AT&T Launches Unlimited Mobile Calling Minutes

[Marcus Yam]

Pay for unlimited gab across all cell phones.

AT&T Launches Unlimited Mobile Calling Minutes : Read more

 

[cknobman]

This is new?

Wow its been that way for several years on Sprint.

 

[jprahman]

This is just an attempt to reduce the damage from the iPhone moving to Verizon.

 

[stromm]

Why is AT&T and Verizon just now offering services/options Sprint has had for more than FIVE years? Even worse, why are they hamstringing them with excessive charges and requirements?

 

[amdwilliam1985]

I would be more happy if they have family data plans.

 

[jkflipflop98]

They sure are trying like hell to avoid turning into a "dumb pipe", aren't they? They'll do anything but just give you unlimited everything for one fixed price a month.

 

[javiermontes4009]

They have had this unlimited plan in Puerto Rico for a long time

 

[nottheking]

What happened to the "good old days" of the pre-iPhone era? I mean, even the older option where it was STANDARD for effectively all carriers to offer unlimited voice+text+roaming to/from anywhere in the USA for $100 a month?

Well, given the above story on $100/month, and those of us that know that it USED to be $40-70/month back just a few years before THEN, that it's pretty clear: we more or less still have cartel behavior in the wireless business. It's an outright scam: network load costs aren't all that great for most users, yet they still get fleeced. Potentially, it might be understandable for data plans, as the existing networks were (initially) unprepared for the flood of freshly-minted smartphone (read: iPhone/Android) users that initiated in 2007.

However, those of us who don't need data (and only voice and text) have seen prices skyrocket, in spite of the cheap cost of servicing such users. The fact that any companies charge for text at ALL is a scam: any and all text messages are crammed into the network's overhead "heartbeat" packets that would be sent and received at the same rate regardless of whether the user is texting or not. (this is why a text message can take a couple seconds to send)

It disgusts me how much of a set of dinosaurs today's carriers are, and how much they fight to try and maintain their lavish profits for what is becoming progressively less-impressive service.

 

[jeagr]

Time for AT&T to feel the pain...Up next, Apple!

 

[Bigmac80]

I still have my old Verizon Contract when they promoted free nights and weekends starting at 5pm.

 

[mdillenbeck]

Guess AT&T has learned from Apple - create a system that doesn't invent anything new, have it for the first time on the system and then get the media to market it as "NEW FEATURE ON _____". Then the consumer will think just because it is new to the company is must be new to everything due to the way the media reports the title.

 

[jeagr]

I disagree. AT&T had the largest network in the beginning, and Jobs is a greedy bastard. That is why AT&T got the deal. Now, the deal is almost done, and people are going to show AT&T what it feels like to get screwed. Doesn't matter what you call it: Pacific Bell, SBC Global, Cingluar, AT&T, etc...the company is the same and hasn't changed its ways in 20 years. People won't forget how they were treated, regardless of what ATT tries to pull. We, in general, are smarter than that.

Now lets just hope Verizon doesn't get a big ego...my contract is almost up.

 

[Bigmac80]

Verizon has always been the best ever since GTE until they changed the name to Verizon. They have the best coverage. There are time when my brother can't even use his AT&T phone at certain areas while my verizon phone not having problems with coverage . Can you hear me now?

 

[redzoneos]

I love the Iphone. Thanks to the Iphone, other companies have been forced to up the anti and create innovative products in order to compete in the smart phone market.
Now, the Iphone is single-handedly forcing competition within the two largest (and most overpriced) cell phone service providers.

Yes Sprint has had the service any mobile anytime for quite some time, but the cell phone giants have not. Which means if they're forced to drop their prices in order to compete with each other, Sprint will be forced to do the same, with OR without the Iphone.

I've been with Sprint for about ten years, mainly because of pricing. What incentive will I have stick around if verizon/ATT come out with similar plans, drop their prices to get closer to sprint, and offer a much larger selection of phones (including the iphone)???

I say this is a win for all consumers!

 

[jeagr]

Agreed, RedZone.

 

[sykozis]

[citation][nom]stromm[/nom]Why is AT&T and Verizon just now offering services/options Sprint has had for more than FIVE years? Even worse, why are they hamstringing them with excessive charges and requirements?[/citation]

Because their concern is purely financial....they don't really care about the customer, just their money.

[citation][nom]soldier37[/nom]No one cares about Sprint except for the 5 people that have it including you..[/citation]

AT&T has had how many cellular services fail since the industry first came into existance?

