AT&T: Shared Data Plans Will Begin August 23

[Anthony Bouchard]

AT&T has announced that it is bringing shared data plans to its users on August 23 of this year. The shared data plan will allow users to have up to ten devices on the same data plan so that users won’t have to pay for individual data plan for each device. The shared data plan is compatible with not just AT&T’s smartphones, but even AT&T’s tablet users can join in on the same data plan as smartphones on the shared data plan.

The shared data plans are a way for families to combine their data into one giant pool instead of individualizing data per person. This makes data easier to manage and it even gives the family more data to work with. Although convenient, the prices are nowhere near low:




AT&T will charge not only a premium for data, but they will also charge a rather hefty bonus for each device involved in the data plan. Monthly totals for data with the shared data plan from AT&T can be as bare bones cheap as $85 per month for the minimum data plan (1GB) with one device, or as expensive as $500 per month for the maximum data plan (20GB) with ten devices. There are plenty of mix and match options in between that can fit any budget.

Not everyone is going to prefer the shared data plans, since some people enjoy the ability to keep track of their own data. There is always that one family member that uses more data than everyone else and the rest of the family might feel like it’s an unfair split. Who knows, maybe families will start setting some ground rules, manually capping the amount of cellular data the family members are allowed to use themselves, without the help of AT&T. The first one to pass the cap will lose their cookie privileges.

Sources: 9to5Mac

[Micturition]

This article would be more helpful adding competing prices ie: Verizon 4GB shared for $170 and 6GB for $200 with 3 smartphones
Sprint with $190 for unlimited family with 3
T-Mobile offers 5GB for $170 with 3

[Hillefied]

It's understandable to consolidate data plans with family plans, but the only problem is that there is still a cap on the amount of data.

What boggles me is that AT&T says that their network can't handle the unlimited data use, but they now have 20GB plans for data pools which obviously could be used by 2 devices on the plan for 10 GB per device. That's a lot of bandwidth.

In all honesty, I've used much more than that, but in all fairness, the occurrence was far too infrequent to make any difference. Even though I still have my unlimited data I am throttled to unrealistically non-functioning speeds after 3GB of usage.

I think they should increase the throttling to after 5GB or 7GB. 3GB just seems a bit low for average media usage (people who mainly use their device for entertainment).

[The6uest]

AT&T can't even keep correct track of my personal data so why would I want to share data with multiple devices? They say my usage is always higher than it really is according to two data-tracking apps I have.

I think they should increase the throttling to after 5GB or 7GB. 3GB just seems a bit low for average media usage (people who mainly use their device for entertainment).

Yeah, they throttle me at 3GB too which is BS..

[patoons]

In all honesty, I've used much more than that, but in all fairness, the occurrence was far too infrequent to make any difference. Even though I still have my unlimited data I am throttled to unrealistically non-functioning speeds after 3GB of usage.

I think they should increase the throttling to after 5GB or 7GB. 3GB just seems a bit low for average media usage (people who mainly use their device for entertainment).

agree. next time u get throttled call them. AT&T employees are so uninformed its sad. I called to dispute throttling because their reasoning makes 0 sense. one lady told me the 4g means 4th generation. has nothing to do with data.

1- they say 3G enabled devices get throttled at 3gb which means u are in the top 5% of data users. which makes no sense, how could the top5% threshold be 3gb every month? can't make both conditions. it's like saying line up alphabetically by height. it's completely contradictory. should be one or the other.

2- 4g users get throttled at 5gb. why do they get an extra 2? because their Internet is faster? data is data. plus iPhone 4s on 5.1 will say 4g. to an average consumer they think they have 4g. u could very well make a case for this. if I wasn't jailbroken I would've gone into AT&T to show the 4g icon and made a case of false advertising.

but these 2 points are very valid IMO

[Tony1979]

I agree with Micturition in that there isn't much, if any, comparison between other networks. Granted this is why we do our own investigations and checks before committing to a purchase. However, this report could have included much more.

[bradmullins007]

It's understandable to consolidate data plans with family plans, but the only problem is that there is still a cap on the amount of data.

