Need your talk or text logs?
GavinOnAniPhone's profile

Tutor

 • 

1 Message

Tuesday, January 29th, 2013 7:31 PM

Unlimited Data Plan and Personal Hotspot possible?

Hello all,

 

I have been a customer with AT&T for over 10 years now and was pretty disappointed with the conversation I just had with one of their customer service representatives. Since I first purchased an iPhone I have had the unlimited data plan for $30 that was required for purchase at the time. I recognize that since they've done away with unlimited data as an option, I have not gone over the 2GB $25 plan, but I still have opted to pay the extra for unlimited usage in case the day should come that I needed it. 

 

Today I called the customer service line to inquire about why I was not able to set up a personal hotspot (when I try, my phone tells me to contact AT&T). I was told that I would need to "upgrade" (don't get stuck on the terms) to a 2GB ($25) or 5GB ($50) monthly option in order to use this feature. Something about this seems off to me since I have been carrying forward a plan that AT&T required me to have in the first place, but now it disqualifies me from a feature of the phone - not due to capabilities, mind you.

 

Does anyone know if there is the ability to combine these two features? Really frustrated with AT&T for making it (seem hopefully) an impossibility.

 

Appreciated.

ACE - Sage

 • 

116.6K Messages

8 years ago

My phone recognizes tethered use...  But does the ATT system know?

 

image.jpeg

1 Attachment

ACE - Expert

 • 

16.5K Messages

8 years ago

 These options have tethering, compare the prices:

 

FYI, if you use more than the 22GB a month, then these suggested plans aren't for you.

 

They have rollover, tethering, unlimited calling/text, texting to 180+ countries and the higher data plan has Canada and Mexico roaming (but you have to ask for it); you might be able to get it on a lower plan too, I'm not certain I've never had to ask.

 

  • You can get 10GB of rollover Mobile Share Value for $80 + $15 (for the line), that's $95 and it's $5 less than the unlimited plan. Yes, it's not unlimited but if you're only going to use 4-6GB a month it might as well be. (You do need to call retention to get this plan, but it's an option).
  • You could get 20GB of rollover Mobile Share Value for $100 + $15 (for the line), that's $115 and while that's more than the unlimited plan, you can tether and many people say they would pay an extra price to turn that on, $15 seems reasonable. (You do need to call retention to get this plan or they only give you 15GB).
  • Assuming you have two people and don't need huge amounts of data, you can add a second line for $15 instead of $40 (for unlimited) and you're back under the price of unlimited.

Personally, if I use more 10 GB in a month, it's probably because I'm impatient and I'm downloading HD video while on the go instead of waiting until I get home.

 

You always have the option to buy higher data plans (call retention, they have much better pricing).

 

No, it's NOT unlimited, but it has the features that some of you want. And if I'm checking forums and news on my laptop, I'm not checking that same info on my phone so some of the data I use while tethering is not extra data use (it's data on a different device use)...

 

We used to have a 700 minute phone plan, but we always called it "unlimited" because with M2M and A-List it was more minutes than we could use, we made about 2,000+ minutes a month in calls and generally rolled over 400-500 minutes.  We could have paid for more, but since we didn't use more, why pay for it?

Employee

 • 

3.5K Messages

8 years ago

Exactly. I am not on the unlimited plan because the 15GB MSV is more than what I need. It allows me to tether when needed (and I have a slow 3MB/s DSL connection at home so I tend to use it more often than not) plus I am able to surf and stream music out and about with no worries. With 5 lines it's far cheaper than unlimited too.

 

The problem is too many people think cellular data is a suitable substitute for wired home internet and want to use 100+ gigabytes per month. No one has a mobile network that can sustain that type of traffic. Bandwidth is expensive, contrary to what people want to believe.

Contributor

 • 

2 Messages

8 years ago

The Amber person is.Correct. I have both the wireless and uverse With art. My bills are suppose to be due the 1st And only of them  one is. My wireless 248 for some reason. Uverus bill is 548 And no reason for either. I even told the rep That my bills can't go over 200 for one and 195 for the other. That's with taxs. And Am way pass both thos. And my cable Keep a going out ever other month and am annoyed about that. So I'm March Am taken my witless business some where cheaper and that has unlimited that can mobile hot spot.