Lets see....
360 Communications (started by Lucent Technologies as a division of AT&T/Bell Labs) was sold off because it was unprofittable under AT&T's control.
SunCom Wireless....sold off because, again, unprofittable under AT&T's control

How many times has Sprint failed? WoW....only once. They originally offered Landline Long Distance service....which was shutdown due to line leasing issues.

 

[thrasher32]

LMAO if you have to pay an extra $20 (for messaging) to get unlimited mobile-to-mobile, it's not really free, is it?

FAIL

 

[thlillyr]

American network companys suck. Why is the worlds richest company and biggest producer of silicon still stuck in 1995. Other countrys hav 100-1000mb internet to consumers for outrages cheap. I can only get qwest 1.5 dsl for 60$ a month? Now thats greed.

Atat by restricting access to the internet with your highly limited data caps you are restricting acces to free speach and vialating net netrality and being an overall jackoff. Make money by providing the best service for the best price. Not by locking us in a cage and then raping us bdsm style. Make people want to come to you like you did with the first iphone and unlimited data with fast connection speeds. And the MAKE WANT TO STICK AROUND. Don't treat us like warsaw prisoners. Were in the middle of an even worsening economy (thanks obama preciate it. BTW France called. They want the statue of liberty back they figured you weren't gonna use it anymore.)

Cell phone companys should be trying to offer the best value for the price not the best price to line your pockets with. Verizon at least in part understands that. Hence the 4g service and maintaining unlimited data and their ever expanding coverage. Verizon offer all phones with unlimited 4gdata/calling/text/roming/email/tethering/ringtones/videochat/espn/ for 49$ and you will quicly monopolize the market. You don't even have to subsidize the phones anymore. People will pay full price for droids/blackberrys/iphones and tablets to get that kind of service.

In a nut shell give up the nickle and dim aproch everybody hates it. Thats why we love android so many features so much free stuff!!!!!

 

[SlickyFats]

[citation][nom]thlillyr[/nom]American network companys suck. Why is the worlds richest company and biggest producer of silicon still stuck in 1995. Other countrys hav 100-1000mb internet to consumers for outrages cheap. I can only get qwest 1.5 dsl for 60$ a month? Now thats greed.Atat by restricting access to the internet with your highly limited data caps you are restricting acces to free speach and vialating net netrality and being an overall jackoff. Make money by providing the best service for the best price. Not by locking us in a cage and then raping us bdsm style. Make people want to come to you like you did with the first iphone and unlimited data with fast connection speeds. And the MAKE WANT TO STICK AROUND. Don't treat us like warsaw prisoners. Were in the middle of an even worsening economy (thanks obama preciate it. BTW France called. They want the statue of liberty back they figured you weren't gonna use it anymore.)Cell phone companys should be trying to offer the best value for the price not the best price to line your pockets with. Verizon at least in part understands that. Hence the 4g service and maintaining unlimited data and their ever expanding coverage. Verizon offer all phones with unlimited 4gdata/calling/text/roming/email/tethering/ringtones/videochat/espn/ for 49$ and you will quicly monopolize the market. You don't even have to subsidize the phones anymore. People will pay full price for droids/blackberrys/iphones and tablets to get that kind of service.In a nut shell give up the nickle and dim aproch everybody hates it. Thats why we love android so many features so much free stuff!!!!![/citation]
You comment made my brain bleed a little. For a rant to be taken seriously, spell check goes a long way.

BTW to use this feature you also have to call and activate it even if you already qualify.

 

[enforcer22]

[citation][nom]stromm[/nom]Why is AT&T and Verizon just now offering services/options Sprint has had for more than FIVE years? Even worse, why are they hamstringing them with excessive charges and requirements?[/citation]

I have have verizon this isnt new to me i have had this for years. Also i checked my plan i have now on the sprint site and it was more expensive for me to use sprint so i don't see how verizon is the only one over charging. Only requirement i have had is a 2 year contract.

and nottheking i have no freaking idea what your talking about. Cell plans use to be out freaking rageously expensive and you got like 50 minutes then we went to pcs and nothing really changed a whole lot other then we started to slowly get more minutes. Then that garbage cricket came out which even though they suck im glad for cuz now all the major carriers are now offering unlimited minutes.. Well i guess except for ATT anyways... o and roll over minutes... well since i have 10 numbers i can call anytime and most people otherwise i know use verizon.. i use like 20 of my alloted 1400 minutes a month anyways.. guess its time to bring it back down to the lowest minutes plan. and i think verizon is offering a 125meg a month plan for data for $15 a month i might get that to so i can save a little more. since according to my bill i rarely use a meg a month which is odd since i do tend to surf on the damned thing.