Dear AT&T, your new data plans suck.

By on Jun 5, 2010 at 9:07 AM
Opinions June 5, 2010

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AT&T’s new data plans certainly have gotten their fair share of press over the last couple days. There are two articles in particular that got us thinking, and we would like to throw our two cents into the ring. So here are our thoughts: AT&T, your improved data plans suck. Hit the jump for the rest of our rant.

It’s not because there is a lower data cap on the new plans… we can get our heads around that. We don’t like it, but we understand it (unfortunately, it is the way things are moving). However, the way in which AT&T is going to charge smartphone users for the data they use is just dismal. The fact that using 2 GB of data while signed up for the 200 MB Data Plus plan will result in a bill of $150, while using 2 GB with the Data Pro plan will only total $25 is infuriating…and a mathematical/accounting anomaly. Reuters reporter, Felix Salmon, asked AT&T’s executive director of media relations, Mark Siegel:

F.S.: “Is there any point at which AT&T will help a brother out and automatically switch a heavy data user from Data Plus to Data Pro.”

M.S.: “No.”

So lets review the math…

New AT&T Data Plan

Siegel went onto say, “One of the things we found is that people don’t want one plan. They don’t want one size that fits all.” Which we totally agree with, but when your options are 200 MB (for people who have a smartphone but probably shouldn’t) and 2 GB (which will work for most, but certainly not high end users streaming video and/or tethering), you’re being disingenuous. How about these for options: 200 MB for $15/month (for most BlackBerry users and people who have a smartphone and don’t know what to do with it), $20/month for 1 GB/month (good for most), and $30 for 5/GB (for the high end data hog). There. That wasn’t so hard, was it? Also… as Gizmodo pointed out, if you are going to nickle and dime us on data charges (and text messages, don’t think we forgot about that), how about some roll over megabytes? So AT&T, we bid you good luck putting a positive PR spin on this one, because to be perfectly honest, there isn’t one.

Read [Reuters] Read [Gizmodo]

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  • After Forever

    I haven’t heard anyone bring up that great feature at&t offers, navigator….. for an extra $10 a month you can get turn by turn directions delivered to your phone.
    I feel that, in part, has something to do with this rate change. How many users pay the extra money to use this feature? You can get directions by using Google or turn-by-turn direction with Bing free. BUT both options require the transfer of data to your phone. That is another avenue at&t is after.

  • The Juice

    BGR,

    You keep posting like this and you might need to drop the G from your acronym!

    While AT&T is not doing their customers any favors with this pricing scheme, customers can upgrade to 2GB at any time and supposedly in arrears. This would change every entry on your table to $25 except the top left number of $15. Assuming that said customer is willing to click around in their website. Anyone paying any of your other crazy numbers in the table is well crazy.

    AT&T has more than a few real flaws you could have written about. One of my favorite flaws is charging for tethering. Why not just charge for data transfer at the same rates as everything else, $25 < 2GB, $50 < 4GB etc. This feature might actually get me to pay more for service rather than seeking out “free” WiFi somewhere.

  • Frankenberry

    I still don’t get the rationale in favor for this…..those who pay for cable TV/internet I have a question for you. If a guy sits around all day and watches tv, he should pay more for cable/internet than a guy that works all day and maybe watches an hour or two at night….right? Isn’t that the same logic? I know what your gonna say…”bigger pipes”….but really I think like those who said earlier…”it’s just another revenue maker for ATT”. If 98% use less than 2GB…your blaming all the network hogging on the remaining 2%? I don’t think so.

    • tincup

      If 98% use less than 2GB…your blaming all the network hogging on the remaining 2%? I don’t think so.

      I couldn’t agree more….. if ATT keeps saying most of its customers are using less than 2 gb of data anyway then why take away the unlimited?…… give the unlimited as a option also with the cap…….. $30 unlimited …. $20 for 2gb….. $ 10 for 300 mb….. I mean unless its all about the money instead of helping the customer ….. wages of american workers are going down but att charges keep going up …. this will continue untill we stop buying their products….

      • luv-i-phone-hate-att

        Couldn’t agree more with you. Why not still have $30/ unlimited and also have the 2GB and 200MB options available? At&t is not just taking the route most carriers might take (data caps).. At&t is also evidently scared about not being able to support all those new users of smartphones.
        Even if Verizon introduces data caps, hope it also has a unlimited (~5GB) plan for current rates and then offer additional plans with different data-cap options. That would be the correct way to go about it.
        Its the most lousy network in US and is scared of becoming the lousiest in the world. Was Jobs mad to get a deal with At&t? iPhone on Verizon is the next great American dream. Will that ever happen?

  • Drewman

    @luv-i-phone-hate-att ,, apple wanted to go with Verizon, but they wanted to much of the profit sharing percentage, ATT was losing, the i phone is the only reason they are afloat. ATT plans suck, their coverage is horrible in a lot of areas. Verizon has better coverage, but like ATT their prices are horrible. I live in a well covered Sprint Area, I get 5 bars all the time. I pay 79.99 for unlimited ,,cell phone to cell, 450 mins to land lines (who call land lines these days, GPS, text message, picture mail, free nights starting at 7pm and weekends free . 100 plus dollars a month to use the iphone with limits now, is it worth it? and now I have the EVO 4G, so I can talk and surf when I use WIMAX ( i dont really surf and talk that much so it is not a big deal to me).

  • Sarb

    AT&T sucks man…. there wireless data plans are just rip off…. they want about $100 every month from iphone users…. me too luv iPhone but … i HATE AT&T

  • zack nguyen

    att data plan suck , and i now is the slowest data 3g network on earth, do sth abt ur speed bfore starting to charge people.

  • edward

    i have AT&T family plan (3 blackberrys & 2 iphones)
    i added data $15/month/line (for 200MB each…total 1GB for $75)
    changed to new family data plan promotion – $25/month shared (2GB total)

    - happy with this – paying less than 1/2 price of previous plan & getting twice the data

    • Rock

      Called about that family data plan promotion because I’m being charged data when I’m in wifi
      and they said that they didnt have that.

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