AT&T Raising Rates

[zerocool84]

How on Earth have Verizon and AT&T both decided to kill off their upgrade discount programs within a few days of each other? Hard to say, but we've gotten a little peek at some new policies designed to "streamline" things that are apparently coming into effect next Sunday, January 23rd -- and very few (if any) of them are going to bring a smile to your face.

Here's the gist:

• There'll be a new text package of 1,000 messages for $10 with overage at 10 cents apiece. This compares to 5 cents at the 1,500 / $15 level and 10 cents at the 200 / $5 level.
  
• Speaking of those other text packages, they're going away. Both the 200 and 1,500 text plans are goners. Obviously, if you're already on them, you shouldn't be affected -- you just won't be able to select them for new plans or changes anymore.
  
• Early upgrade pricing on new iPhones -- the standard subsidized price plus $200 -- will only be available six months into an existing iPhone activation.
  
• $50 and $100 discounts on top of subsidized pricing for upgrading customers -- similar to Verizon's recently-killed New Every Two program -- are going away. If you're currently eligible, you'll still be eligible to take advantage through July 23rd of this year.
  
• Family plan add-a-line activation is increasing $10 to $36.
  
• International voice roaming prices are changing in 117 countries. That's a lot of countries! We're assuming most of those rates are going up, not down, though we don't have details at this point.
  
• Calling to Canada is going from 29 cents per minute to 39 cents.
• The 3G MicroCell is increasing in price from $149.99 to $199.99, which seems like a really bizarre move to us -- hard to say what the motivation is there. Certain "pre-selected" customers will still receive special discount offers for it in the mail, though.

YIKES!!!

http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/19/atandt-tweaking-messaging-plans-killing-some-upgrade-discounts-r/

 

[AstroManLuca]

Man. They are really gouging people on international calls. I suppose anyone savvy enough to use Google Voice for those isn't giving them money either way so they may as well take more money from people who don't know any better.

Geez though. 39 cents a minute to call Canada. What is this, the dark ages?

 

[Bateluer]

Pricey. Time to make a strong push to get people to us Gtalk or other IM programs on their smart phones to escape the obscene texting charges?

 

[AznAnarchy99]

Its kinda ridiculous at the pricing of cellphone plans here in the US.

What ever happened to that FCC investigation of all 4 cell companies raising their texting rates at the same time when texts cost near to nothing to send.

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

Well, the 200 texts has always been a complaint of mine. I wanted 400, but 1500 was a huge stretch. The $10 plan seems decent for me.

But once again the disappearance of the 200 text plan is outrageous.

As for iPhone pricing? Hello? You guys could've gotten the iPhone 2G, 3G, 3GS, 4 for $200 apiece. ALL 4 of them.

Now why do you deserve them for $200 a year? You're not signing 8 years of your life away. How does AT&T recoup those costs? Wait. I might be wrong. Maybe the 3G didn't have promo pricing, but you could've easily picked up 3 iPhones for $200 each in a 3 year span. Still a great deal, because you technically need 6 years of contracting to pay it off.

Honestly, it's all too much. Just offer $200 iPhones only if you're up for a renewal. I swear this is what screwed AT&T's cash away. But VZW is facing something similar too. People seem to think that a year after their Droid 1, that because the D2, and newer phones are out, they're entitled to a cheapass $200 upgrade again. Come on. Stop spending so much on phone subsidies and focus on the damn service.

 

[boomhower]

Its kinda ridiculous at the pricing of cellphone plans here in the US.

What ever happened to that FCC investigation of all 4 cell companies raising their texting rates at the same time when texts cost near to nothing to send.

We get screwed on texts but make out like bandits on data. We bitch about $30 for data but compared to most other countries we are doing quite well in that respect.

 

[zerocool84]

We get screwed on texts but make out like bandits on data. We bitch about $30 for data but compared to most other countries we are doing quite well in that respect.

Actually no we don't. We get screwed in wireless in all regards.

 

[ChAoTiCpInOy]

I don't understand the whole iPhone upgrade pricing. Let's say I'm going to upgrade in about a year. How much would I have to pay if I sign a new contract with an iPhone?

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

I don't understand the whole iPhone upgrade pricing. Let's say I'm going to upgrade in about a year. How much would I have to pay if I sign a new contract with an iPhone?

Sounds like $400 huh?

the way I look at it is each iPhone is $600.

You pay $200 for it. 2 year contract means you pay back $200 a year, so after 2 years it's $600 paid back.

If people upgrade every year for $200, AT&T loses money. Making it $400 seems reasonable and hopefully deters enough people from buying an iPhone every year for some ridiculously low price.

