AT&T new tiered plan for iPad/iPhone -- no more Unlimited

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iPad Guide Junior Member
Joined: 05/05/2010
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AT&T new tiered plan for iPad/iPhone -- no more Unlimited

Anyone here bothered by this?

http://money.cnn.com/2010/06/02/technology/att_iphone_ipad/index.htm

New iPad plan
Data New Old
250 MB $15 $15
2 GB $25 $30
3 GB $35 $30
Source:AT&T

No more 'unlimited' at will for $30. You can be grandfathered in but once you change your usage to the lesser amount your only choices are the ones on the new plan. Essentially if you want unlimited you need to sign up by June 7 and stay on it!

Deni Tako's picture
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iPad Guide Team Member
Joined: 05/03/2010
Posts: 336
Re: AT&T new tiered plan for iPad/iPhone -- no more Unlimited

A bit...

I believe that while you lose "unlimited" you gain tethering, so it's a tradeoff. Their stats show that something like 90% of people use less than 2GB of data, so it doesn't seem really that arbitrary a number.

Of course, I can tether NOW with my iPhone on T-Mobile, so I'm not gaining much there, except a speed bump, since EDGE is quite slow. But, to not have to tether was kind of the point to the iPad in the first place.

I'm on the unlimited plan, and I guess I'll keep it, just to make sure that I can watch all the ABC shows over 3G I want to...LOL!

But, knowing what consumes so much data (those videos) I can wait to use that app until I'm on WiFi and conserve data if I needed to - without that, I'd be way under 2GB anyway.

I do think that people are gonna be kind of pissed about the timing tho. The 3G iPad has only been out for a MONTH, and they are already taking away one of the most significant selling features for 3G vs. WiFi, by eliminating the unlimited data. Does the rational mind understand that if your usage is always under 2GB, and you'd be fine with it, sure. But the irrational part says unlimited means I don't ever have to think about it except to pay each month (which is also done automatically) and now I'll have to pay attention - I must be getting screwed.

Besides, the ads and the keynote and all the hype was sexy with the thought of the 3G with unlimited data - about a million people thought so at least (assuming 1 mill got WiFi and 1 mill got 3G) which means AT&T just got $30 million a MONTH in (360 million/year) extra income.

My dad pointed out to me that data in and of itself does not cost anything. Sure, it costs to build a network and maintain it, but nowhere near the amount they are charging US to use it. The new cap is a little slap in the face, and seems like it's really geared to the 10% of people who hog the bandwidth.

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iPad Guide Administrator
Joined: 01/26/2010
Posts: 170
Re: AT&T new tiered plan for iPad/iPhone -- no more Unlimited

What about the fact that Europeans have been used to no unlimited plans for some time?

Fact is, their networks run MUCH better than the US networks.

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iPad Guide Junior Member
Joined: 05/24/2010
Posts: 21
Re: AT&T new tiered plan for iPad/iPhone -- no more Unlimited

Not sure about their networks running better. Their cell towers are closer together, that's for sure.

So now my option to buy unlimited data is gone. Guess AT&T made the switch to new plans for good. The lesson: keep that plan on autorenew if you want to keep unlimited.