AT&T - Changing Data Plans while Under Contract?

[Gizmotoy]

I'd like to try to keep my unlimited plan for a few months in order to determine what my actual OTA usage is on the iPhone 4 I'll be ordering. However, I'll probably end up dropping to one of the lower plans. Is this possible, or by contract do you have to keep a certain data plan enabled?

For voice service for example, AT&T will let you move to more expensive voice plans while under contract, but will not let you drop to a cheaper plan.

 

[dallas112678]

I'd like to try to keep my unlimited plan for a few months in order to determine what my actual OTA usage is on the iPhone 4 I'll be ordering. However, I'll probably end up dropping to one of the lower plans. Is this possible, or by contract do you have to keep a certain data plan enabled?

For voice service for example, AT&T will let you move to more expensive voice plans while under contract, but will not let you drop to a cheaper plan.

I'm 99.9% sure you can switch at any time, but remember you can't go back if you do. You may not need the unlimited now but maybe next year there will be a app that makes you want to use data like never before, so is saving $5 a month worth the potential overages and inconvenience from having limited data from now on?

 

[iadam09]

About a week ago they allowed me to change my family plan from unlimited to 1400m shared. No charge!

 

[Chupa Chupa]

Just go to your acct. online and click the plan you want. ATT said changing data plans will not affect your contract and you can change plans as many times as you want.

 

[Guy Mancuso]

I have 3 Iphones on my family plan. I lowered my wife's and daughters data plans but left mine alone at unlimited. After checking there usage they where not even close to getting 200mgs of data so I lowered both of them down to the bottom . Now I can raise them back up if I need to for the 2gb plan at anytime. What I can't do is lower mine from unlimited and go back to unlimited and that actually goes for everyone on the plan. Actually I like this idea since 90 dollars a month just for a family data plan was a bit too much given the use is not there. Now I am the only one going to the new Iphone at this time and give my wife my 3gs and take her 3g off the system. But bottom line you can change the data plan to whatever you desire without effecting your contract.

Now that was data but talk time by minutes you can go up and down also without any effect. I'm at 1400 per month and have a load of rollover minutes right now. But I am not going to lower the minute plan and just keep that at 1400.

I also suggest heading into At&T and see what you can do to save some money. I always run into nice people willing to help you out on costs. Don't do this on Phone release day though. Go in a off time that they can figure out your best course of action.

 

[dave006]

Yes, you can change your data plan or even your voice plan without impacting your contract term.

Please note: If you drop your Unlimited Data plan after June 7, you will not be able to re-add it later. If you have a Rollover voice plan, you will lose any Rollover minutes above the new rate plan. So if you move from a FamilyTalk 1400 to the FamilyTalk 700, you will only be able to carry over 700 Rollover minutes.

Dave

 

[Gizmotoy]

Hmm, thanks for the quick responses. It seems like AT&T changed some things regarding even voice plans. Many years ago (7, 8?) I wanted to change voice plans and they wouldn't let me. It's nice to see they've fixed that.

Not being able to go back to unlimited is kind of what brought this on. If I end up using significantly more data, we may stay there, but as it is it looks like both iPhones on my plan are less than 200MB 10 months out of 12.

 

[geko29]

If you have a Rollover voice plan, you will lose any Rollover minutes above the new rate plan. So if you move from a FamilyTalk 1400 to the FamilyTalk 700, you will only be able to carry over 700 Rollover minutes.

That's the way the policy reads, but it's not always the way things happen. I recently went from a (no longer available) 850-minute family plan to a current 550-minute family plan, and I still have 6573 rollover minutes.

 

[i-John]

Usually they don't let you downgrade (they do allow upgrades mid contract). I think they will allow you to take off features if you added them after the contract started though. I have a feeling they will allow the downgrades as I think they want to get as many people off the unlimited as possible.