once did either of us ever go above 200mb. The most data I ever use is occasionally downloading a CD through iTunes. We don't stream video because the quality sucks on 3G. For people like us, this new plan is going to save us $30/month, because we're dropping two $30 iPhone data plans down to two $15 iPhone data plans. Although I do agree that the lower plan should be 500mb. The one month I went to 248mb wouldn't have killed my bill.
This does suck for iPad users though. I could see travelers who have a 3G iPad using way more than 2GB/month.
No tether for you!!!
This new rate plan is a power move by ATT. they really need the customer base to keep up with verizon. when i heard of this new plan i called them right away. i checked my data usage via my bill. last month it was 678,988kb used. i started to use my wifi with my iPhone that data dropped to only 182mb for a one month billing cycle which is the 12th of every month.. the wifi is your best friend for heavy data user. its free for us users almost everywhere anyway. so the your bill would go up $15 more to have the new plan and tethering also. if you use the wifi on the phone it does not come out of your quota each month. its not a bad plan it was put out there in a bad way. they should have explained it ALOT better....
Just my $0.02....