[mrfreetruth]

found this post on yahoo message board. Can anyone confirm this plan? This could really benefit RIM as blackberry users.


AT&T announced some new data plans today that are going to make a LOT of existing AT&T BlackBerry users very happy and likely also help to make BlackBerry the device brand of choice for new first-time smartphone owners. Be sure to check out the press release below for full details. AT&T customers currently on the the $30/mo fair-use unlimited plan (5GB) can choose to stay on it, but that plan is now being replaced by the new Data Plus and Data Pro plans:

- DataPlus. Provides 200 megabytes (MB) of data - enough to send/receive 1,000 emails (no attachments), send/receive 150 emails with attachments, view 400 Web pages, post 50 photos on social media sites and 20 minutes of streaming video - for just $15 per month. This plan, which can save customers up to 20 percent off their wireless voice and data charges, is designed for people who primarily like to surf the web, send email and use social networking apps. If customers exceed 200 MB in a monthly billing cycle, they will receive an additional 200 MB of data usage for $15 for use in the month. Currently, 65 percent of AT&T smartphone customers use less than 200 MB of data per month on average.
- DataPro. Provides 2 gigabytes (GB) of data - enough to send/receive 10,000 emails (no attachments), send/receive 1,500 emails with attachments, view 4,000 Web pages, post 500 photos to social media sites and watch 200 minutes of streaming video - for $25 per month. Should a customer exceed 2 GB during a billing cycle, they will receive an additional 1 GB of data for $10 for use in the month. Currently, 98 percent of AT&T smartphone customers use less than 2 GB of data a month on average.

If you've been tuning into the CrackBerry Podcasts for the past five months (including our WES 2010 podcast with BGR/Phonescoop), we've been making our prediction for a long time now on RIM's biggest opportunity to continue selling smartphones and signing up new customers by the gabillions, and that opportunity is the return of tiered pricing to data plans. It was inevitable that a carrier would at some point have to offer this type of plan. It's been unfair for a while now. AT&T Wireless indicated that 65% of its users consume less than 200MB per month -- the BlackBerry users out there! -- yet historically they have been paying the same data rate as the bandwith hogs (iPhone users).

Effectively, BlackBerry users have been subsidizing iPhone users bandwidth demands over the past few years. Now finally, with a dataplan like this, RIM can start to really boast and market the benefits of BlackBerry efficiency. Previously, the "looming data crunch" argument seemed a bit like an excuse for RIM to cover up some of the areas where it was lagging behind the competition. But with RIM fixing up it's gaps, for example with the new WebKit browser which will be fast AND use 3x less data than the competition for rendering the same page as we were told by AT&T Mobility's President and CEO back at CTIA 2010, RIM will be able to deliver customers with a great all around smartphone user experience that costs less to use on a monthly basis as compared to some of the more data heavy devices. The "average" BlackBerry user (which may not be you if you're reading CrackBerry on a daily basis!) should be able to get away with AT&T's $15/mo. plan.

[GTiLeo]

ive rarly gone over my 500mb a month plan in the 5years ive owned a BB and i browse constantly

[jagrlover]

When you get a BB10 that can do a lot more you'll need the data. I'd stay on the $30 unlimited. There's a reason they want you off.

[ibpluto]

Depending on how its promoted, this could be huge

[TheStoof]

Still too expensive. T-Mobile value plan + $600 phone over 20 months.

[ADGrant]

These plans have been around for years now and they haven't helped RIM's market share. I have been to AT&T stores that have no Blackberries in stock.

BB10 is likely to have data requirements similar to an iPhone anyway.

[GTiLeo]

These plans have been around for years now and they haven't helped RIM's market share. I have been to AT&T stores that have no Blackberries in stock.

BB10 is likely to have data requirements similar to an iPhone anyway.

not if they use BES/BIS

[joeldf]

not if they use BES/BIS

Maybe not the current phones, but once LTE is available, you can bet that a lot more mobile data will be gobbled up.

These plans were AT&T's original tiered plans and not new at all. They have since bumped them up to 300mb and 5GB. But they bumped the price up to.

On my Torch with just 3G, I regularly hover between 200 and 300 mb - and that's just basic browsing, emails and BB news all only during the day as evenings are at home with wifi. I will definitely be keeping my grandfathered unlimited plan as it's just a tad more than the 300mb plan and I won't risk paying a lot more if I go over. But it's less than the 5GB plan which I can go up to now if I want. I can imagine using much more than I do now if I had an LTE phone.

[Plazmic Flame]

I don't think the new lineup of BB10 devices are going to be "data-light" on usage. Maybe when they release budget versions.

[TheQ805]

yeah like someone mentioned above, those plans are old and no longer exist.
Currently, 300MB for $20.....3GB for $30.........and 5GB for $50 (includes hotspot/tethering).
I'm betting the smaller one will disappear soon. They also have the mobile share plans as well.

[JR A]

BB10 users will consume more data than legacy OS users.

[ADGrant]

not if they use BES/BIS

They won't.

[LoganSix]

I don't think the new lineup of BB10 devices are going to be "data-light" on usage. Maybe when they release budget versions.

Can you explain that?
BlackBerry uses methods to reduce their data, regardless of the phone. Why would an expensive phone use more data than a cheaper phone.

[TheStoof]

First off, AT&T is never out to save YOU money.

Also, T-Mobile value plans can get you 500 minutes + 2GB for $50 or 500 minutes + unlimited for $60. For $65, you get tethering and 5GB.