Wirefly helps you save on cell phones and plans by offering innovative comparison tools so consumers can make educated choices. Start saving today with Wirefly!
Wirefly helps you save on Internet service by offering innovative comparison tools to compare Internet providers in your area.
A month ago in December, T-Mobile announced its Data Stash program, wherein subscribers can carry over unused data from one month to the next one. It has only been a few days since this program has taken effect, and now AT&T is launching Rollover Data, its answer to T-Mobile's program.
Like T-Mobile's offer, AT&T's Rollover Data lets subscribers save their leftover data after each billing cycle. The plan will be launched on January 25th, and will be open to all subscribers under AT&T's Mobile Share Value plans.
However, it should be noted that AT&T will not allow its subscribers to keep banking the same data month after month. This means that customers will have to use up the data they saved in the next billing cycle, or lose the data.
For instance, if a customer has four lines under a 15 gigabyte AT&T Mobile Share Value plan, and only uses up 10 gigabytes for the month of January, he will be able to roll over the 5 unused gigabytes for the next month. In other words, he will have a total data allotment of 20 gigabytes in February (15 gigabytes + 5 unused gigabytes).
If the customer does not use up all the 20 gigabytes allotted in February, he will not be able to bank the accumulated two months worth of unused gigabytes onto March. Instead, the first rule applies: he can only roll over unused data from the previous month, which in this case is whatever amount of data he has not used from the current month's 15 gigabyte allotment. The bottom line is that the customer has to use up the data he saved for the next month, or the whole thing resets.
AT&T is obviously designing its Rollover Data plan to give users extra data to be used for the next month only, and not to be accumulated and used at, say, the end of the year. Herein lies the difference with T-Mobile's plan -- it lets customers accrue unused data for a full year.
That is not to say T-Mobile's plan has no caveats of its own. For one, it is only open to individual line subscribers of any postpaid data plan with 3 gigabytes of data allotment or more. As for AT&T's Rollover Data plan, it is available to subscribers of any level of shared plan, even one that only offers 300 megabytes of data allotment.
Indeed, both carriers have different ways of offering data rollover options. Consumers will have to decide for themselves which setup works best for them. Do they go for the plan that lets them save unused data for an extended period of time? Or do they opt for a plan that lets them roll over unused data on a per billing cycle basis only?
Explore other deals from AT&T now. You can also start browsing plans and phones from T-Mobile.
Wirefly offers great deals on a large selection of smartphones, cell phones, tablets, mobile hotspots, and other wireless devices for the nation's most popular carriers. Use Wirefly’s innovative cell phone and plan comparison tools to ensure you are getting the best deal on the market. Shop with confidence knowing that Wirefly wants to help you find the best prices on cell phones, cell phone plans, TV, and Internet service.