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

Trendingnow

1

MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year

2

Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster

3

Elon Musk on MacKenzie Scott giving away $26 billion of her fortune: 'Sadly,' it makes the world a worse place

1

MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year

2

Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster

3

Elon Musk on MacKenzie Scott giving away $26 billion of her fortune: 'Sadly,' it makes the world a worse place
Tech

Why AT&T Added a Big Video Discount to Its Unlimited Plan

By
Aaron Pressman
Aaron Pressman
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Aaron Pressman
Aaron Pressman
Down Arrow Button Icon
February 27, 2017, 10:37 AM ET
Earns AT&T
In this Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2012, photo, an AT&T logo is displayed on an AT&T Wireless retail store front, in Philadelphia. The flow of customers into AT&T's wireless stores slowed further in the latest quarter, putting the company far behind rival Verizon Wireless. AT&T Inc. on Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2012, said it added a net 151,000 new customers on contract-based plans from July through September, the lowest number for that period since at least 2003. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)Photograph by Matt Rourke — AP
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

AT&T put its multifaceted video entertainment strategy to work on Monday to aid its wireless business. While rivals have started to offer unlimited data plans at rock bottom prices—a recent Sprint promotion charges just $90 for four lines—AT&T’s counter punch was about putting wireless and video offers together.

Glenn Lurie, president of AT&T’s Mobility and Consumer Operations, explained to Fortune that the response is aimed to play to AT&T’s strengths—strengths he says competitors can’t match.

AT&T had the most expensive unlimited offer, starting at $100 for a single line. So on Monday, the company cut the price modestly to $90. But it also added a $25 month discount for unlimited customers, who also subscribe to one of its three pay-TV offerings: the DirecTV satellite service, the U-Verse cable service, or the DirecTV Now online streaming service.

Competitors don’t have anywhere close to AT&T’s more that 25 million wired and satellite video subscribers and don’t have their own Internet video cable-like video streaming service either.

“We’re about integration,” Lurie says in an interview, sitting in a conference room above AT&T’s sprawling booth at the Mobile World Congress, the telecom industry’s big annual trade show in Barcelona.

Calling the $25 price cut for dual subscribers “a “very healthy discount,” he points out that a customer can now get both AT&T’s unlimited phone plan and the basic level of the DirecTV Now online video service for a total of just $100 a month. Before the price cut and promotion, that combo would have cost $135 a month.

“You’re getting a whole bunch of goodies,” he says. “We’re the only ones who can do that. That’s what’s fantastic about the offer and it’s obviously incredibly competitive with the rest of the industry.”

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

Bundling is an age-old strategy to convince customers not to defect to competitors but it hasn’t always worked in the telecom business, where typical bundle discounts are only $5 or $10. But AT&T’s data shows that a wireless customer who also takes a video service is “exponentially” less likely to defect and adding third service, such as home Internet magnifies the impact to the same degree again, Lurie says.

For most of the past year, AT&T only offered its unlimited data plan to customers of its DirecTV and U-verse video services, but without a discount. Verizon’s (VZ) decision two weeks ago to finally offer an unlimited plan—after Sprint and T-Mobile had successfully pitched their low-cost unlimited plans for months—forced AT&T’s hand. The Dallas-based carrier last week lifted the video requirement and allowed any wireless customer to opt for unlimited data.

But the open unlimited plan didn’t play to AT&T’s bundling strengths, so the company tweaked the offering, Lurie says. “We’re going to continue to stay focused on delivering that full integrated value,” he says.

That also means AT&T (T) still won’t get fully involved in the price war that Sprint and T-Mobile have led in 2017. “We’re not going to chase every knee jerk offer—we don’t have to,” Lurie says. “There are competitors in the market place that that’s their only option. Their only option is to go compete on price and mobility. That’s all they have.”