What boggles me is that AT&T says that their network can't handle the unlimited data use, but they now have 20GB plans for data pools which obviously could be used by 2 devices on the plan for 10 GB per device. That's a lot of bandwidth.

In all honesty, I've used much more than that, but in all fairness, the occurrence was far too infrequent to make any difference. Even though I still have my unlimited data I am throttled to unrealistically non-functioning speeds after 3GB of usage.

I think they should increase the throttling to after 5GB or 7GB. 3GB just seems a bit low for average media usage (people who mainly use their device for entertainment).

I use near 3gb while I'm at work and I rarely update or download anything. I check twitter and Facebook mostly so 3gb isn't a lot at all.

[PatrickGSR94]

No thanks, our bill is already $124 with taxes and fees don't want to go any higher. We just have the 200MB data plan on each of two phones and 200 texts/month, that's all we need. Each phone has gone over 200 MB in a month a whopping ONE time in the past 3 years.

[Darrius777]

Why does the op say "These data plans exclude pricing for text messaging and calling minutes, which is an additional bullet to the foot." looking at the pricing plan it says it includes unlimited talk and text.

[Dranon]

Yeah It says right on the data line that it includes UNLIMITED TEXT AND TALK Di you even read the thing?????

[Rasec46]

well here i pay 30 euros (37$) monthly for 15gb for my 3g ipad.
i still don't know if here vodafone has something like data share plans.

[x_IMMORTAL_x]

eh ill stick to my unlimited data plan

[thetoothfairy]

I just think this data stuff is so not right......

[cableguy619]

Currently on sprint with corp discount, 4 smart phones, paying an extra 10 dollars per phone for premium wimax(JOKE) which doesnt exist I currently pay 227.00


Priced up at 10 gigs under ATT(considering we hover about 6 gigs usage a moth) we have alot of hot spots 4 smart phones without corp discount will cost me 240.. SO I am assuming with my corp discount it will put me right back where I currently at or a few bucks more for a service that works... wish I never left ATT in the 1st place...

So overall not so bad for me


I also priced at current plant and it would be 240 either way.... Shared plan is not to bad since I am the data hog and with corp discount it will keep me at roughly the same price as Sprints crappy network..

[i.Annie]

I don't want AT&T nor Verizon. Had AT&T before, my contract w/ Verizon's almost up now, don't want either anymore...hope T-Mobile will still have some great deals if/when it gets the iPhone.

[cableguy619]

I don't want AT&T nor Verizon. Had AT&T before, my contract w/ Verizon's almost up now, don't want either anymore...hope T-Mobile will still have some great deals if/when it gets the iPhone.

There network is not bad at all I prefer them over sprint, but they also do throttle once you hit 2 gigs. But if you are not a heavy user it shouldnt be a problem

[Mrteacup]

Not trying to sound cheesy but it would be appreciated if someone did some big petition thing to AT&T because tey brag about being able to watch movies and I can watcha movie before they throttle me which is infuriating! I didn't buy this plan when it had throttling I've had this plan since the beginning!!

[DRFP]

This will not save me but cost money

we have 4 phones
1. 9.99
2. 9.99+30 3gb
3. 9.99+30 unlimited
4. 117

our bill is around 215 ( Tax and Junk fees) a month for 700 minutes shared but unlimited to any other Cell and after 7pm
we have unlimited text

We are at $55 a person with the new plan we would be at about $69 a person both including taxes

How would

35 x4 plus 110 (for 10gb data 4 people) plus other charges save us money? at 260 plus tax and junk fees and I lose unlimited? Hmm seems like At&t makes more then

we are at $55 a person now the new plan puts it at $69 a person with tax

its a no go here

[AussiePaul]

I have grandfathered unlimited data and my wife has 3Gb...... why would I want to do this?

[i.Annie]

These shared data plans are for people who don't have unlimited data plans. This would save them a lot of money actually. It's not fair to compare your unlimited data plan to these. Also, some people will lose unlimited data on Verizon because if they use the discounted pricing for a phone upgrade, they no longer qualify for unlimited data. So shared data plans are good for them, unless they want to keep unlimited data but buy a new phone without discounted pricing. So as you can see, these plans are made specifically because not everybody has unlimited data or may not be able to be grandfathered in in the future.