AfterDawn: News

AT&T: Data-only plans coming within 2 years

AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson has said this week that data-only plans are likely coming to a carrier within two years.

For such a plan, voice calls and texts will just be considered data.



Says Stephenson: "I'll be surprised if, in the next 24 months, we don't see people in the market place with data-only plans. I just think that's inevitable."

The plan makes considerable sense, given the trend for smartphones. AT&T for one, has seen a decline in the average of minutes used each month for some time now. Many consumers already use Google Voice and Skype to send texts and make calls that only require data and not actual voice/cell service.

However, carriers still make the brunt of their profits from voice plans and texting, each of which use little to no data.

In order to remove the cell plans and the small fees that carriers charge to connect numbers, a data-only plan will likely be considerably more expensive than current data plans.

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 3 Jun 2012 14:43

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• 4 comments

• KillerBug

  There have been small companies offering such plans for years...the problem with these is that they don't work very well outside of metropolitan areas as cell coverage is a lot better than 3g coverage in most areas and edge isn't fast enough for voice. No one seems to be interested in extending 3g coverage much past where it already is (does not even cover most interstates)...so it will probably be a long time before internet only plans are useful to anyone who ever leaves the city.
  

  
  

  3.6.2012 22:17 #1

• JST1946

  I guess that means more people will be texting and driving more often in the future.
  

  3.6.2012 23:16 #2

• Ryoohki

  this is so funny. if i remember correctly 4 or 5 years ago at&t and verizon both still had unlimited data only smartphone plans. It was 35 dollars a month. its only when they caught on to people using apps on their phones like skype that they killed the plans off and then changed their tos to make it mandatory to have a voice plan. they were losing money on these people. i wonder why they are waiting 2 years. i use to work in customer service for at&t and the legacy plans were still in the billing system when i left 2 or so years ago. all they have to do is change permissions so it doesn't take a manager to add it.
  

  4.6.2012 08:54 #3

• Hyasuma

  unless you can coverage the whole world, this plan is pointless if you don't have data towers to coverage, and to make things better? data speed have to be consistent everywhere. To do that? it will another way to juice out ppl's money to pay for it
  

  Being nice always has its own consequences

  5.6.2012 10:01 #4