AT&T's 数据计划价格上涨是否合理？

【译文】

AT＆T已经抬高了其数据服务的价格，但它每个月为客户提供更多的带宽。是为用户提供更适合他们的服务还是只是想榨取更多的客户的现金？

在这一版Ask Maggie中，我提出自己的观点并为新的价格上涨困扰AT&T客户而提出一些建议。

AT&T的新数据计划定价

亲爱的Maggie，

当AT&T首次转入等级定价计划，他们声称其用户只有小部分用过超过2GB每月的数据，看来，他们基本上是贯彻落实所有智能手机的用户增加5美元，没有别的额外的收益，对吗？我的意思是如果没有这些用户突破2GB，这就像仅仅把更多的钱放在口袋里面。

所以我的问题是：如果我已经有了无限数据计划或25美元的的2GB计划，我能让他们仅仅只是一个计划吗？

谢谢
Eric

Dear Eric,
在你的问题中给出了很好的观点，你是对的，AT&T公司本周宣布要计划改变其智能手机和平板电脑数据计划定价。

（来源：CNET科技资讯/Marguerite Reardon）

上周六开始，签署新的智能手机服务的客户可以获得每个月20美元300兆字节的数据或者每个月30美元3千兆字节数据。这个移动热点计划是50美元2GB的数据。所有这些计划相比以前是5美元一个多月，就是每月15美元200MB的数据。一个移动热点数据每月25美元2GB数据和45美元4GB的数据。

首先，让我来回答你的问题：这些新的计划只针对新的客户，或者那些想更换他们数据计划的客户。已经签署合同的客户不受影响。AT&T还允许那些有拥有以前计划的客户来使用，以保证他们未来的使用。这也包括了无线数据计划。

唯一保持的无限数据计划或是以前的等级数据计划之一是：你不能改变一个新的计划而返回以前交易，所以，一旦你放弃了那些计划，你就完成了。在这之后你只能选择一个新的数据计划

现在，谈一下你的问题的要点。AT&T在增加这些价格是否合理？对于某些用户来说，自从Verizon30美元一个月仅仅提供2GB的数据，这可能是一个很好的协议。但是对于大多数的用户来说，AT&T提供了比以前更昂贵的方案。当然，由于价格的提高公司提供客户更多的数据，但是大多数的客户不需要这些额外的容量。如果AT&T真的提供给客户计划，能更加适合他们需要，将会允许客户可以保持原来的计划，或者谁需要，可以选择超过200MB或每月订阅2GB数据护着更多的每月5美元的300MB或3GB计划。

但是AT&T为提高服务价格的动机并没有带给客户更多的选择。这看起来他们真正的年目的是提高收入和得到更多的的用户来选择分等级的计划。尽管5美元一个多月加起来对客户和AT&T看起来并不是很多。

当然，AT&T可以看他喜欢随意涨价。消费者在市场上通常有至少四个或更多的竞争者，钥匙他们觉得AT&T售价太高他们可以自由选择其他（除非他们签了合同）。正如我之前提到的，AT&T和Verizob Wireless相比给客户更多的钱，这就是所，在2010年AT&T推出了他的分层服务，公司表示，98%的用户每个月不需要超过2GB的数据。

当我问AT&T公司的发言人Mark Siegel现在消费比例怎么样，像今天这样仍低于2GB的标志，他没有回答我。相反他说AT&T网络上的流量每年增加40%。他说这是为什么AT&T提高了他的数据容量，并开始提供客户更多的服务。

这个计划只提供2GB每月的数据，但是当你在看过去的一年用户的平均使用率时，似乎大多数仍然有足够的余量。

Is AT&T's data plan price hike

justified?

by Marguerite Reardon January 20, 2012 12:00 AM PST

AT&T has jacked up the prices of its data service, but it's giving customers more bandwidth each month. Is the carrier offering its subscribers more bang for their buck or simply trying to squeeze more cash from its customers?

In this edition of Ask Maggie, I offer my opinion and offer some advice to AT&T customers troubled by the new price increase.

