Wireless Wars Augment as AT&T Joins the Unlimited Data Quarrel

AT&T enters the war of unlimited data plans that broke out among diverse government cell phone service providers, including Verizon, T-Mobile and Sprint. All these cellular phone service providers are enticing customers to sign up for their plans. 

AT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications corporation, headquartered at Whitacre Tower in downtown Dallas, Texas. It is the second largest provider of cellular phone services and the largest provider of fixed telephone services in the United States.

It is a well-known government cell phone service provider, providing various alluring cell phone plans to its customers. This is not its first unlimited plan. Earlier, DirecTV or U-Verse subscribers were encouraged to sign up for unlimited data. However, the previous requirement is commendably being flapped for all customers. 

Key Warnings

The cellular phone service provider’s new unlimited plan costs $100 per month for a single line and an additional $40 per month for each extra line. Customers can ask for a maximum four lines. Those who are going to use four lines have to pay $220 for the first two months. AT&T charges such users $180, including a $40 credit that takes effect after two months. Business customers can also sign up, and enjoy the benefits of a heavy corporate discount.

The plan incorporates unlimited calls between the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Additionally, customers can send unlimited texts to over 120 countries, and can even add AT&T's Roam North America feature without paying anything extra. This will allow them to use voice, text and data while in Canada and Mexico.

However, there are certain essential cautions as well, like slowing down network speeds after consuming the first 22 GB of data. The plan also excludes hotspot data, which is included in other mobile carriers’ plans. The plan also has AT&T Stream Saver activated by default, which restricts video resolution to below HD.

AT&T is Still the Most Costly Option

It's hard to state if the new plan will win AT&T any new converts. Sprint and T-Mobile have been putting forth unlimited plans for some time, though with specific confinements. Verizon hopped into the competition a few weeks ago with its own unlimited plan, which appears to have provoked Sprint and T-Mobile to dispose of their confinements.

AT&T's plan is the most costly of the four plans for a single client. Sprint offers the least expensive plan. The subscriber pays $50 a month for a single line with unlimited data. T-Mobile comes in at $70 and Verizon is putting forth its unlimited plan at a price of $80. The other three plans deliver 10 GB of hotspot information, something that AT&T's plan is not delivering. 

See Also: Verizon All Set to Conquer Market by Bringing Back Unlimited Data Plan

The organization may have an edge with families or establishments that experience a huge amount of data and are all on a similar plan. And still, after all that, at $180 for four lines, AT&T is still twice as costly as Sprint, which provides a similar plan for $90 for four lines.

Verizon All Set to Conquer Market by Bringing Back Unlimited Data Plan

As the competition is soaring high, network providers are backing off from the monthly limited plans - the most hated practice of the industry. Why should Verizon stay behind? The network provider is all set to conquer the market by bringing back its unlimited data plan. If you are looking for a free government cell phone plan, here’s why Verizon’s new offering is a thing to rejoice over. 

In re-introducing an unlimited data plan, the carrier has joined the rest of industry in this offering. Last summer, T-Mobile and Sprint introduced unlimited data plans at cheaper prices, which helped them attract millions of new customers. On the other hand, Verizon made it clear that it had no interest in offering unlimited plans which consequently resulted in insignificant customer growth for its wireless subscriber base by the end of the year. So, in order to improve its customer base, the carrier is bringing back its unlimited data, starting February 13th 2017.

Some of the government assistance cellphone service providers predicted that Verizon would not offer an unlimited data as it has relatively less available spectrum per subscriber than the smaller carriers. When a customer is on an unlimited data plan, it is likely that they will use more data which will result in crowding of Verizon’s network.  But, a recent statement made by a company representative, Mr. Ronan Dunne, the president of Verizon Wireless says something else- "We’ve built our network so we can manage all the activity that customers undertake and handle the traffic.”

In January, Matthew Ellis, Verizon's chief financial officer, told analysts during an earnings call on Jan 24, "We constantly look at... what's out there. Unlimited is one of the things that some of our competition has at this point of time. That's not something we feel the need to do."

"But as I say, we continually monitor the market and we will see where we head in the future," he added.

What is Verizon Unlimited?

Under the Verizon’s unlimited plan, the customer will get unlimited access to data, text and talk just like the other two network operators. However, the download rates may be slowed down after 22GB per line per month- the limits are quite similar to the ones offered by Sprint and T-Mobile. Also, there are a few features and signs that don’t make it exactly unlimited. 

See Also: Get the Earnings Preview and Know What to Expect From Sprint

In a statement, the company representative said, “With Verizon Unlimited, cellular users would get unlimited data use on smartphones and tablets, in addition to video streaming, hotspot and calls to both Mexico and Canada. The plan, which will launch on Monday and Verizon called a ‘great value’ will cost $80 for unlimited data, calls and texting; or $45 per line for four separate lines carrying the same features.” Also, the operator has said that unlike Sprint and T-Mobile, it would not degrade the quality of streaming video for the unlimited plans. 

But, as a customer it’s your choice

As you know there are a number of service providers who offer free government cell phone plans and as a customer it’s your choice which one you want to go with. Same implies here, you should know how much your actual data usage is and if you are paying overage charges. According to a 2014 study, smartphone users in US over paid around $45 billion annually, mostly because they were not able to pick the right monthly plan.

