OT: 'Unlimited' AT&T Wireless Data Plans About To Be Cap

Nighthawke70 · EVDO User Joined: 16 Aug 2007 Posts: 91

AT&T may slap a 5GB monthly cap on their wireless data service here soon.
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Unlimited-ATT-Wireless-Data-Plans-About-To-Be-Capped-90892
http://www.howardforums.com/showthread.php?t=1308273

An anonymous AT&T insider yesterday hinted to us that the company's wireless division would soon be implementing a 5GB monthly usage cap on some unlimited data plans. We contacted AT&T for official comment and were told that there's no changes in store that they're aware of, but they'd nudge us if anything official came along. Today we're seeing some discussion over at Howard's forums that would seemingly confirm there's some changes coming:

I just heard that the pda plans will no longer be unlimited but will be capped at 5 gigs. Users will not be billed overages but people with constant overages will be contacted to try to reassess the users needs. The new plans are nationwide so I'm not going to disclose my market but they are getting rid of the media bundles and M2M messaging. Text and data is now separate. PDA plans will be lowered to 30 bucks to match blackberry personal and media net unlimited is lowered to $15 bucks.

According to the poster, the plans will be live in a few weeks. Assuming these looming changes are true, AT&T may want to start removing the word unlimited from their advertising material. Verizon, who similarly advertised an unlimited service that actually had a 5GB monthly data cap, was busted last October by the NY Attorney General for false advertising. When we hear more on these rate changes we'll let you know.

My post on BBR below, which pretty much sums it up.

When AT&T Does Give That Nudge...
they are going to get a punch in the mouth for it.

They need to rethink their strategy on this real quick if they are going to retain any of their wireless broadband clientèle.
I'd hate to see my Sprint EVDO service get overloaded with custies defecting from the Evil Empire, but I do say, WELCOME!

Of course, this kind of change may invalidate a large number of contracts, so if I were Joe Consumerist on their service, I'd be digging for that clause.