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AT&T Increasing Unlimited Pay As You Go Data Tablet Plan Price October 2

Posted by at 11:37 AM on Saturday, September 16, 2017 // 41 comments

Back in June, AT&T launched a $29.99 Tablet plan that includes unlimited data. Like other AT&T unlimited data plans this one is subject to data de-prioritization after 22 GB if the network is congested. But at least one user reports that their data speeds are as good as even even after 22 GB.

There are two versions of the plan, a Pay As You Go one that you have to manually repurchase every month online and one that auto renews.  Yesterday, a Howard Forums user got the notification message pictured above while signing up for plan.  According to the notification. the price of the non-auto renew version of the plan will increase to $35/month on October 2. The auto renew plan will remain at $29.99.

Thirty Bucks a month for unlimited data on AT&T is a great deal. However, there are some limitations you need to be aware of.

  • This is a data-only plan; voice calls, SMS and MMS will not work. You can use an app like Hangouts to make calls and send messages using data.
  • The plan is only supposed to be used with tablets. You will need the IMEI of an cellular capable iPad or Android tablet to sign up. Once the SIM is active it reportedly works in phones and hotspots provided you change the APN to broadband. AT&T could obviously block usage in non-tablets if they wanted to, but so far that hasn't happened.
  • Using you tablet as a hotspot is not allowed and is blocked on iPads and AT&T tablets.  Users have been able to get hotspot working using various methods (1), (2), (3) on some devices. So far AT&T hasn't taken any action against unauthorized hotspot use, but obviously they could.
There don't seem to be any major disadvantages to switching to auto renew for this plan. AT&T Prepaid airtime cards and PINs reportedly don't work for paying for the non-auto renew tablet plan, so a credit or debit card is required in either case. The auto renew plan can be cancelled at anytime using the AT&T AllAccess app or at att.com/buyasession.  Just don't forget to cancel before the plan renews, if you don't want it anymore. One the plan renews the payment is non-refundable. On advantage to auto renewal is that if AT&T ever decides  to cancel the plan, auto renew customers are likely to be grandfathered, while pay as you go users will probably no longer have any way to repurchase their plan.

If you are interested in getting the AT&T Unlimited Data Tablet plan. Here's how to sign up:

For more information about AT&T's prepaid tablet plans, including the $29.99 unlimited plan, go to https://buyasession.att.com/sbd/Common/ShopRatePlans.action.

Source and image: HowardForums

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41 comments:

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  1. I tethered on this plan with an at&t branded device a couple months ago, no problem, but I didn't go hog wild with data like some hofo member's have, they're probably why the price is going up, 50 gigs a day is abuse, I don't care how you look at it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies

    1. There is no possible way to look at 50 gigabytes of data a month on and unlimited plan as abuse. Words mean things.

      In fact, it is impossible to commit anything like abuse merely by consuming data on an unlimited plan. Sorry, but that's the facts.

      Delete

    2. I agree, unlimited means without any limits. As long as the other terms of the plan like tablets only and no hotspot use are observed, there is no amount of use that would constitute abuse. You can easily exceed 50 GB by watching lots of HD video on 12.9" iPad Pro and that would not be abuse. If that sort of use degrades network performance AT&T can deprioritize it.

      I'm sure AT&T considers using a lot of data while hotspoting to be abuse. I believe that the no-hotspot rule is primarily designed to protect sales of mobile broadband plans. If hotspoting on the tablet plans affects sales on the more expensive mobile broadband plans AT&T will probably kick the hotspot users off. They have already threatened people with termination for using hotspot devices on Cricket plans.

      Delete

    3. While we're on the subject, can we all agree how great the iPad Pro is?

      Delete

    4. Watching ESPN for one hour uses 1.5 - 2gb of data. watching youtube for one hour uses 350- 575mb of data. Those consumers of large amounts of data rely on their unlimited data plans in place of cable and over the air tv and average 20gb per day almost 600gb per month.

      Delete

    5. "Watching ESPN for one hour uses 1.5 - 2gb of data...."

      What you describe is moderate video use, not any sort of "abuse"

      Always makes you wonder that those who call consumers who dare to utilize the products they pay for "abusers" are employees of major carriers.

      Delete

  2. I have been using this plan for almost 2 months in a AT&T PREPAID Unite Express Mobile HotSpot tethered to my home p/c. No problems.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies

    1. i have a prepaid unite express from att also...do i need to put a different sim in it from an tablet?

      Delete

  3. Fixed wireless access (FWA) It's clear that using fixed wireless access (FWA) to hook homes and businesses up to broadband costs less than traditional connections. While a lack of a business case for operators has traditionally held back the FWA market, all that is about to change with 5G, according to analysts. Credit excerp: Fierce Wireless. Maybe "AT&T hasn't taken any action against unauthorized hotspot use, but obviously they could." They may be planting a seed for the very near future.

