AT&T Cuts Texting Plans: Unlimited or Nothing
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Taking a beating.
CREDIT: AT&T |
AT&T confirmed today (Aug. 18) that it will offer a simple text-messaging choice to new customers beginning Aug. 21: unlimited texting for $20 a month, or pay-by-the-text at a hefty price of 20 cents apiece for straight texts and 30 cents for texts containing a photo or video.
AT&T is eliminating its midrange plan, $10 per month for 1,000 texts (a penny apiece). Earlier this year AT&T withdrew its other texting tiered plans: $15 for 1,500 and $5 for 200.
AT&T customers prefer unlimited plans, according to a company statement that refers to the adjustment as “streamlining our text messaging plans.”
Those who consider themselves non-texters and opt for pay-by-the-text may want to keep in mind that even if they don’t text themselves, they will be charged for any incoming texts. Fifty incoming messages and an outgoing response to each one would cost the same as unlimited texting for a month.
Current customers with tiered texting plans will get to keep the plans when they switch to a new phone.
AT&T also will continue to offer its unlimited family texting plan for $30, which covers up to five lines.