Absent the occasional temporary promotion, Sprint’s (S) unlimited plan starts at $60 per line and goes up to $150 for four lines. The carrier started a limited promotion recently, offering five 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 (TMUS) also stopped adding surcharges and taxes as additional fees, effectively cutting its unlimited price by another 10% or more. And then on Monday, T-Mobile said customers could get three unlimited lines for $100, up from two lines under its previous deals.

Away from the pricing wars, Lurie is looking forward to robust smartphone sales later this year, as both Apple (AAPL) and Samsung are rumored to have appealing new models in the works. Samsung on Sunday said it would unveil its Galaxy S8 smartphone on March 29. Apple’s 10th anniversary iPhone, with a rumored edge-to-edge display and wireless charging feature, is expected later in the fall.

“I think there’s a lot of really cool innovation coming in the hardware,” he says. “You have the rumor mill around what Samsung’s doing, you have an anniversary around what Apple’s doing. Other people have rumors around what they’re going to do. I actually think its pretty darn exciting.”

About the Author
By Aaron Pressman
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • 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
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

Nikesh Arora, chief executive officer at Palo Alto Networks
SuccessJobs
CEO of $248 billion cybersecurity company says workers are about to face a ‘Darwinian moment’ thanks to AI: Evolve or get cut
By Emma BurleighJuly 1, 2026
2 hours ago
Current price of Ethereum for July 1, 2026
Personal FinanceEthereum
Current price of Ethereum for July 1, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJuly 1, 2026
4 hours ago
In this photo illustration, a Cisco logo is displayed on a smartphone with Artificial Intellingence (AI) symbols in the background.
AICFO Daily
Cisco is rolling out AI agents to every single one of its 90,000 employees
By Sheryl EstradaJuly 1, 2026
4 hours ago
senate
CommentaryCongress
One rare bipartisan AI bill is moving through Congress. Here’s why it deserves to pass
By Neil Björkman and Betsy BrewerJuly 1, 2026
6 hours ago
I know how Gen Z can survive the ‘jobpocalypse’ because I built an AI company — in 2015
CommentaryCareers
I know how Gen Z can survive the ‘jobpocalypse’ because I built an AI company — in 2015
By Jeremy FainJuly 1, 2026
6 hours ago
OCBC rolls out its ‘avatar banking’ platform with ‘Wendy’ and ‘Wayne,’ two virtual financial advisors, as banks integrate AI into wealth management
AsiaSingapore
OCBC rolls out its ‘avatar banking’ platform with ‘Wendy’ and ‘Wayne,’ two virtual financial advisors, as banks integrate AI into wealth management
By Angelica AngJuly 1, 2026
6 hours ago

Most Popular

MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year
Success
MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year
By Sydney LakeJune 25, 2026
6 days ago
Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster
Success
Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster
By Preston ForeJune 27, 2026
4 days ago
Elon Musk on MacKenzie Scott giving away $26 billion of her fortune: 'Sadly,' it makes the world a worse place
Success
Elon Musk on MacKenzie Scott giving away $26 billion of her fortune: 'Sadly,' it makes the world a worse place
By Sydney LakeJune 29, 2026
2 days ago
As Big Tech showers employees with perks to win the talent war, Nvidia built a nearly $5 trillion company by making people pay for their own lunch
Big Tech
As Big Tech showers employees with perks to win the talent war, Nvidia built a nearly $5 trillion company by making people pay for their own lunch
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJuly 1, 2026
10 hours ago
The U.S. Army is opening military bases to private billions — here's why that changes everything for the next 250 years
Commentary
The U.S. Army is opening military bases to private billions — here's why that changes everything for the next 250 years
By Marc AndersenJune 30, 2026
1 day ago
The Supreme Court's birthright citizenship ruling hands the U.S. economy a $7.7 trillion win
Newsletters
The Supreme Court's birthright citizenship ruling hands the U.S. economy a $7.7 trillion win
By Diane BradyJuly 1, 2026
8 hours ago

© 2026 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.