    ReplyDelete

  4. It worries me that the message above says "after 22GB AT&T may slow data speeds"

    "Slow" not "deprioritized during times of congestion"
    I wonder if AT&T added a data cap to the plan?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies

    1. If there was a data cap, the message would say "after 22GB AT&T WILL slow data speeds". Using "may" implies deprioritization which is where one class of users (the ones who use more than 22 GB on cheap plans) get slower data whenever it's necessary to give another class of users (the ones who use less data and/or pay the most) the speeds they are used to.

      Delete

  5. where can i buy an att cellular capable tablet sim card without the actual tablet and if i do does it include the imei?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies

    1. A special SIM is not required. You can activate any never activated AT&T SIM on the tablet plan.

      The IMEI has come from a device that AT&T recognizes as a cellular enabled tablet. You don't need the actual tablet, just the IMEI (serial number from one) from one.

      Delete

  6. Anyone know of a site where someone might be sharing tablet IMEIs?

    ReplyDelete

  7. I wonder if I can reuse a sim card I already used on this plan a couple months ago? By the way if you don't renew within 30 days I think, At-t deletes your account, IMEI Sim info, not sure if that's freed them up or not?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies

    1. If you suspend your service for more than 60 days your account is cancelled and the SIM is permanently deactivated.

      Delete

  8. Sales Reps tell me that the sim card for the data connect plan is made different and CANNOT, by means of technology and not by means of size or of restriction from the ATT systems, work on a phone.

    Has it actually been working in phones?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies

    1. What do you mean by "working", you get no voice nor sms.

      Delete

    2. Any unsed, unactivated AT&T SIm card will Work.

      Delete

    3. Att seems to be blocking phones now.

      Delete

  9. Yes, follow the "phones" link in the post.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies

    1. The SIM does not work in phones anymore. Maybe in the past it did. It will only work in tablets and hotspots.

      Delete

    2. What's your source for that claim? If you personally tried a SIM activated on a tablet plan in a phone what happened? Error message? If data didn't work did you set the APN to broadband?

      Delete

    3. Yes. Tried personally in 3 different phones. No error message - can see the AT&T logo but no signal bars. APN defaulted to broadband or was changed - no effect. Somehow att knows it is a phone and is blocking all phones. I am sadly impressed!

      Delete

  10. Is there tax on the auto renew plan?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies

    1. Yes, in most states there's tax on both the auto renew and non-auto renew plans. AT&T collects all applicable state and local point of sale taxes.

      Delete

  11. On the BUY A SESSION plans they are Data-Only which bascically makes them INTERNET. There are NO TAXES on Internet access Federal Law. Here is my last months CC Charge - 09/03/17 AT&T DATA W2GO ALPHARETTA GA
    800-331-0500
    Description
    TELEPHONE SERVICE/E
    $29.99

    ReplyDelete
    Replies

    1. There are 10 states that charge taxes on internet service. They started charging before the 1998 Internet Tax Freedom Act prohibited internet taxes and are grandfathered.

      Delete

  12. If only unlimited phone plans cost that little...

    ReplyDelete

  13. if i go to a store and look at a cellular tablet and take down the imei and activate this plan... then someone buys the tablet later and activates it... what happens?

    ReplyDelete

  14. they'll probably just issue a new imei to the person who bought that specific tablet

    ReplyDelete
    Replies

    1. No they won't. IMEIs are serial numbers that are unique to each device. They aren't supposed to change.

      There's no need for AT&T to change the IMEI just because someone used to activate a device on a plan that their device wasn't eligible for.

      Delete

  15. i don't think they'll trace it to your plan and turn it off?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies

    1. You device transmits its IMEI to AT&T everytime you use it. AT&T can determine that you are using a non-tablet on a tablet plan and shut off your service. AFAIK, they have not done that so far.

      Delete
  16. Replies

    1. The tablet plan is not throttled. Users have reported typical AT&T speeds of up to 60 mbps, although 10 - 15 mbps is more typical.

      Delete

  17. When they crack down, what will they do? Will they terminate immediatly, or will they warn that termination will occur if the sim does not report use with a tablet IMEI within 24 hours or some other specified interval.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies

    1. They will probably send you a warning like they did to Cricket customers using Cricket SIMs in hotspots. Cricket Has Started Sending Warning Messages to Unauthorized Hotspot Users | Prepaid Phone News.

      Delete

  18. Can anyone confirm with actual proof that this plan doesn't work in phone anymore and it is blocked by AT&T?

    ReplyDelete

  19. Did the price go up?

    ReplyDelete
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