Get the Earnings Preview and Know What to Expect From Sprint

Sprint, a cellular phone service provider, releases its earnings, and is currently trading around $9.43. This telecom giant hit it’s record high of $69.10 in 1999. The stock still lags behind its 1999’s stock record. But it can easily move higher by posting strong numbers. Below are the details of what the Street is expecting:

Earnings Preview:

Sprint, a cellular phone service provider, is anticipated to report the loss of ($0.08)/share on $8.32 billion in revenue. Meanwhile, the whisper number, which is the Street's unofficial view on earnings, is a projected loss of $0.10.

Company Profile & Various Businesses:

Sprint Corporation (Sprint) is a Government cell phone service provider, incorporated on October 5, 2012. The Company, along with its subsidiaries, is a communications firm delivering numerous wireless and wireline communication products and services to consumers, Government subscribers, businesses, and resellers. It works through two segments, namely Wireless and Wireline.

Sprint provides wireless and wireline services to subscribers residing in 50 states. Puerto Rico, and the United States Virgin Islands come under its corporate brand, which includes its retail brands of Sprint, Virgin Mobile, Boost Mobile, and Assurance Wireless. Their wireless service is provided using several technologies, such as third generation (3G), code division multiple access (CDMA), fourth generation (4G) services, and Long Term Evolution (LTE).

Wireless

Sprint, a Government cell phone service provider, delivers wireless services on a prepaid and postpaid payment basis to retail subscribers and also on a wholesale basis. The sale of wireless services that use the Sprint network, however, are sold under the wholesaler's brand.

In its postpaid portfolio, it bestows several Government cell phone plans to both consumer as well as business subscribers. It also provides family plans, covering multiple service lines under one account. Sprint delivers these plans with subsidy, installment billing or leasing programs.

Sprint’s prepaid portfolio covers multiple brands to allure a specific subscriber’s uses and demographics. Boost Mobile chiefly assists subscribers with plans offering unlimited text and talk with step pricing, according to their preferred data usage.

Virgin Mobile offers control and connectivity through diverse plan options. It is also labeled as a Lifeline-only Eligible Telecommunications Carrier in several states and offers service for the Lifeline program under the Company's Assurance Wireless brand.

To get the Lifeline Program, it is essential for applicants to qualify under certain eligibility requirements. Also, the existing subscribers have to recertify to those requirements yearly.

See Also: Sprint, Cellular Phone Service Provider Cuts the Price of Unlimited Data Plan

Wireline

Sprint, a cellular phone service provider, offers a suite of wireline voice and data communication services to other communications companies and targeted business subscribers.

It’s Wireline segment delivers voice, data and Internet Protocol (IP) communication assistance to its Wireless segment. It offers long distance services and operates all-digital global long distance and Tier 1 IP networks. Its services and products consist of domestic and international data communications using a myriad of protocols, including the following:
•    Multiprotocol label switching technologies (MPLS),
•    IP
•    Session Initiated Protocol (SIP)
•    Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)
•    Managed network services
•    Traditional voice services

Its IP and wireless services can be combined together.

Competitors:

Sprint, a Government cell phone service provider, competes with several firms, including AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon Communications, CenturyLink and Level 3 Communications, Inc.

Sprint, Renowned Cellular Phone Service Provider Cuts the Price of Unlimited Data Plan to $50

Both T-Mobile and Sprint have been attracting lots of customers since last summer with their cheap unlimited data plans. But now, Sprint is moving one step further with its even less expensive service plan.

This move was made against Verizon, a well-known cellular phone service provider, which introduced a new 5 GB plan at $55 per month this month, just below Sprint's $60 starting price for its unlimited plan. Verizon complemented the plan with TV commercials condemning the more costly unlimited plans as "unnecessary." To this, Sprint, renowned cellular phone service provider, dropped its unlimited plan’s price to $50 as a promotional offer for a limited time.

Roger Solé, Sprint's top marketing officer responds to Verizon’s statement

"Is Verizon living in an alternative reality," Roger Solé, Sprint's top marketing officer, asked in a blog post announcing the price cut. "I'm scratching my head after seeing Verizon’s new ads claiming consumers don’t need–or want–unlimited wireless plans? And they say their new 5GB plan is the plan we’ve all 'been waiting for.' All of us at Sprint couldn’t disagree more."

Customers will get this plan for $50 until the end of March 2018. After this, the monthly charge will rise to the old $60 level again. This "unlimited" data plan consists of the same small print limits as the plan introduced last summer. Sprint, Government phone service provider, will automatically reduce the video and music streaming quality, and a customer's download speed can be vividly slowed after consuming over 23 GB data in a single month. T-Mobile, a Government phone service provider, will also cut the price of its unlimited offering by removing surcharges and taxes as additional fees on customers' bills.

See Also: T-Mobile Cell Phone Service Provider Offers it's New "One" Plan

For most of last year, Verizon, a Government phone service provider, didn’t come up with any alluring alternative to the smaller carriers' unlimited plans. But now, reporting fourth quarter results, Verizon acknowledged that it would see no growth in wireless service revenue this year due to the progressively aggressive price wars shaking the market.

Feeling heat from the competitors that had excluded data overage charges, Verizon last year announced its own set of plans without the hated fees and saw more customers in comparison. That's a victory for customers, though Verizon shareholders lost 6% this week.