• Home
  • News
  • Fortune 500
  • Tech
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
Tech

AT&T Cuts Prices and Adds New Features to Its Unlimited Data Plans

By
Aaron Pressman
Aaron Pressman
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Aaron Pressman
Aaron Pressman
Down Arrow Button Icon
February 27, 2017, 1:50 AM ET

The competitive pressure in the wireless market just keeps growing. On Monday, AT&T announced a lower price and a series of promotions and improvements for its unlimited mobile data plan, which was just made available to all customers last week.

To start, the unlimited plan will now cost $90 for the first line, a $10 price cut. The move comes as Verizon finally introduced its own unlimited plan under pressure from smaller carriers Sprint and T-Mobile, which started emphasizing cheaper unlimited plans last summer. Wireless customers have long hated the monthly data allowances, which forced them to guess in advance how much data they’d use and face hefty fees if they went over.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

AT&T had actually started offering an unlimited data plan over a year ago, before Sprint and T-Mobile, but the offer was limited to customers of the company’s DirecTV satellite service and U-Verse cable TV service. After signing up 8 million customers for that offer, AT&T last week opened the plan up to any wireless customer, dropping the video subscription requirement.

In addition to the $10 price cut, AT&T also obviously wanted to find a new way to capitalize on the synergies of owning both wireless and pay TV services. Under Monday’s new offers, anyone who subscribes to AT&T’s unlimited mobile plan will get a $25 credit toward a subscription to DirecTV satellite service, U-Verse cable, or the company’s new Internet-based DirecTV Now streaming video plan.

Even with the price cut, however, AT&T’s plan remains the most expensive among the major carriers, going from $90 for one line to $185 for four lines.

Verizon’s new plan starts at $80 for one line and goes up to $180 for four lines. Absent the occasional temporary promotion, Sprint’s unlimited plan starts at $60 per line and goes up to $150 for four lines. The carrier started a limited promotion recently, offering 5 lines for only $90 per month for the first 12 months. T-Mobile’s unlimited plan starts at $70 and goes up to $160 for four lines. Last month, T-Mobile also stopped adding surcharges and taxes as additional fees, effectively cutting its unlimited price by another 10% or more.

None of the new unlimited plans from AT&T or other carriers are truly unlimited. In the case of AT&T, for example, if a customer uses more than 22 GB on a line in one month, downloads can be slowed. Verizon (VZ) also threatens to “de-prioritize” after 22 GB, while Sprint (S) sets the level at 23 GB and T-Mobile (TMUS) at 28 GB. Still, those slowdowns are much preferable to overage fees.

AT&T (T) also on Monday decided to match a feature all its competitors offer, allowing unlimited plan users to share the Internet connection from their phone via tethering with a laptop or other device for up to 10 GB of data per month.

And the carrier introduced a second, much cheaper version of its unlimited data plan, but with speeds limited to 3 megabits per second, or less than one-tenth of the typical maximum download speeds otherwise available. Also, video streaming is reduced to DVD quality on the plan. The program, called AT&T Unlimited Choice, starts at $60 and goes up to $155 for four lines.

About the Author
By Aaron Pressman
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Big TechStreaming
Trump warns Netflix-Warner deal may pose antitrust ‘problem’
By Hadriana Lowenkron, Se Young Lee and BloombergDecember 7, 2025
7 hours ago
Big TechOpenAI
OpenAI goes from stock market savior to burden as AI risks mount
By Ryan Vlastelica and BloombergDecember 7, 2025
7 hours ago
AIData centers
HP’s chief commercial officer predicts the future will include AI-powered PCs that don’t share data in the cloud
By Nicholas GordonDecember 7, 2025
9 hours ago
Future of WorkJamie Dimon
Jamie Dimon says even though AI will eliminate some jobs ‘maybe one day we’ll be working less hard but having wonderful lives’
By Jason MaDecember 7, 2025
13 hours ago
CryptoCryptocurrency
So much of crypto is not even real—but that’s starting to change
By Pete Najarian and Joe BruzzesiDecember 7, 2025
18 hours ago
Elon Musk
Big TechSpaceX
SpaceX to offer insider shares at record-setting $800 billion valuation
By Edward Ludlow, Loren Grush, Lizette Chapman, Eric Johnson and BloombergDecember 6, 2025
1 day ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Real Estate
The 'Great Housing Reset' is coming: Income growth will outpace home-price growth in 2026, Redfin forecasts
By Nino PaoliDecember 6, 2025
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
AI
Nvidia CEO says data centers take about 3 years to construct in the U.S., while in China 'they can build a hospital in a weekend'
By Nino PaoliDecember 6, 2025
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
The most likely solution to the U.S. debt crisis is severe austerity triggered by a fiscal calamity, former White House economic adviser says
By Jason MaDecember 6, 2025
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon says Europe has a 'real problem’
By Katherine Chiglinsky and BloombergDecember 6, 2025
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Big Tech
Mark Zuckerberg rebranded Facebook for the metaverse. Four years and $70 billion in losses later, he’s moving on
By Eva RoytburgDecember 5, 2025
3 days ago
placeholder alt text
Politics
Supreme Court to reconsider a 90-year-old unanimous ruling that limits presidential power on removing heads of independent agencies
By Mark Sherman and The Associated PressDecember 7, 2025
16 hours ago
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map

© 2025 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.