AT&T Unlimited Data Plan

I received in the mail a flyer outlining the new AT&T Unlimited Data plan and it sounded pretty good...at first.

$100/month for the first Smartphone and $40/month for each thereafter.

Then I noticed the asterisk and went online for more information.

In the details, I found the following: " Q. Can I use my AT&T Unlimited Plan for tethering or as a mobile hotspot? A. No, tethering and use of your device as a mobile hotspot are not allowed.

So all that "unlimited" data would have to be consumed only on my smartphone.......?

No thanks.

Yep, truly unlimited data plans are a thing of the past.  The only ones around anymore are the ones grandfathered in from back in the day.  There are people who have  multiple lines on those grandfathered plans that will rent them out to others though.

You can use more of their data but will need to buy one of their tablets to be able to use it.  I was also disappointed when I read that sentence. And, in some instances this applies only if you also sign for Direct TV. 

RVRAC said:

You can use more of their data but will need to buy one of their tablets to be able to use it.  I was also disappointed when I read that sentence. And, in some instances this applies only if you also sign for Direct TV.

Click to expand...

What I thought was particularly foolish about the plan was that it precluded me from using my smartphone in a tethered environment completely. Whaaattttt??

IMHO, sleeves from their vest.

Not sure why this is a problem. My AT&T legacy unlimited plan has the same restrictions and its always been that way for me. Two choices: Tether and pay for data, or no tether and unlimited. I'll keep my unlimited

That is interesting because the FCC has ruled that once you buy the data, you can use it as you choose..

But my T-mobile plan is still, technically, Unlimited,, but alas only the first N Gigs are 4G, after that they shut it down to something slower.. or so they claim,  (never happened to me yet)

Of course here at Cathead Creek, From T-Mobile, I get unlimited... NO SIGNAL.

8)  Have a Cricket phone AT&T network that has 10gb HS data for $60.00 and hotspot for $10.00 monthly; exra gb is $10.00.
  It then is suppose to go to 3g when HS  Comes due in about 2 weeks, so will let you know if I use up my allotment is used up!  ;D

We are currently using T-Mobile for our internet needs, as we are both gamers and love binge-watching shows. There are benefits and drawbacks though.

First is the issue of supplying internet to other devices. We have 4 lines, each with unlimited data (LTE, no throttle) and 14gigs of Hotspot use. This allows us to supply 4x14=52gigs of hotspot to our devices throughout the month, or just under 2gigs per day.

We never get close to that though, due to some of the other benefits the plan has.
Binge-On - T-Mobile does not count Pandora, YouTube, Hulu, Netflix, and dozens more streaming sites against your data usage (phone will show full usage, but bill will show reduced amount). This includes content access via Hotspot, so we can use our Chromecast all day and not use any of our Hotspot allotment.

Vudu Codes and Sling Discount - Each month, each line gets 3.99 in credit towards Voodoo, which can be redeemed to one Vudu account and used for larger purchases (such as newer movies or digital downloads). There is also a SlingTV promotional rate that we may use at some point.

We generally stay in decent metro areas, stationed near Walmarts. The few times we have ventured out to RV Parks, we had no signal strength. To counter that, we have picked up a signal booster, but currently it only works for a short while before heating up and only for the device seated in the cradle.

I will say for those who are on an unlimited plan but no tethering is available, we have found two options:

If you have an Android, and are comfortable flashing a custom rom, you can install a version of Android with Hotspot unlocked, or make use of Connectify(a desktop application that connects to a phone) to create a personal hotspot that routes all traffic through your phone so that it appears as phone usage. (caveat, do try to keep traffic within reason for the device, ie, no UHD or higher resolution. Stick to 1080p and below and you shouldn't trigger alerts on your provider.

If you have an iPhone and don't mind peripheral devices, there is an adapter(we got ours at Best Buy for around $30) that allows your iPhone to be displayed on a larger screen (we use it to watch Netflix/Hulu in the back, as our Chromecast is on the bigger TV up front). There are dozens of external keyboards that can work with an iPhone, so with the right apps you could go sans normal computer and get everything you need done.

You can use a lot more data tethering than not. They know that.

I have 10 gigs on Cricket but before they allowed the hotspots I rarely used much data at all. Streaming on the phone while on the go was ok but at home I used a MHL & ota adapter to send the screen to a HDMI monitor or TV. Along with a USB or bluetooth key board it is a more comfortable experience.

I haven't had a lot of luck streaming on a hotspot using T-Mobile. Having Binge on is great if you have the signal. There are some nice deals with them.

I use PDA.net/ Foxfi on a phone. It didn't have a hotspot but the plan allows for it. Works great. Don't be fooled on plans that don't allow for it, they can see your data.

My only truly unlimited plan is a Verizon 3G hotspot that cost $5 a month. Not very fast compared to some but it connects where they don't. Getting connected in the Rockies isn't always easy, no one carrier does it all.

Get yourself a Moto X Pure Edition phone. Unlocked, can be used across carriers. yes you read that right, Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile and including Sprint.

We bought ours in Oct 2015. Month to month contract. Used it USA and in MX. Tethered our laptops without issue.
For you moders out there you can root it without problems, Motorola is ok with it. Check out XDA or do a  search Moto XPE of full title.

I got a check in the mail for $13.69 last week for my part of the settlement that AT&T made for a class action lawsuit settlement for their legacy unlimited data plan which I had for my iPhone for several years.  It seems they advertised their plan as unlimited, however once 3GB was reached they'd start throttling the data.  I think I only reached that point a couple times, then I'd get a nasty text message telling me I'd used too much.

Boy oh Boy!!!!!! Now I've got to decide what to do with the check.  Breakfast and lunch at McDonalds?????