AT&T Caves To Competition, Offers Hamstrung Weak Sauce Unlimited Data Plan
Well, AT&T today announced that it is dropping the DirecTV prerequisite and will extend unlimited data availability to all customers starting tomorrow, February 17th. While it’s nice to see that AT&T is finally getting with the program that unlimited data should be available to all of its customers, pricing still remains a sticking point if you’re just looking for a single line.
AT&T will still charge $100 for a single line, with each additional line costing $40 per month. So, two lines will cost you $140, while three lines will cost you $180 per month. AT&T will allow you to add a fourth line for free, but you will have to pay the $40 line fee for the first two months. Starting on the third month, you’ll receive a $40 statement credit making it free from that point forward.
T-Mobile and Verizon charge $70 and $80 respectively for a single line, while Sprint is the value champ offering comparable service for $50 per month. AT&T’s pricing for two or more lines matches Verizon, but is still pricier than both T-Mobile and Sprint. More disappointingly, AT&T doesn’t include tethering with its unlimited data plan, while its competitors offer 10GB per month.
“We’re offering unlimited entertainment on the nation’s best data network where and when you want to enjoy more of what you love,” stated David Christopher, Chief Marketing Officer for the AT&T Entertainment Group.
As a final note, AT&T has a soft cap of 22GB for unlimited data customers. The company will throttle your data if you cross that threshold “during periods of network congestion.”
