Great day for the Evo 4G and Sprint

gibsonhtp#IM

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No more unlimited plan on At&t when we get uncapped 3G and 4G on our Evo's with Sprint

I posted this in the carriers sub-forum but it doesn't get much traffic and this news is more relevant to owning an Evo 4G on Sprint.

AT&T makes sweeping changes to data plans, iPhone tethering coming at OS 4 launch -- Engadget


AT&T ANNOUNCES NEW LOWER-PRICED WIRELESS DATA PLANS TO MAKE MOBILE INTERNET MORE AFFORDABLE TO MORE PEOPLE

DALLAS, June 2, 2010 - AT&T*, the U.S. smartphone leader, today introduced new wireless data plans that make it more affordable for more people to enjoy the benefits of the mobile Internet. Customers can pick the new data plan that best meets their needs - either a $15 per month entry plan or a $25 per month plan with 10 times more data. Current smartphone customers are not required to switch to the new plans, but can choose to do so without a contract extension.

"AT&T helps mobilize everything on the Internet - your favorite web sites, TV shows, music, games and social networks. Virtually everything previously done while sitting at a computer can now be done on the go," said Ralph de la Vega, president and CEO, AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets. "To give more people the opportunity to experience these benefits, we're breaking free from the traditional 'one-size-fits-all' pricing model and making the mobile Internet more affordable to a greater number of people."

Each plan includes unlimited access at no additional charge to more than 20,000 AT&T Wi-Fi Hot Spots in the U.S. Customers can also use unlimited Wi-Fi at home, in the office or elsewhere if available. AT&T will also help customers manage their wireless data usage by sending free text messages when customers reach different usage intervals, and by providing online tools, including a smartphone app that shows monthly usage information.

The new wireless data plans - including a new tethering option - will be available beginning June 7. Current AT&T voice and texting plans are unchanged.

More Choice

The new AT&T plans provide large amounts of data to enable people to enjoy their favorite online activities:

* DataPlus. Provides 200 megabytes (MB) of data - enough to send/receive 1,000 emails (no attachments), send/receive 150 emails with attachments, view 400 Web pages, post 50 photos on social media sites and 20 minutes of streaming video - for just $15 per month. This plan, which can save customers up to 20 percent off their wireless voice and data charges, is designed for people who primarily like to surf the web, send email and use social networking apps. If customers exceed 200 MB in a monthly billing cycle, they will receive an additional 200 MB of data usage for $15 for use in the month. Currently, 65 percent of AT&T smartphone customers use less than 200 MB of data per month on average.

* DataPro. Provides 2 gigabytes (GB) of data - enough to send/receive 10,000 emails (no attachments), send/receive 1,500 emails with attachments, view 4,000 Web pages, post 500 photos to social media sites and watch 200 minutes of streaming video - for $25 per month. Should a customer exceed 2 GB during a billing cycle, they will receive an additional 1 GB of data for $10 for use in the month. Currently, 98 percent of AT&T smartphone customers use less than 2 GB of data a month on average.

* Tethering. Smartphone customers - including iPhone customers - who choose the DataPro plan have the option to add tethering for an additional $20 per month. Tethering enables customers to use their smartphone as a modem to provide a broadband connection for laptop computers, netbooks or other computing devices. Tethering for iPhones will be available when Apple releases OS 4.0 this summer.

With the new wireless data plans, pricing for a smartphone voice and data bundle now starts at just $54.99 per month for an individual plan, or $24.99 per month for an additional line on a FamilyTalk plan, $15 per month less than the price of the previous entry level bundle.

For new iPad customers, the $25 per month 2 GB plan will replace the existing $29.99 unlimited plan. iPad customers will continue to pre-pay for their wireless data plan and no contract is required. Existing iPad customers who have the $29.99 per month unlimited plan can keep that plan or switch to the new $25 per month plan with 2 GB of data.

Wi-Fi at 20,000 AT&T Hot Spots

The vast majority of smartphones that AT&T offers have built-in Wi-Fi, which lets the devices automatically switch from the wireless network to a Wi-Fi hotspot without prompting, making Wi-Fi even more convenient and easy to use. This enables customers to use Wi-Fi in the home, office and at public locations where available. Using Wi-Fi does not count against a customer's monthly data plan usage total. In addition, virtually all AT&T smartphone customers have access at no additional charge to more than 20,000 AT&T Wi-Fi Hot Spots at Starbucks, Barnes & Noble, and other U.S. locations. Customers can get more information on how to use Wi-Fi and find the location of AT&T Wi-Fi Hot Spots at AT&T Wi-Fi Access - Wireless from AT&T.

Monitoring and Managing Usage

To help customers easily check their data usage, AT&T has made the information readily available in a number of ways:

* Customer Text Notifications On Data Usage. When customers begin to approach their monthly usage limit, AT&T will send three text notifications - when they reach 65 percent, 90 percent and 100 percent of the threshold. Customers will also be sent emails if AT&T has their email address.

