AT&T has revealed that it will be increasing its monthly data caps on its U-verse home internet service and will be introducing an unlimited option for the same.
The telecoms is re-introducing unlimited data from 23 May, 2016, free of charge, for users who have also subscribed to U-verse home Internet and either DIRECTV or U-verse TV service. Also, customers who pay for the first tier of U-verse, the slowest speed being 0.8Mbps to 6Mbps, will have 300GB to use per month instead of 250GB. For those users paying for the next speed tier, the cap goes from 250GB to 600GB, while the data cap for the fastest U-verse option has doubled to become 1TB from 500GB.
“Today’s Internet speeds are faster than ever and we’re all using it to do more – streaming video, gaming, accessing the cloud or uploading videos and photos,” said Bob Bickerstaff, vice president of data and voice products for AT&T Entertainment Group. “That’s why we’re going to provide U-verse home Internet customers with more choices and more data.”
Starting May 23, the user can check the amount of data currently used by them online, anytime. The company will offer a variety of free online tools to help the user to manage the data usage and will provide a data calculator so that the user can quickly estimate the amount of data that might be used in the future.
U-verse, which has stood out in the broadband market for its use of data caps, has announced an excessive $30 surcharge, in order to avail the privilege of unlimited home internet, if the user has only been availing the U-verse Internet.
U-verse customers can add unlimited data at any time, and can combine their home Internet and TV services on a single bill at no charge at the company website. Also, for other plans, the user has to pay $10 for every 50GB needed over the limit, with the provider waiving the overage fee for the first three months.
The telecoms will notify the customers as their data usage approaches or begins to exceed their data allowance. Only about 4 percent of the U-verse customers exceed their monthly caps, as per reports from the telecoms.
With adversaries, like Comcast, having only just begun experimenting with data caps in select US markets, this announcement can go in the favor of AT&T.
Vina Krishnan
editor@telecomlead.com