AT&T Wireless Broadband Plans (2010)
AT&T wireless broadband plans haven't changed much since our last review. The main difference has been a drastic reduction in overage charges and the addition of prepaid mobile broadband plans. While it's still kinda up there, before you might as well have mortgaged your house.
Like before, you've got 3 types of AT&T mobile broadband plans:
1. Blackberry Devices
2. PDA & Smartphones
3. Laptop Cards (AirCards & Broadband Cards)
Here we focus on 3rd kind that AT&T likes to call "DataConnect Plans". Intended for use with laptops either through mobile broadband netbooks or AT&T AirCards, you end up with a choice of two DataConnect Plans:
I cover AT&T Prepaid Mobile Broadband Plans over here.
Data |
Monthly Cost |
Wi-Fi Included? |
Domestic Overage Charges |
Canadian Data Charges |
International Data Charges |
Cancellation Fee |
DataConnect 200 MB |
$35 |
Yes |
$102.40 per GB |
$15.36 per MB |
$19.97 per MB |
$175 |
DataConnect 5 GB |
$60 |
Yes |
$51.20 per GB |
$15.36 per MB |
$19.97 per MB |
$175 |
Since history tells us again & again & again that users of mobile broadband plans tend to go over their 5 GB cap in Gigabytes and not the Megabytes AT&T likes to quote, I went ahead and converted the overage fees to Gigabytes to get a more accurate picture of how deep your pocket needs to be if you don't keep track of your data cap.
While I would've convered the Canadian and Int'l charges as well, it's just atrocious (aka $15728.60 per Gigabyte for just Canadian Data. Before you spit your coffee on your monitor, check out AT&T's International Wireless Broadband plans. It may still taste like medicine but at least it's not poison.
Not sure about this whole Gigabyte (GB), Megabyte (MB), Overage conundrum business? Check out "How Much Is 5 GB & Is It Enough?".
It's part of the Mobile Broadband Buyer's Guide designed to explain everything you need to know before during and after buying mobile broadband.
Now you'll probably notice a couple things off the bat here. The first of which is the rip-off plan aka DataConnect 200 MB.
Not only will most people need more than 200 MB, the overage per GB could pay for almost 2 months of the 5 GB plan. Like the cheapest cell phone plan AT&T offers, they know it's too low of the majority of users and so most will say "man, I might as well get the 5 GB so I don't get charged those fees just in case".
Don't feel bad. I'd be one of those people too.
The DataConnect 5 GB plan is on par with the industry standard. Verizon, AT&T & Sprint all provide mobile broadband plans that clock in at $60. The only exception is the budget carrier of choice T-Mobile, whose 5 GB plan runs $50. Then again, with limited mobile broadband coverage, it'd be a bit audacious to charge the same as the 3 biggest players.
AT&T's Official Word on Cancellation
"An Early Termination Fee of $175 may be assessed against you in the event that you terminate your Wireless Service Agreement and/or selected plan before the expiration of its term. For Service activated on or after May 25, 2008, the Early Termination Fee will be reduced by $5.00 for each full month toward your minimum term that you complete".
AT&T Terms of Service - February 6, 2010
In other words, $175 for everybody new, and a reduction plan for older contracts. If you renewed your contract, you may need to give them a call to figure out if your old terms and condtions were 'grandfathered' in. Chances are, unless you were explicitly told so, they weren't.
There is a cloud with a silver lining here.
"You may cancel your service, for any reason and without incurring the Early Termination Fee, within thirty (30) days of signing your Wireless Service Agreement, PROVIDED, however, that if you cancel service you will remain responsible for any service fees and charges incurred. If you cancel within three (3) days of signing your Wireless Service Agreement, you will be entitled to a refund of your activation fee, if any".
In short form, you've got 30 days to get AT&T Wireless Broadband plans, take em for a spin and see if you like them. If you're really strapped for cash or just don't want to pay anything, do it in the first 3 days.
To AT&T's credit, free Wi-Fi is available for all mobile broadband plan subscribers at no extra charge. It's a great benefit as partnered Wi-Fi locations (over 17,000 spots including every Barnes & Noble bookstore) tend to be faster than the "nation's fastest 3G network". It also helps them out by reducing the extra load caused by smartphones (particularly the iPhone) and now the iPad. Speaking of which...
AT&T Wireless Broadband Plans Suck In Comparison to AT&T / Apple iPad Plans
Steve Jobs, master of all half-eaten apple tech items, dropped a bomb with the announcement of the iPad, Apple's tablet.
What no one's talking about is the knife that got simultaneously stabbed into the back of all existing and soon to be AT&T Mobile Broadband subscribers.
What's the deal you say?
It's simple.
iPad users get the same mobile broadband as regular AT&T mobile broadband plans' subscribers for half the price, with no contract, & unlimited data usage. Ouch...
Apple iPad Plans vs. AT&T Mobile Broadband Plans
So Basically AT&T Wireless Broadband Plans are a Bad Idea?
Not necessarily.
While the painted picture above sounds like bubble, bubble, toil and trouble, AT&T mobile broadband actually has happy subscribers. Sure, they don't have the nearly as large a 3G network as Sprint or Verizon, they still hold the crown as having the 3rd largest 3G footprint (aka coverage area).
In addition to that, they still hold the crown of having the fastest mobile broadband network. Again, it's not as reliable as Sprint or Verizon.
For that reason and others, there's plenty reason for you to check out the potential coup d'état of the "nation's fastest 3G network" title.
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