If you’re an infrequent texter with a commitment to AT&T, you may want to reevaluate your usage starting this weekend -- that’s when Ma Bell kills off everything except unlimited and per-use text messaging fees in an effort to “streamline” their offerings. Is that marketing speak for “soak our customer”?
Engadget is reporting that August 21 may be a day of infamy where text messaging on AT&T is concerned. According to a leaked screenshot “confirmed by multiple sources” (and later, by AT&T themselves), there will be exactly two text messaging plans for customers beginning Sunday, and both of them are unlimited. Gone is the ability to buy X number of text messages for X number of dollars -- you either pay up for each one or indulge in an unlimited plan, which is overkill for many users.
The good news is, existing users of the soon to be defunct $10 for 1,000 text messaging plan are grandfathered in, so you can continue to enjoy those single penny SMS or MMS messages for the foreseeable future. For everyone else, the line has been drawn in the sand -- you either pay per use (20 cents for SMS, 30 cents for MMS) or go all you can eat ($20 for individual plans, $30 for family plans).
"We regularly evaluate our offers and are making some adjustments to our messaging lineup,” an AT&T spokesperson confirmed to Engadget overnight. “Starting August 21, we're streamlining our text messaging plans for new customers and will offer an unlimited plan for individuals for $20 per month and an unlimited plan for families of up to five lines for $30 per month. The vast majority of our messaging customers prefer unlimited plans and with text messaging growth stronger than ever, that number continues to climb among new customers. Existing customers don't have to change any messaging plan they have today, even when changing handsets."
It’s kind of a bummer, but looking on the bright side, those unlimited text messaging plans also come with AT&T’s unlimited mobile-to-mobile deal so you can call free of charge to any other carrier’s customers, eating up your bucket of minutes strictly for chatting with the few, the proud still wired into a landline. Or you could simply hold out a bit longer and ditch text messaging altogether when Apple launches iOS 5 and go with iMessage -- assuming all of your peeps are also rockin’ iPhones, that is.
Follow this article’s author, J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter
(Image courtesy of Engadget)
StoneE4
August 18, 2011 at 4:42pm
I opted out of all messaging when I first activated my iPhone with AT&T.
I'm interested to hear why anyone is willing to pay $10 to $20 per month (or a per message charge), when AT&T requires you to pay for a data plan and therefore you can already send, and receive, email from your iPhone?
chauncey007
August 18, 2011 at 9:28am
Yes. "Existing customers like unlimited plans." Like unlimited data?
This is not a "customer-wants" plan or decision. If the customer wants it, they'll choose it. Likely - ATT did some research, and found that more people will commit to unlimited than a pay-per-use. This is nothing more than a chance to increase revenues at the expense of incremental pricing options.
A better headline might be "ATT limits options to suck more out of your wallet".
chauncey007
August 18, 2011 at 9:30am
FYI. my dig on the headline is more about ATT. I enjoyed the article, JRB.
