AT&T Tries To Fight Off T-Mobile/Sprint Encroachment With $65 Data Plans For Individual Users

attpricesAfter years of wasting time getting caught up in a staring contest with Verizon Wireless, AT&T is finally paying attention to the lower-priced competition that has been nipping at its heels. Over the weekend, the company took direct aim at T-Mobile and Sprint when it announced price drops in plans for accounts with only one or two devices.

Current and new AT&T customers who are wiling to stick to a 2GB monthly data cap can switch to a plan that is $15/month less expensive than what the company had been offering.

Individual users can get the monthly rate of $65 (plus all fees and taxes), while accounts with two devices can switch to $90/month. Both pricing tiers include a total of 2GB/month, plus unlimited calling and texting, and unlimited international messaging.

T-Mobile currently offers a somewhat comparable $60/month plan that includes 2.5GB of data (and which will soon increase to 3GB). However, that doesn’t include the cost of the device. If a T-Mobile customer owns his phone outright, then the plan is cheaper than AT&T’s, but if he’s paying for the device in monthly installments, that could add anywhere from a few bucks for an older phone to nearly thirty dollars each month for new, high-end devices.

Sprint’s newish Framily plans offer a $65/month option for individuals that gets the user up to 3GB/month.

AT&T customers will not automatically be placed into this lower-cost plan. They must change their plans via ATT.com or by calling customer service.

A customer service rep for AT&T told Consumerist that customers who switch to the new monthly rate will not be required to opt into a new contract.

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