AT&T's new data plan pricing

Dear Maggie,
When AT&T first switched to the tiered pricing plans, they claimed only a fraction of their users ever use more than 2GB of data per month. It seems like they are basically implementing a $5 price increase on all of their smartphone users with no added benefit. Right? I mean if none of those users are breaking 2GB anyway, this seems like it's just a way to put more money in their pockets.

So my question is. If I already have the unlimited data plan or the 2GB plan for $25, can I just keep those plans?

Thanks,
Eric

Dear Eric,
You bring up some very good points in your question. You are correct that AT&T announced this week that it plans to change its pricing for its smartphone and tablet data plans.

(Credit: CNET/Marguerite Reardon)

Starting on Sunday, customers signing up for new smartphone service can either get 300 megabytes of data for $20 a month or $3 gigabytes of data for $30 a month. The mobile hot-spot plan will be $50 for 5GB of data. All of these plans are $5 more a month than the previous plans, which were $15 for 200MB of data per month. $25 for 2GB of data per month, and $45 for 4GB of data with a mobile hot-spot.

First, let me answer your question: These new plans only apply to new customers or to customers who want to switch their data plans. Customers already on a contract won't be affected by the changes. And AT&T is even allowing customers who have the old plans now to keep them in the future. This includes people who have unlimited data plans.

The only catch for keeping either the unlimited data plan or one of the older tiered data plans is that you can't change to a new plan and then go back to these previous deals. So once you give up those plans, you're done. After that you have to choose one of the new data plan options.

Now, to get to the main point of your question. Is AT&T really justified in increasing these prices? For some subscribers, it might be a good deal, especially since Verizon offers only 2GB of data for $30 a month. But for the vast majority of users, AT&T is offering a more expensive plan than they previously offered. Sure, the company is offering customers more data for the price, but most people don't need the extra capacity. If AT&T really wanted to give subscribers plans that better suited their needs, it would have kept the old plans and allowed people, who need more than 200MB or 2GB of data a month to subscribe to the 300MB or 3GB plans for $5 more a month.

But AT&T's motivation for increasing the price of its service doesn't seem to have anything to do with offering consumers more choices. It seems the real goal is to increase revenue and to get more unlimited users to choose the tiered offering. Even though $5 more a month may not seem like a lot of money, it adds up for consumers and for AT&T.

Of course, AT&T is free to hike prices whenever it likes. And consumers, who typically have at least four or more competitors in a market, are free to leave AT&T if they think the company charges too much. (Unless they are under contract.) As I pointed out before, AT&T is giving consumers more for their money when compared with Verizon Wireless. That said, in 2010 when AT&T introduced its tiered services, the company said that 98 percent of its subscribers don't need more than 2GB of data per month.

When I asked AT&T's spokesman Mark Siegel what percentage of consumers still fall below the 2GB mark today, he wouldn't answer me. Instead, he said that traffic on AT&T's network is increasing 40 percent each year. And he said that is why AT&T has lifted its data caps and started charging customers more for the service.

But when you look at the average usage of subscribers in the past year,/a>, it seems that most would still have plenty of headroom in a plan that only offers 2GB of data per month.

More from Ask Maggie

In August, Validas, a company that tracks wireless data usage, said that the average smartphone subscriber on AT&T used about 425MB of data per month between June 2010 and July 2011. So even if average usage increase by 40 percent, a typical subscriber is still only consuming about 595MB of data per month.

My guess is that these new plans are designed to get more of those customers who were grandfathered into the unlimited data plan to convert to a tiered plan. AT&T has already tried to limit usage of unlimited data plan users by slowing down service for the top 5 percent of data users each month.

AT&T has never defined how much data on average someone needs to use to trigger the throttling. And that's because it's a moving target. But the company hasn't really defined how it calculates the which customers are considered in the top 5 percent. For example, are these customers being compared to other unlimited users only? Or are they being compared to customers on tiered plans? Is the usage percentage calculated by region or is it nationwide?

