Why no $50/$60 Unlimited Plan?

[Plutonius]

The thing is, why would you pay for a data plan that is $50/60 when you could get a wifi version and get a mifi?

Maybe because if you use 5GB on At+T, it will cost you $60.00 (with overages) and less money if you use less. With Verizon's MIFI, it will cost you about $60.00 for 5GB and it doesn't cost less if you use less.

 

[Dorv]

Even if you're not grandfathered with the original iPad data plan, I don't think any other carrier offer a less-expensive data plan than the new AT&T ones.

My frustration is not the comparison of other carriers, but the announced plan by Apple and AT&T that got me to buy a iPad 3G. Just a little bait and switch, wither it was done intentionally or not.

 

[sandydlc]

I pay around $60 monthly for the Sprint Overdrive with truly unlimited 4G service. Its only a 5gb cap when you're on the 3G network. I do only own the 64gb wifi iPad.

For me, it's not worth being tied to one carrier. I have an iPhone and I'll get the new one but I'm glad that with my overdrive I have more options plus faster service when I'm able to connect to 4G.

Now the overdrive has had its issues and it is one more device to charge and carry with me but after having both the iPad and the overdrive since early April and several business and personal trips since then...my conclusion is that pairing the two devices is totally a valid alternative for those who don't want to play the AT&T "what's the plan today game".

Sandy

 

[wyre]

Now the overdrive has had its issues and it is one more device to charge and carry with me but after having both the iPad and the overdrive since early April and several business and personal trips since then...my conclusion is that pairing the two devices is totally a valid alternative for those who don't want to play the AT&T "what's the plan today game".

Sandy

Has your 4g access been steady enough to justify the 'unlimited' part of the Sprint plan? I was tempted to go that same route, but ended up with mifi without contract. Many early overdrive users were having trouble connecting with 4g. That may have been fixed with firmware update? If spint offered overdrive that way, I'd have definitely opted for that one. Keeping options open in a rapidly changing market - but the two device argument is a good one. You get the 4g/3g option and can power a computer or other devices at the same time. Battery issues should be resolved fairly soon, or, worst case -- you can get an additional 3rd party batttery for the overdrive to keep you going while on the road.

 

[Fraaaa]

1. Unlimited is abused* by "some" people;
2. AT&T network barely keeps up at the moment;
3. **2GB are enough for everyone that doesn't "abuse*" it;
4. other countries*** don't have unlimited plans as well;
5. even if you pay more and you could argue that they could improve their network, they still can't keep the pace at the moment;
6. eventually.

* jailbraking to download over 3G where there is wifi only restriction and co.
** UK's networks hardly give 1GB.
*** based on the fact that I haven't heard of any country using it AFAIK, but I may mistake.

 

[J71]

Just to give you an idea of what other pay as you go plans cost.


Virgin Mobile (sprint network) Pay as you go:

$10 - 10 days - 100mb
$20 - 30 days - 300mb
$40 - 30 days - 1GB
$60 - 30 days - 5GB


Verizon pay as you go(can be used with mifi):

$15 - 1 day - 100mb
$30 - 7 days- 300mb
$50 - 30 days - 1GB


Edit: There are no overages for either of these, when you use up your allotment or time it cuts off and you re-up.

What would be cool is if you could get a data plan that is not by month or day to day. Say you buy 100GB but it doesn't expire or you have to use it within so many days. You just carry the plan over and when you are close to running out, just purchase another data block.

 

[Battlestar]

People are still failing to acknowledge that this is a rate reduction for the vast majority of AT&T data users. Look around the net, you will be hard pressed, even on the most techy of tech sites to find a poll where users average more than 500MB a month of data. The absolutely highest estimates show 10-15% of users will go over 2GB. This is all an argument over principle. Let's imagine you had unlimited voice for $99 a month, but now, it gets capped at 5000 minutes and the price becomes $85. If you talk 1500 min a month, why are you whining? That's what we have here. A lot of noise from people who this will have absolutely ZERO impact on.

It's worth noting that the $25 a month also gets you unlimited access to all the AT&T hotspots.

If that is the jist of the issue then why not have the $25.00 for 2GB and up the Unlimited to $35.00 per month and keep everyone happy?

 

[Night Spring]

If that is the jist of the issue then why not have the $25.00 for 2GB and up the Unlimited to $35.00 per month and keep everyone happy?

My guess is that someone at ATT woke up and realized that streaming video services were about to increase network usage exponentially, and they decided they aren't going to offer unlimited data at ANY cost, because there's just no limit to how much bandwidth users would use if everyone started streaming videos w/o usage caps.

 

[inlvnv]

I'm thinking ATT is getting ready to roll out similar services like mifi/overdrive from Sprint/Virgin Mobile/Verizon and needed to free up bandwidth. Otherwise, it makes no sense they are willing to drastically cut their income, almost by half, under the guise of wanting to save their customers money. They exist to make money, and I think they found a way to make more. I'm guessing those willing to pay more than $30 month for more bandwidth will get their wish.

For me, it's not worth being tied to one carrier.

I agree. Personally, I'm willing to terminate my iPad data plan and decrease iPhone data plan to the lowest and sign up with Sprint Overdrive, or better yet, Virgin Mobile's myfi no contract plan.