AT&T will charge an additional $5 fee to customers on its legacy plans that offer unlimited data, DSLReports learned on Monday. The mobile carrier will make the changes effective starting March 2017.
The price hike is the second one in under a year since AT&T applied a $5 surcharge in February last year to unlimited data users that still stick to their original plans.
Verizon Wireless is also capping the data limit subscribers can use at 200 GB per month, inviting users who average more than that to look for other alternatives.
T-Mobile’s One plan certainly seems more reasonable now in light of recent events, which looks more like a setback to the industry rather than a move to favor consumers.
Pay more or get DirecTV if you want unlimited data on AT&T
AT&T has made it quite clear over the years that it has little room for data-hungry subscribers on its network. Users that are lucky enough to maintain their legacy unlimited data plans have to pay more now, and new customers can only get this service with a DirecTV signup.
Up until February last year, the unlimited plan cost $30. Then, the carrier bumped it up to $35. Now, starting this March, old users will have to pay $40, and it is important to note this is only for data.
Adding up charges for calls and texts gets the price tag of legacy unlimited plans to $90 in average. The new offerings under a DirecTV subscription start at $100.
Verizon is pushing over customers who use too much data
A report by Droid Life also surfaced this Monday, claiming Verizon Wireless was about to start sending notices to users who went over the 200 GB threshold on its mobile plans.
Verizon did something similar to AT&T. The company offered unlimited data plans, but new users cannot purchase them anymore.
The post received a wave of comments both on the site and on Reddit, where users reported they were receiving notices from Verizon even if they did not abuse unlimited data plans.
How much do Verizon and AT&T’s data plans cost?
Integrated plans with Internet, calls, and texts from AT&T start at $30 per month for 1 GB, while Verizon offers 2 GB at $35 per month.
AT&T’s Mobile Share Advantage program includes a $20 fee for smartphones just for a monthly access charge on top of the plan amount. Data plans on AT&T cap at 100 GB a month for $450.
Verizon has a similar offer with for the same $450 price, including also unlimited calls and texts in the U.S, Canada, and Mexico. The equivalent 100 GB data only pack for tablets and other devices costs $710 per month.
Source: DSLReports / Droid Life