At&t Brings Back Unlimited Wireless Data Plan

AT&T Inc. kicks off the year with a promotional offer in an announcement today to provide, once again, unlimited wireless data plan for its new and existing TV subscribers. This option was removed more than five years ago to drive new clients to purchase plans that charge based on volume of data used. Nonetheless, it continues to offer the same plan if the client already subscribed to it. A rate increase of $5 per month will be charged to existing subscribers who intends to keep subscribing to this package, however.

This price increase is the first in seven years and is further explained in one of the company’s e-support articles. With this plan, a wireless subscriber opting for an unlimited data, voice calling, and text messaging will be charged $100 per month per device. An additional $40 will be charged for each additional smartphone or tablet. Thus, a family of four may get unlimited video streaming, data, talk as well as text services for $180 a month. As the plan limits the use of the service for a single device, tethering will not be possible.

This deal will be officially available starting tomorrow. AT&T users who already have or decide to add AT&T DIRECTV or AT&T U-Verse into their plan can choose to opt-in to an Unlimited Plan, which provides “customers more data to use for watching video, playing games and surfing the web on their mobile devices." Customers who will opt for this bundle will likewise get a $10/month discount on their combined TV and wireless bill.

CEO of AT&T Mobile and Business Solutions said Ralph de la Vega emphasized that, "Our new unlimited plan is our best offer yet. It’s the perfect reward for our valued customers who like to take advantage of our integrated offers of TV and wireless services.“

The company likewise stressed this deal is the "first of many integrated video and mobility offers" coming to AT&T customers in 2016. However, it is a limited-time offer. Until when the offer will be available was not mentioned, however.

It was also announced that DIRECTV and U-Verse customers who still do not have an AT&T wireless subscription can get $500 in credit at the time they begin to subscribe to the new Unlimited Plan, with one of AT&T’s eligible trade-ins going towards the purchase of a new phone on AT&T Next^SM. AT&T wireless customers, who are not subscribed to a DIRECTV plan, can add a TV package with a plan that costs $19.99 per month for 12 months, but will be locked in for 24 months to that plan. Other telcos offering unlimited wireless data plan are T-Mobile and Sprint, the no.3 and no.4 carriers, respectively.