AT&T offers expensive prepaid data plan

One of the saddest moments I can remember in the history of this site is when AT&T announced that it would no longer support its prepaid data plans, which included the $20 unlimited prepaid data plan. I knew plenty of people who used their unlocked GSM smartphones with this plan, but, as with any good deal from AT&T, it was not meant to last. The company first eliminated the plans, and then came back with a set of new, lower-limit plans. Now we learn, via PhoneNews.com, that AT&T will offer prepaid laptop data plans. It should come as no surprise that they’re quite expensive.

The modem itself, an LG model, will cost $130. From there come steep, steep rates. Want service for a day? That’ll be $20. And make sure you don’t break 75MB. A week of service costs $30 and provides 250MB of data, and the all-month plan is $50 and has a 500MB limit. There are just so many better plans out there that I can’t see this being worth it for anyone other than the desperate. And even then, the desperate might balk at the $130 device cost.

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4 Responses

1. mike freeman Says
   

   This nothing new. Att announced this months ago back in November of 09 to match Verizon’s new prepaid data rates. Verizon doubled their biggest pack to one gig for the same fifty bucks but quite frankly, with Millenicom, Virgin mobile and Fry’s generic unbranded Verizon mvno for “unlimited” (five gigs) for fifty a month, who really cares for Att’s inferior prepaid coverage and overpriced data? It’s a joke even in postpaid. Prepaid doesn’t even give you roaming…

   
   Posted on June 16th, 2010 at 4:03 am
2. Android_User Says
   

   I can’t believe why anyone still signs up with AT&T.

   
   Posted on June 16th, 2010 at 2:28 pm
3. Christopher Price Says
   

   Mike, while these rates were announced, AT&T did not actively promote the plans or attempt to sell them at retail.

   Now they are, that’s why it’s newsworthy. Even if lame.

   
   Posted on June 19th, 2010 at 1:21 am
4. MCohen Says
   

   I’d rather user my ipod touch and tracfone. That’s MY data paln!!

   
   Posted on June 19th, 2010 at 6:52 pm

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