AT&T recently announced that it is experimenting with a new unlimited data plan for smartphone users under its network.
The new plan will also promote U-Verse and DirecTV services, both a partner of AT&T. However, despite the company's effort, some telecom analysts say that the proposed plan has a handful of flaws.
According to Fortune, the proposed plan was announced on Jan. 11. Under the new plan, new and existing AT&T wireless customers who adds U-Verse and DirecTV into their account will be eligible for unlimited data than can be used for watching online videos, playing online games and surfing the Internet through their mobile devices.
The proposed unlimited data plan, including one phone and one full year of DirecTV subscription will cost $110 per month. The rate is also bound to increase after the first year when the DirecTV promotion expires. That rate does not include taxes, additional fees and the cost of the phone itself.
In a statement acquired by Journal Sentinel, AT&T spokesperson Samara Sodos said, "Our new AT&T unlimited plan is our best value yet. With the fourth (phone) line free after a $40 monthly bill credit, a family can connect four smartphones, with unlimited video streaming, unlimited data, unlimited talk and text, for $180 a month ($220 a month until bill credits begin within two bill cycles."
AT&T is also enticing rival customers to switch into its network. As part of this promotion, AT&T is offering a $500 worth of credit for new or existing DirecTV or U-verse TV subscribers who are currently not subscribed to AT&T wireless services. These customers are entitled for a $300 bill credit and a $200 trade-in credit or promotion card.
Some telecommunications experts said that AT&T's and other network providers' unlimited plans are simply not what they really mean. With AT&T and Sprint, customers are entitled to unlimited Internet connection. However, when their monthly data usage reaches their designated data max, the companies will throttle Internet speeds and will render the service virtually unusable.
AT&T even went on to face some legal battle when the company previously has a rule that throttles the speed of customers subscribed to unlimited data plans when they reach 5GB of threshold within a month.