Now it time 1hour to post this.

New Member

 • 

25.7K Messages

7 years ago

Every other carrier with unlimited data has the option to add a hotspot (costs extra). ATT is always behind, and there customer service sucks. We got att and dirrectv, and have regretted it since. ATT and dirrectv are supposed to work together, but they don't. If you are reading this stay away. We are stuck in a two year contract, and switching ASAP. We have been loyal att customers for over 14 years. All of the good deals go to new customers. We might as well leave, and come back to get a better deal.

ACE - Expert

 • 

16.5K Messages

7 years ago


@Anonymous wrote:
Every other carrier with unlimited data has the option to add a hotspot (costs extra). 

AT&T doesn't have that feature, sorry.

 


@Custmer123 wrote:
We got att and dirrectv, and have regretted it since. ATT and dirrectv are supposed to work together, but they don't. 

In what way are they supposed to work together?

 


@Custmer123 wrote:
We are stuck in a two year contract, and switching ASAP. 

Why are you stuck in a contract? What did you sign up for?

 

 

New Member

 • 

25.7K Messages

7 years ago

That is why I said, "every other carrier with unlimited data has the option to have a hotspot (costs extra) ". ATT and dirrectv have special deals like if you get Dirrectv and ATT you can get unlimited data. When we called ATT to get this plan we kept getting transferred and disconnected. We currently are stuck in a two year contract with dirrectv. We currently have ATT next and it is basically a two year contact because you can't leave unless you pay it off. We now have to pay $100 per line for the unlimited data and $60 for dirrectv. This price is way more then what was promised over the phone, but since we got disconnected we were unable to get the promised price of $200 per month for everything.

ACE - Expert

 • 

16.5K Messages

7 years ago


@Anonymous wrote:
That is why I said, "every other carrier with unlimited data has the option to have a hotspot (costs extra) ". ATT and dirrectv have special deals like if you get Dirrectv and ATT you can get unlimited data. When we called ATT to get this plan we kept getting transferred and disconnected. We currently are stuck in a two year contract with dirrectv. We currently have ATT next and it is basically a two year contact because you can't leave unless you pay it off. We now have to pay $100 per line for the unlimited data and $60 for dirrectv. This price is way more then what was promised over the phone, but since we got disconnected we were unable to get the promised price of $200 per month for everything.

I hear what you're saying about the tethering, but you signed up with the carrier that doesn't have this option. (You've said this twice now, but I'm not sure why).

 

The unlimited plan is $100 for the first line + $40 additional lines (4th line free). If they are charging something else, please be more specific.  (This does not inlclude the phone costs).

 

If you switch carriers, many have switcher plans to pay off your phones for you.

 

If you're not using unlimited amounts of data, it might be cheaper for you to get a limited data plan.

 

If you want to leave, I'm not sure why you stuck yourself with new contracts.

 

 

ACE - Expert

 • 

64.7K Messages

7 years ago


@Gary L wrote:
The unlimited plan is $100 + $40 a line (4th line free). If they are charging something else, please be more specific.  (This does not inlclude the phone costs).

   


Just to be clear, that $100 includes the first line. It might be more accuate to state "The unlimited plan is $100 for the first line + $40 for each additional line (4th line free)."

ACE - Expert

 • 

16.5K Messages

7 years ago


@sandblaster wrote:
Just to be clear, that $100 includes the first line. It might be more accuate to state "The unlimited plan is $100 for the first line + $40 for each additional line (4th line free)."

 

Yes (fixed).

 

But they're writing they're paying $100 per line, so something is WAY wrong at their end.

 

 

Not finding what you're looking for?
New to AT&T Community?
New to the AT&T Community? Start by visiting the Community How-To.
New to the AT&T Community?
Visit the Community How-To.