A Positive Post on the New Shared Plan.

[rrutl]

unfortunately by then AT&T will probably have gone to much the same type of plans. For those of us whom leaving right now is not an option this plan offers nothing of value and has been a distraction so . . status quo

[destructor]

I see a lot of people comparing this for family or multi-device plans. I am an individual and only have 1 device and no future plans to add any more devices, so there is little to no benefit for individuals with 1 device under these new plans. Compare:

Current Plan:

Voice: 450 Minutes - $59.99

Text: Unlimited - Apparently included with Voice now, used to be around $20 extra I believe

Data: Unlimited - $29.99

Total: $89.98

New Plan:

Voice/Text - Unlimited - $0.00

Data: 4GB (average unlimited usage on current plan) - $70.00

Smartphone Access Fee - $40.00

Total $110.00

TL;DR: $110.00 > $89.98, therefore the new plans suck.

[PJNC284]

yeah, they're expecting people to want to add more devices with these new plans.  Think they're reaching a little.

[destructor]

No doubt. I'll add a new device when they decide they're going to give it for free with no additional fees or surcharges (this is never going to happen).

[SydneyK]

I found a positive. I don't want to switch to this shared plan, but if I were forced into it in the future, I think I could live with it.

I could save money on the 6GB plan shared by two smartphones and one iPad. This is because I pay $30/month for the AT&T grandfathered unlimited data plan for the iPad, in addition to paying for two Verizon smartphones with unlimited data and texting. We use Wi-Fi most of the time, so we never go over 6GB total on all three devices. As I understand it, because our phones have mobile hotspot capability, we wouldn't even need to add the $10 tablet charge -- we'd simply use a phone as a hotspot and the data would all come out of the same pool -- but I'm not certain.

Anyway, of course this wouldn't work for heavier data users, but I could make it work if I had to.

[#6]

You don't get it.  There are some customers they would just as soon not have.  Data hogs need to go somewhere else.  They do not want to appeal to those customers who use lots of "unlimited" data.

[PJNC284]

SydneyK wrote:

As I understand it, because our phones have mobile hotspot capability, we wouldn't even need to add the $10 tablet charge -- we'd simply use a phone as a hotspot and the data would all come out of the same pool -- but I'm not certain.

yup.  Kind of surprised they added in the free hotspot as it seems that will take away from their revenue and since they're no longer subsidizing or offering contracts with the tablets, there's really no reason to add a tablet if you have a smartphone.

[lewisr13]

destructor wrote:

No doubt. I'll add a new device when they decide they're going to give it for free with no additional fees or surcharges (this is never going to happen).

Never say never. Here's their future promo, "Get a Smartphone for Free" yes we'll waive the upgrade fee. You get this just for signing up on the Shared Everything plan.

This is due out just before Black Friday.

Source: JMSU

[destructor]

No, no, I mean free, as in no activation fees, no access fees, no monthly charges of any kind, no one time charges, nothing. That's what free means in this context.

[lewisr13]

ahhhhhh, then never is appropriate. I eat my words.