Just days before the expected launch of the iPhone 4G, AT&T is making significant changes to its wireless data pricing plans. The company is positioning the new plans as “more affordable” for people who want to use the mobile Internet by abandoning the one-price-fits-all model.
Essentially, new customers can choose between two data plans: A $15-a-month entry plan or a $25-a-month plan that offers 10 times more data. Existing customers can stick with the plan they have until their contract expires, or they can migrate to a new plan without adding time to their contract.
Regardless of the plan they choose, AT&T is offering unlimited access to more than 20,000 AT&T Wi-Fi hot spots in the U.S. at no additional charge. Customers can also use unlimited Wi-Fi anywhere else it’s available, such as in the home or the workplace. The new plan also offers a tethering option.
“This is good for AT&T. Over time, this will help them regulate how much data they are pumping through the networks,” said Avi Greengart, an analyst at Current Analysis. “It’s common knowledge that there’s a limited amount of bandwidth and offering truly unlimited plans isn’t profitable — and in some cases it isn’t even possible.”
Broadening the Smartphone Market
As Greengart sees it, the plan AT&T is embarking on opens up the market in important ways. First, the $15-a-month option, called the DataPlus plan, can save customers up to 50 percent off their wireless data charges and is designed for people who primarily like to surf the web, send e-mail, and use social-networking apps.
“If what you’ve been looking for is a smartphone-class device, but you are not convinced that you are going to be using a tremendous amount of data or you can’t afford today’s $30-a-month plan, this opens up smartphones to a whole different…