Does AT&T have a $45 unlimited plan?
Does AT&T currently offer a $45 unlimited plan?
Apart from AT&T Internet, which offers wireless communications services in the United States, other important participants in the industry include Verizon, T-Mobile, and Sprint. Many customers want to know if the business offers a package with unlimited data for less than $45 per thirty days. The present offerings of AT&T in terms of unlimited data plans and related expenses will be discussed in this paper.
What Does it Mean to Have an Unlimited Data Plan?
An example of a data plan that comes with a cellphone carrier offers a user unlimited data usage every month without the company imposing any restrictions on the rate at which the data is used once the agreed limit is achieved. This would enable customers to surf the internet, watch videos listen to music, and install applications in the absence of a limited bundle of data allowance.
Unlimited plans were initially introduced a few years back when some carriers like T-Mobile offered them to outcompete rivals. Originally there were many pure unlimited plans, but many big carriers moved away from them and now offer limited volumes of data with a set price. Earlier, the concept of unlimited plans was not popular owing to competitive forces and pressures but they have come back again in the market recently.
AT&T Unlimited Data Plans
AT&T currently offers the following unlimited data plans: AT&T currently offers the following unlimited data plans:
AT&T Unlimited Starter: $65/month
AT&T Unlimited Extra: $75/month
AT&T Unlimited Elite: $85/month
Even at the basic level or Starter plan, one gets to enjoy unlimited talk, text, and data. Nevertheless, the streaming of videos is limited to standard definition only. The Extra plan enhances the quality of streaming videos to high definition and the Elite plan comes with 5G data speeds and offers HBO Max as well. Those extra lines on these plans are $35-$40 per month each.
You have to understand that although these plans are labeled as ‘unlimited’ by AT&T, they do have the ability to throttle data speeds in case of network congestion, plus once the customer has used up a certain amount of data allowance per month. This amount is generally 50GB per line for the month with the provision that depending on the congestion of the tower to which a user is connected, the internet speeds may be throttled. Thus, despite considerable liberalization, there are still some restrictions in place, albeit of a technical nature.
In conclusion, AT&T’s most affordable promotional unlimited plan is $65/month for the first line and $35 for a subsequent line. This is way above the $45 unlimited plan that some customers may be looking forward to, which can be regarded as a myth.
How about Prepaid or Discount plans?
However, it is worth mentioning that AT&T does have cheaper unlimited data plans for prepaid customers through their Cricket Wireless division. Cricket has an unlimited everything plan for $55 per month where you get unlimited talk, text, and data. Nonetheless, speeds offered with these prepaid plans are throttled down to 8Mbps and videos are limited to 480p.
Customers can also shave off some cash through various AT&T discounts that include employer discounts or student discounts, bundle wireless with internet or TV internet service. Families in particular can save more per line by extending the number of lines to be subscribed. However, even after normal reductions were made, major operators such as AT&T did not have similar unlimited plans for as low as $45 per line per month.
The Bottom Line
Indeed, AT&T does provide unlimited data, though its cheapest widely advertised unlimited plan costs $65 for one line only. Customers expecting a $45 per month with unlimited data, there’s no good news for them they would have to look for prepaid carriers, multiple lines or bundles with AT&T, or look for ways to avail many offer codes at once.
The main communication giants spend billions of dollars on their network expansions and wireless spectrum purchases. To offset those investments maintain the quality of the network, and make money, the unlimited plans that are sought after are way more expensive than any budget offering. At the moment, choices such as an unlimited high-speed data single-line plan for under $50 a month from AT&T are still few and far between for most customers. While you are looking for the cheapest unlimited data, you will have to compromise your preferences or opt for prepaid, MVNO, or Wi-Fi service.
Upgrade to faster, more reliable AT&T Fiber Internet today! Call us at +1 844-905-5002 and get connected with speeds that keep you ahead.
