AT&T to raise unlimited data plan pricing to $40 in March

Just over a year after AT&T raised rates for subscribers grandfathered in to unlimited data plans, the company once again intends to bump up prices another $5 per month come March.

Starting in March 2017, AT&T, the nation's second-largest cellular carrier in the U.S., will raise rates for customers subscribed to legacy unlimited data plans from $35 to $40 per month. The rate increase follows an identical $5 per month bump instituted in February 2015.

The latest price hike was spotted earlier this week by DSLReports forum users who received word of the coming rate change via email. The website subsequently confirmed the policy modification with an AT&T representative.

"Our Mobile Share Advantage plans and our AT&T Unlimited Plan provide several benefits that our legacy unlimited plan doesn't. If you have a legacy unlimited data plan, you can keep it; however, beginning in March 2017, it will increase by $5 per month," AT&T said.

When reached for comment, AT&T furnished AppleInsider with the same statement.

Like competing mobile providers, AT&T introduced unlimited data plans years ago to lure in potential smartphone buyers. As the handsets became more popular, and at the same time more data-hungry, carriers replaced all-you-can-eat models with tiered plans. AT&T, the first carrier to offer unlimited data plans for iPhone in 2007, began to roll out capped tiers in June 2010.

In a bid to negate customer churn, telcos allowed subscribers to carry their unlimited plan in perpetuity. Once these grandfathered-in customers switch to a new plan, however, they can never go back.

18 Comments

tnet-primary 242 comments · 13 Years

About 7 years ago

Bummer.

Sgt Storms(trooper) 14 comments · 7 Years

I literally switched to Sprint today. I've been an ATT subscriber since they were Cingular in 2001. Raising the prices and throttling our unlimited plans are par for the course with ATT. Even with paying for new iPhones for 3 lines, Sprint is saving us $130 per month. That's even after having a corporate discount with ATT.

sdw2001 17457 comments · 23 Years

Looks like I'm finally bailing on AT&T. I seriously considered it with my last two phones.

mac_128 3452 comments · 12 Years

I have no complaints about ATT other than they often have customer service people who have no idea what they're doing, or selling, or how to resolve a customer's issues.

I have a hefty 30% corporate discount through work off my already low rate plan, and ATT is by far, hands down the best mobile phone company in Los Angeles. Verizon may have a slight edge in some areas, but it's not worth the horrible customer service and constant nickel and diming.

That said, I long ago migrated from 2 year plans and buy my phones outright, so I can switch to any carrier at any time, and hold that threat over ATT every time I call over some issue to lower my rates.

I do wish I had had tethering sometimes, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that I had wifi calling on a recent overseas trip, which I didn't think I had.

linkman 1040 comments · 11 Years

AppleInsider said:

"Our Mobile Share Advantage plans and our AT&T Unlimited Plan provide several benefits that our legacy unlimited plan doesn't. If you have a legacy unlimited data plan, you can keep it; however, beginning in March 2017, it will increase by $5 per month," AT&T said.

AT&T's Mobile Share Advantage at the 1GB/month rate (their lowest tier) costs $30/month plus $20 monthly "access charge" if you use "Smartphones, Basic & Messaging Phones" (WTF phone isn't one of these phones?) and it’s a $40 monthly access charge if you are on a 2 year agreement. The 100GB/month tier is $450/month + access charge.
Apparently the several benefits are mostly to AT&T in terms of reduced data and higher prices.