AT&T on Wednesday carried out sweeping changes to its data plan pricing structure in a move that could force rivals to follow.
AT&T's move (statement) comes as analysts come around to the realization that the U.S. wireless subscriber market is saturated. The game is to keep the subscribers you have happy and that means better pricing and long-awaited perks like tethering.
Among the major changes from AT&T:
As noted by Engadget most customers will make out on the new pricing model, which will be effective June 7. Some folks are mourning the passing of unlimited data plans, but frankly they were a bit academic. It's hard to surpass the targets the wireless carriers are setting and even if you do pass the caps, the charges are predictable.
Bottom line: Consumers aren't going to sweat unlimited plans if they can save a few bucks every month.
There's also a simplicity message here. AT&T's pricing is easier to follow now relative to what was there before even though service caps have a lower tier. Consider the new AT&T pricing compared to this mess:
It should be interesting to see what rivals come back with.
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