AT&T Unveils Much-Anticipated Shared Data Plan Discussion

[Ed Hardy]

There's good news for AT&T customers who have a smartphone and a tablet: you can now get service for both devices with a single plan, and draw from a shared pool of minutes.

Read the full content of this Article: AT&T Unveils Much-Anticipated Shared Data Plan

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• Verizon Begins Easing Customers Out of Grandfathered Unlimited Data Plans
• Verizon Finally Unveils ''Share Everything'' Shared Data Plan

[NetBrakr]

I have to say...that's stupid pricing. $30 for adding a phone??? Mind well get your own data plan. X(

[Hook]

Trying to understand. If I have one smartphone (essentially, I'm not actually sharing anything) and I want 4Gb Data, do I pay $70 and that goes up to $110 if I add a second smartphone, or would I actually be paying $110 with my single smartphone. I think (hope) the former, but it's not 100% clear to me.

[RickAgresta]

Trying to understand. If I have one smartphone (essentially, I'm not actually sharing anything) and I want 4Gb Data, do I pay $70 and that goes up to $125 if I add a second smartphone, or would I actually be paying $125 with my single smartphone. I think (hope) the former, but it's not 100% clear to me.

it appears to me that, based in part on what Ed said about the tablet add in, the cost for one smartphone with 4Gb is 70 + 40, total of 110. adding a 2nd smartphone adds 40 to the bill, total of 150. at least AT&T is still offering their non-shared data plans, for those who want them...

[Hook]

it appears to me that, based in part on what Ed said about the tablet add in, the cost for one smartphone with 4Gb is 70 + 40, total of 110. adding a 2nd smartphone adds 40 to the bill, total of 150. at least AT&T is still offering their non-shared data plans, for those who want them...

Yeah, my eyes didn't stay in the same column... Fixing in my original post.

But I don't get it. What is the original $70 for, if not the original smartphone? I guess, if you aren't sharing, you get an individual plan, but I really find this confusing (even without getting the numbers wrong). ;-)

[RickAgresta]

Yeah, my eyes didn't stay in the same column... Fixing in my original post.

But I don't get it. What is the original $70 for, if not the original smartphone? I guess, if you aren't sharing, you get an individual plan, but I really find this confusing (even without getting the numbers wrong). ;-)

I'm not familiar with any of the AT&T plans, but prior to data sharing at VZW, the first line cost ~$80, regardless of any data requirement, and additional lines were ~$10 each. I'm guessing that the $70 is similar to the first line charge -- you know, it takes a lot of overhead to get that first phone set up and all, gotta pay those folks from somewhere {rolleyes}

EDIT: just re-read the article, the $70 is just plain the data charge...imo, it's all just a smoke&mirrors/guess_which_cup_has_the_bean shell-game, as far as the $$$ are concerned

[JRakes]

I'll just stick w/ my GoPhone arrangement and have more than I ever use for $30 / mo...

[Hook]

PAYG is getting cheaper. For $25 a month I get 250 minutes and get unlimited texting, plus I can add 1 GB data for $25 more and turn on my wifi hotspot function on my Nexus One and share with as many devices as I want for a total of $50. Yeah, steep if I needed 4GB, although $125 with 250 minutes or $150 with unlimited minutes is starting to not sound as steep.

Happy to say, I have trouble using more that 10-20 MB a month.

[lelisa13p]

I've been with AT&T since the beginning of time (all bundled up with home & internet), and after going to ATT.com to investigate, I find that this New Deal is NO deal for me. I'd be paying $8+ more a month and lose my Unlimited Data plan on my iPhone, saving/gaining nothing on my son's iPhone. Pffft. I pass.

[Adama D. Brown]

So let's see: basically, they exactly copied Verizon's pricing structure and are hoping people won't care. On the bright side, at least they're allowing the non-shared plans to remain. Here's hoping that customers continue choosing those, and the current attempts at shared data flop horribly. Maybe then the carriers will be induced to move to a saner pricing structure. Hell, I wouldn't even find the prices of the data packs per se so bad if it weren't for the astronomical per-device fees.