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…
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.
