QUINTIX256

January 20, 2012 at 10:27am

This is what happens when a service provider measures its success in terms of average revenue per customer. They have all sorts of do-dads that add $5 or $10 a month, like their "AT&T navigator" or "Family Map" service. There are apps and built in phone features that do these things for a one time fee.

AT&T has insinuated that they would gladly carry free over the air broadcast television... if only they had the spectrum.
http://attpublicpolicy.com/government-policy/nabs-march-madness
At 2 megabytes per second needed for quaility 720p/60fps video (ATSC does 18 megabits/second), the 5gb monthly data cap offered (and Verizon currently has) would be blown through in under 43 minutes.

There where rumors circling about that there would be shared family data plans or data rollover, since cell-to-cell calls to any carrier no longer count against the number of minutes used on a voice plan. Instead we get this.

I am not accusing AT&T of being evil or greedy as others here. I am sure the additional funds will continue to go to growing their network and dividends to (orphan and widow held) pension funds. Never the less, I expected better as a customer. They need to stop touting arpc as a benchmark and start measuring their success in terms of low churn and net revenue after phone subsidies; and they need to grow their caps *for free* annually to match the growth of their network.

kixofmyg0t

January 20, 2012 at 9:59am

I'm with Verizon. $30 for unlimited 4G LTE on my Bionic I totally scammed them out of a year earlier than I was scheduled for an upgrade at a discounted price even at launch.

Plus 15% Government Employee discount. :D

I'm sitting at 6.369GB this month. Never once tethered.

Hey.That_Dude

January 20, 2012 at 9:11am

You screw yourselves. You're the ones using AT&T/Version/Sprint/whatever's airwaves when you surf. That Means you get to pay them what they ask or go pound sand. Welcome to the world, don't like it: make your own company.

tony2tonez

January 20, 2012 at 8:40am

double post

CaptainFabulous

January 20, 2012 at 8:31am

Well of course it's utter bullshit, and not about adding "value" but increasing profits. Cause if it were about "value" they would simply add the new plans and not remove the current ones.

I don't use a lot of data, almost none in fact. Everywhere I go I have access to wifi. So I have the cheapest plan $15/month for 200 MBs. On the occasions I travel (a few times a year) is when I actually need the data, and will usually bump up to the 2 GB plan for an additional $10 just for one month, and then go back to the cheapest plan after that. Now if I do that not only will it cost me an extra $15 instead of $10, I won't be able to go back to the $15 plan, but will be forced into the $20 with an extra 100 MBs I simply don't need but will be forced to pay for anyway.

Thanks AT&T. Fuckers.

Supall

January 20, 2012 at 8:29am

I hope Verizon doesn't follow suit. Although I have the grandfathered unlimited data, I would hate to not be able to stream my music. My workplace has limited bandwidth so streaming is my only recourse. As a result, I can rack up 5GB easy.

vistageek

January 20, 2012 at 8:20am

$25 a month for 5 gigs of data on USC. And 3g on roaming.

win7fanboi

January 20, 2012 at 8:20am

"...AT&T trying to squeeze additional revenue..." - That.

If they wanted to "...deliver value to their customers..." they would make the cheapest data plan 1gb instead of 300mb.

Crooks.

tony2tonez

January 20, 2012 at 8:05am

On the old tier, im paying $25 for 2G. Im using 73mb of the 2G. So do i spend the $5 more for 3g or $5 less for 300mb. And thats what AT&T is hoping to do, that people like myself will spend the extra $5 for the bigger data plan. Most of the data that i use is from connecting via wi-fi whem im out. I use the phones network mostly for reading news. So im screwed and AT&T wins again.