AT&T and Sprint capped data plans could hurt the new Sprint 4G Phone, too.
As we all know I have been having issues with AT&T and the 3G data card I purchased. It works well at home but when I go to New York, Chicago, Las Vegas, Denver, Atlanta or other cities I cannot get on the Internet. If I happen to get on it will only work for a short time.
Also see: AT&T introduces new data plans ahead of iPhone 4G launchDid iPhone apps, movies, music or web surfing kill AT&T’s unlimited usage plan?
AT&T hasn’t been able to fix it (but I have been accused of trying to get out of my contract). My experience with tech support is that everyone passes the buck. Sometimes they promise a specialist will call me back, but that has yet to have happened. and I have been disconnected so many times I stopped calling. My contract is up this month and I am done with AT&T.
But it seems they have more of of PR problem now than just me and my blog and that is the new data plans. If I was the CEO of AT&T I would fire every marketing person who came up with the new data plans for customers. They stopped the unlimited plans and I find the excuse bogus. People don’t use that much data? This will be better for customers and save money?
I suspect that AT&T was really trying to stop the flow of data from Netflix, Skype and be preemptive about it for the iPhone 4G. Netflix and Skype for the iPhone and iPad use al lot of data for streaming media and calls. Seems to me, AT&T wanted to put a cork in that flow and figure out how to make more money from everyone hooked on the iPhone and iPad.
But given the new AT&T data plans, who will buy a new iPad now?
AT&T is thinking that businesses will deal with the new data plans and pay for them, but 9 out of 10 of the CIO’s I talked to said they are looking to pull all 3G Cards, hotspots and modems. Instead, they will use the BlackBerry for e-mail and they won’t pay for Web surfing. They will tell their people to find an Ethernet connection or WiFi if they want to use the web.
Updated: please see my posting to this blog.
To be fair, AT&T isn’t alone in its thinking with these new plans for data. It’s the same with Sprint and its new HTC EVO 4G phones. There is a feature in the phone to use it as a wireless hotspot; at first I was just about to buy one then got the bad news. It is only unlimited if you are on the Sprint network, so buyer beware.
So with all of these capped data plans, there is an opportunity for a wireless provider to step up and win from the Sprint and AT&T a lot of business. Will T-Mobile or Verizon step up? They have capped plans as well. I would love to see Verizon offer an unlimited plan for a reasonable low cost (how about $40/month) and start grabbing customers.
Here is a site that has a comparison on all carrier plans.
