AT&T Announces its Shared Data Plans; Isn't Forcing it On Its Customers Though (Yet)

[jackiescivic]

Working in the industry and being familiar with VZW's plans, you DO NOT have to switch to the Share Everything plan. OP, please stop getting this confused with having to switch to metered data, that's a different story.

Here's an example:

...on a Nationwide Family Share plan, user A has unlimited data at 29.99/mo, user B has the same. User B upgrades to a GS3 and is forced to change to 2g 30/mo, sure, user A can KEEP their Unlimited 29.99/mo data plans and NOT be forced into Share Everything.

Ding ding ding, we have a winner! (from one industry employee to another lol)

 

[MissionImprobable]

I'm still lost as to what these $35/40 per month "smartphone" fees are. VZ tries to claim that it is to offer clinics and what not to customers, but one, I've never seen anything like that offered, and two, for $40 a month you'd better come to my house and make some magic happen anytime I have an issue on my device. Insanity.

 

[nikecar]

I'm still lost as to what these $35/40 per month "smartphone" fees are. .

they are for the Board's yearly bonuses. $20M is alot of $40 a month fees they need to recoup.

 

[Danielsan]

The big difference is that with at&t, a new customer can opt for either the Share plan or an existing plan. With Verizon, new customers can only get share everything.

False, a new customer can still opt to take advantage of the preexisting Nationwide plans -- but why would you want to? VZW made it so Share Everything will almost always be cheaper or match the price for multiple smart phones than the previous Nationwide plans.

 

[jackiescivic]

False, a new customer can still opt to take advantage of the preexisting Nationwide plans -- but why would you want to? VZW made it so Share Everything will almost always be cheaper or match the price for multiple smart phones than the previous Nationwide plans.

Not true. 1gb on Verizon is $90, and 1gb on at&t is $85. For *most* people, the old plans save them more money than the Share plans. But then again most people that I deal with on a daily basis still have at least one basic phone on the account. I can count on one hand how many people have saved money by switching to share plans, on either company

 

[kodiak799]

Yeah, what a rip-off. I've got 450 minutes, which is usually enough with VZW-2-VZW, for $40. Then whether it's unlimited or 2gigs or 1 gig, it used to be $30.

I don't have an issue with the caps, but there's no real reason for the prices to be going up. There clearly isn't enough competition to benefit the consumer. Based on historical anti-trust measures, there is, but there aren't many industries where 2 players have over 80% of the market (oddly, Apple & Google in smartphone OS) and tacitly collude on pricing.

 

[MissionImprobable]

Are you saying that Google and Apple are the reason for the ridiculous carrier pricing by VZ and AT&T?

 

[kodiak799]

Are you saying that Google and Apple are the reason for the ridiculous carrier pricing by VZ and AT&T?

No.

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