AT&T has left its policy as vague as possible so that it has more flexibility in enforcing it. Meanwhile, it can still claim that it offers an unlimited data plan.

If most of these heavy users are just over the 2GB mark, AT&T can entice more of them to sign up for a tiered data plan if they set the cap at 3GB. This way these customers can pay the same as they were paying for unlimited service, but they won't have their service throttled and they won't have to pay an overage fee if they exceed 2GB.

In short, I think the change in the plan is not a good deal for the vast majority of wireless data users who are likely to consume less than 2GB of data per month. But it may benefit those who use more than 2GB of data per month. But remember that if you're already an AT&T customer either with an unlimited data plan or one of the existing plans, you don't have to change that plan if you're happy with it. This change is only for new customers or those who want to change their plan.

Keep AT&T unlimited plan or not?

Hi Maggie,
I am writing to ask you what I should do with my data plan. I am an AT&TiPhone user, and I still have my unlimited data plan. Tomorrow is my last day of my monthly cycle and I have used 2.2 GB of data as of 3 hours ago. I know AT&T throttles the top 5 percent of its heaviest data users per month. To my surprise that limit this month falls between 2.0 and 2.2 GB, since I was notified I am among this select group.

This has been an unusual month for me in terms of data usage. I usually use 1GB or less of data. But I am definitely below the 3GB mark, which is the new threshold for tiered plans.

So here's my question: If theiPhone 5 (or whatever the next iPhone is called) comes out with LTE compatibility, should I switch to theVerizon iPhone (My AT&T contract is up this June.) Or should I stay with AT&T and stick with the "unlimited" plan? If I do stay, should I switch over to the tiered plans?

Thank you,
Ted

Dear Ted,
This is tough question, because there are multiple factors to consider. The first thing you need to work out is which network is best for you.

Does Verizon have good 3G and LTE coverage where you live and work? If it does, you might want to consider switching to Verizon.

Verizon has more than a year's head-start over AT&T in building its LTE network, and it's been aggressive in its roll-out. So at least for the next couple of years, it's likely that Verizon will have better LTE coverage.

That said, when Apple finally introduces an LTE-version of the iPhone, AT&T may have coverage in your area. And if it does, then you can consider sticking with AT&T.

Once you figure out which network is better for you, then you can think about the data plans. If you go with Verizon Wireless, you won't have an unlimited data plan. And the least expensive plan you can get is $30 for 2GB of data.

If you stay with AT&T, you have to make a choice. Would you rather know that your bill will always include a $30 data charge, but your service may be slowed down if you fall in that top 5 percent of high-end users. Or would you rather make sure you always get the fastest speeds but risk going over your usage cap and paying extra some months?

If you generally stay below 2GB per month, you will probably be fine with your current unlimited plan. But there is a chance that you will use more data with 4G. That said, if overall usage is increasing by 40 percent per year as AT&T claims, then the top 5 percent should be using more capacity, too. So if you stay within your normal range of usage, you're less likely to be in the 5 percent that will get throttled.

You could keep the unlimited plan on AT&T and see how that works out for you. If throttling becomes an issue, you can always switch a tiered plan. Just remember, once you give up your unlimited plan, you can't go back.

I hope this advice was helpful. And good luck!

Ask Maggie is an advice column that answers readers' wireless and broadband questions. The column now appears twice a week on CNET offering readers a double dosage of Ask Maggie's advice. If you have a question, I'd love to hear from you. Please send me an e-mail at maggie dot reardon at cbs dot com. And please put "Ask Maggie" in the subject header. You can also follow me on Facebook on my Ask Maggie page.

Marguerite Reardon

Marguerite Reardon has been a CNET News reporter since 2004, covering cell phone services, broadband, citywide Wi-Fi, the Net neutrality debate, as well as the ongoing consolidation of the phone companies.

posted on 2012-01-24 21:30 fgfgfffg 阅读(212) 评论(0) 编辑收藏举报

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AT&T's 数据计划价格上涨是否合理？

Is AT&T's data plan price hike

justified?

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