* Data Usage Monitoring. Additionally, customers with iPhones and other select devices can use the free AT&T myWireless application to check data usage. The application is available for download in several smartphone app stores. Also, AT&T customers can call *DATA# from their wireless phone to check their data usage for the current billing period. They receive a free text message with their usage information. Customers can also go online to Cell Phones and Cell Phone Plans - Wireless from AT&T to see all their usage information, past and present.

* Data Calculator. The easy-to-use online data calculator enables customers to estimate their mobile data usage and get a better sense for which data plan is right for them. It's located at Data Calculator.

Customers can learn more about the new plans online at New Smartphone Data Plans - Wireless from AT&T, by contacting AT&T customer service at 1-800-331-0500, or by visiting an AT&T retail store.

AT&T expects these new data plans to have minimal revenue impact this year and to not affect previous guidance for 2010.
 
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ImmaSlave4U

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Interesting. Engadgets article makes it sound like it's a good deal.

Anyway, my latest Sprint bill shows that I used 14,673,849 kilobytes of Sprint data. Anyone know how many gigabytes that'd be about?
 

ImmaSlave4U

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^ Geez! I bet it's from the Sprint TV I watch. I recently subscribed to Sprint TV Xtra for live Fox News. That probably uses a lot of data.

BTW, I guess this proves that the 5GB cap does not apply to cell phones if I used 14GB. So Sprint saying one of the benefits of paying the $10 EVO fee is kind of lame considering it doesn't appear there was ever an enforced limit on phones to begin with.
 
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cpgoody

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I think this is a pretty good deal for the vast majority of ATT customers w/ the smart phone. I view the move as having two motives for ATT.

1. Try and put a stop to the 2% of all users that are sucking data.
2. As smartphones evolve, they will become more and more user friendly and I have no doubt that data usage will increase going forward.

My take is, it might be good now for the majority of ATT customers, but it will start getting more expensive sooner than later as usage rates increase.
 

VaughnB

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This is exactly why using the EVO hotspot with the iPad in lieu of an iPad 3G makes so much sense. Folks are getting robbed blind and don't even realize it.
 

SassyLina

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I think this is gonna hose all iPhone usesrs. See AT&T is smart, essentially they polled all the data usage and divided it by there subscriber number, this makes it appear as if it is a good plan and want effect many. Wrong. This will effect all smartphone users, mostly iPhone users. They use the most data and with iChat rumored to be included in the next gen iPhone, data is gonna go through the roof. This is AT&T's underhanded way of capitalizing on the data that will be used in the future.
 

davekr

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I have to say, as an iPhone user considering switching to the Evo this is a big deal for me. I am on Wifi for almost all of the day, so my typical network data usage each month is somewhere around 100MB. I have 3 iPhones on a family plan (all with similar usage to me) so I can easily go down to the 15/month plan for each line and save 45 dollars a month. That suddenly erases any cost savings that I was going to get by switching to Sprint (and where I live AT&T has better coverage and much faster 3G).

I know that the comparison isn't direct, since I'd be getting unlimited data with Sprint compared to 200mb with AT&T but for my usage, that makes no difference to me.

Suddenly my decision to switch got much more difficult.
 

dre3k2

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Doesn't the new iphone have video chat capabilities? Wouldn't that make there data usage skyrocket if the customer takes advantage of this feature?
 

r-nice

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Apple adding video chat to me would be puzzling seeing as how AT&T is struggling under all the iPhone data as it is.
 

dre3k2

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If indeed it's only available on AT&T...

Hm.. I'm glad to be on Sprint then. I'm guessing that you'd have to get the DataPro plan on AT&T just to be on the safe side.. But even then you could be screwed considering that ImmaSlave4U has logged over 14 GB (WOW) of data on his in a month.
 

ArkAngel06

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Unfortunately, this is just the first carrier to do this, and it will certainly not be the last.

Im sure Sprint and Verizon will follow suit soon enough.
 
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tntsniper#CB

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I'm not understanding how this is a good thing? I'd go on a limb to say its just another way for ATT to make more money. Can you imagine what would happen if you went over? Dear lord.
 

Raptor

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Within a year Sprint will move to a tiered scheme and within 5 years they will all be offering metered plans. I hate to say I told you so...


Brian
 

lshelmir

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Well, with my BB, I didn't use 100 megs per month, but was still paying the $30. If I wasn't moving to sprint and that data hog Evo, I probably would love this discount.
 

xorg

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Within a year Sprint will move to a tiered scheme and within 5 years they will all be offering metered plans. I hate to say I told you so...


Probably to some degree but also probably cheaper or larger buckets in the end. I do think on the WiMAX side they'll model closer to the cable industry caps than cell industry. WiMAX is intended to compete in the cable/dsl space as well, which is why the cable industry is investing in it.

Sprint will likely end up with LTE as well (when converting CDMA) in 5+ years. That will probably be modeled closer to ATT/VZW but with more value.
 

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