AT&T hotspot bests Verizon offer [u]
Whereas Verizon’s mobile hotspot package costs the same, the data bucket is only half the size and additional data costs twice as much. Moreover, AT&T’s just announced package offers a huge advantage in terms of cost and convenience that’s sure to attract data-hungry power users.
It took Ma Bell a while to get in the game, but now they’ve moved decisively and Apple smartphone owners are smiling. PCWorld reports that AT&T will offer iPhone 4 Wi-Fi hotspot sharing and the terms overall are better than Verizon:
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- • Mobile hotspot to go live on March when Apple delivers iOS 4.3
• $20 per month for 2GB additional data
— Subscribers can dip into their standard 2GB data plan when hotspot allowance is exhausted• When that 4GB is gone, additional data costs $10 per gigabyte
• Subscribers can turn on mobile hotspot sharing virtually at will without penalty or cost
[Verizon's] hotspot feature comes with its own 2GB monthly data pool, separate from your iPhone’s data plan. That covers the use of any and all devices using your iPhone’s 3G data connection. The downside? Go over that amount, and each additional gigabyte will cost you another $20 — Macworld
“Customers can select and migrate between data plans without penalty or contract implications,” AT&T spokesperson confirmed.
But there is nevertheless a quid pro quo — if you have AT&T’s grandfathered unlimited data plan, you have to give it up. Still, 4GB for $45 a month isn’t horrible and, again, additional data costs $10 per gigabyte, which isn’t horrible either.
[u] Another quid pro apparently applies, as well. Mac Rumors has laid its digital paws on a purported internal AT&T document that states mobile hotspot sharing is limited to three devices.
Further, with Verizon you must contract the data plan for two years, which is at least another $240 per year — that’s a huge tax that AT&T isn’t demanding. Finally, Ma Bell is getting competitive.
Should we be getting unlimited data sharable via a mobile hotspot just because? Yeah, I think so, but AT&T’s raised its game and it wouldn’t surprise to see Verizon either matching their offer or upping the ante with even better terms…
What’s your take?
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March 10th, 2011
Thanks for the clarification. 20 bucks a month isn’t bad but I’m not willing to give up my grandfathered unlimited plan. I’m hitting about 17gb a month (I haven’t listened to the radio in my car in 3 years) in 3g streaming.
I’m going to wait until the verizon 4g LTE mifi hits and get that instead as a personal hotspot.