 

[Sheep]

What's up with the U.S. carriers all deciding to ream consumers all at once? I expect this behavior over time, but it seems like every single carrier is increasing prices and/or decreasing service all at the same time. AT&T, Verizon and Sprint have all implemented significant changes the past few weeks, all of which favor the bottom line and none of which favor the consumer.

 

[Axon]

What's up with the U.S. carriers all deciding to ream consumers all at once? I expect this behavior over time, but it seems like every single carrier is increasing prices and/or decreasing service all at the same time. AT&T, Verizon and Sprint have all implemented significant changes the past few weeks, all of which favor the bottom line and none of which favor the consumer.

We're dumb enough to keep paying out the nose, so they'll keep pushing these plans onward and upward. I have a 2007 AT&T contract grandfathered in....I might ride this out for a few years, see if they ever notice and get all salty about it.

 

[boomhower]

What's up with the U.S. carriers all deciding to ream consumers all at once? I expect this behavior over time, but it seems like every single carrier is increasing prices and/or decreasing service all at the same time. AT&T, Verizon and Sprint have all implemented significant changes the past few weeks, all of which favor the bottom line and none of which favor the consumer.

It's called collusion and it's illegal but the government lets them get away with it anyways. Just like last year when the FCC made a big deal about ETF's yet VZW jacked them up and nothing happened. Sprint and AT&T have raised their rates, you can be sure VZW will be along shortly.

 

[Pliablemoose]

What makes me crazy is that there are free texting apps now like Text For Free, and the carriers include texting with almost every plan now and charge extra for them...

 

[nace186]

Wow, it's like they are intentionally trying to give more subscriber to verizon.

 

[yh125d]

Sounds like $400 huh?

the way I look at it is each iPhone is $600.

You pay $200 for it. 2 year contract means you pay back $200 a year, so after 2 years it's $600 paid back.

If people upgrade every year for $200, AT&T loses money. Making it $400 seems reasonable and hopefully deters enough people from buying an iPhone every year for some ridiculously low price.

Yeah, if they want a fully subsidized phone every year, go to sprint premiere like I did

 

[ChAoTiCpInOy]

What makes me crazy is that there are free texting apps now like Text For Free, and the carriers include texting with almost every plan now and charge extra for them...

They're paying for convenience. Those free texting apps requires you to have a different phone number.

 

[iahk]

Yeah, if they want a fully subsidized phone every year, go to sprint premiere like I did

Sprint premier is changing too. That 69.99 individual plan or 99.99 family plan monthly recurring cost qualification is moving into tiers. This will be the silver tier qualification and does not have the 12 month upgrade eligibility.

The gold tier will have it and you will be required to have an 89.99 monthly recurring cost for an individual line or 169.99 for your family plan.

If you have been a customer for 10 years, you don't need to worry about those and you'll be placed in the gold tier automatically. I believe this all occurs in April?

 

[2Xtreme21]

So if I want to drop down to the 1000 texts for $10 they're offering (currently have 1500, and I never even come close to that amount), will I have to sign a new contract with all these pricing restrictions in place? I currently have an iPhone on family plan ($10/month) with unlimited data ($30/month) and 1500 texts ($15/month).

I could save $5/month with these new rules.

 

[Fingolfin269]

Sprint premier is changing too. That 69.99 individual plan or 99.99 family plan monthly recurring cost qualification is moving into tiers. This will be the silver tier qualification and does not have the 12 month upgrade eligibility.

The gold tier will have it and you will be required to have an 89.99 monthly recurring cost for an individual line or 169.99 for your family plan.

If you have been a customer for 10 years, you don't need to worry about those and you'll be placed in the gold tier automatically. I believe this all occurs in April?

This is very disappointing. The two main reasons I stay with Sprint are price and the yearly upgrade. The pricing gap is closing so if they take away the main perk I care about then I may have to consider changing carriers. Granted that decision wouldn't come to a head until I got tired of my EVO (or it breaks) but still something I'll have to consider.

 

[yh125d]

This is very disappointing. The two main reasons I stay with Sprint are price and the yearly upgrade. The pricing gap is closing so if they take away the main perk I care about then I may have to consider changing carriers. Granted that decision wouldn't come to a head until I got tired of my EVO (or it breaks) but still something I'll have to consider.

Bah, me too

I pay over $89.99 a month total, but the plan is only $79.99, so pretty sure I won't qualify to upgrade my evo early this summer.


Damn you sprint!

 

[shortylickens]

Man. They are really gouging people on international calls. I suppose anyone savvy enough to use Google Voice for those isn't giving them money either way so they may as well take more money from people who don't know any better.

Geez though. 39 cents a minute to call Canada. What is this, the dark ages?

Land line service had made huge strides in pricing since cell phones got popular. As an example Verizon has a basic plan that lets you pick between Canada or Mexico: Free calls no matter what.