AT&T is bringing back its unlimited data plan, but mobile users ought to know that it now comes with some new terms and conditions. For starters, the second biggest wireless carrier in the United States is essentially making its unlimited data plan available only to those who are subscribers of DIRECTV and U-Verse. One line of service is offered at a hundred bucks each month, with $40 for every extra line of service added. Those interested who are eligible can start availing of the unlimited data plan on Tuesday, January 12th of this year. As for the end date, AT&T has not revealed any details yet. Here is more information on the AT&T Unlimited Plan with DIRECTV. If you are a current AT&T customer you can call DIRECTV at 1-855-805-0352 to sign up for DIRECTV and then qualify for the AT&T Unlimited Data Plan.
There is no doubt that this latest move from AT&T is clearly an effort to funnel its existing DIRECTV and U-Verse subscribers to try and get the best of both worlds, in terms of having a wireless plan combined with a video subscription service. It does make sense for the wireless carrier -- after all, it spent $49 billion in acquiring DIRECTV back in July of last year, and it is now looking to cash in on its purchase. Strategically speaking, its acquisition of the TV service also gave AT&T the opportunity to offer bundled services that included wireless, broadband (for homes), video, and home phone services. With more consumers deciding to drop their pay TV service subscriptions, AT&T may have just found an opening to take advantage of.
As explained by Glenn Lurie, the chief executive officer of the wireless carrier, offering the unlimited data plan to DIRECTV and U-Verse subscribers is AT&T’s way of rewarding its best customers. For a bit of a background, AT&T had ceased offering its unlimited data plan to new subscribers almost half a decade ago, when it decided to shift from unlimited data options to tiered plans that had mobile users pay for the amount of data they consume.
More than a month ago, AT&T had announced that it will be raising the prices of its grandfathered unlimited data plans in February of this year from its current $30 a month rate to $35 a month. This reflects an overall trend in the industry, wherein wireless carriers are starting to increase the pricing of their unlimited data options because of the rising costs of delivering these types of services to mobile users. To date, the only other major wireless carriers in the US offering unlimited data options are T-Mobile and Sprint, with industry leader Verizon Wireless having already eliminated its unlimited data offering.
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