AT&T is upping the ante this week with the introduction of a new unlimited wireless offer for new and existing DirecTV and U-Verse subscribers.
Starting tomorrow, AT&T will offer its TV customers unlimited talk, text and data – including unlimited video streaming – for $100 per month on a smartphone.Additional smartphones can be added for $40 each, with the fourth line free. Tablets and smartwatches can also be added to the plan for $40 or $10 per month, respectively.
For a family of four with smartphones only, for example, the plan would come out to $180 per month.
The move appears to be not only an attempt by AT&T to boost its TV subscriber base but also a challenge to T-Mobile’s recently launched Binge On initiative, which allows Un-Carrier customers to stream unlimited video without using up their data allowance.
“Our new unlimited plan is our best offer yet. It’s the perfect reward for our valued customers who like to take advantage of our integrated offers of TV and wireless services,” AT&T’s CEO of Mobile and Business Solutions Ralph de la Vega said in a statement. “Video traffic continues to grow on our network as fast as ever because people enjoy viewing their favorite video content on their favorite devices.”
To spur as many people as possible to take advantage of the promotion, AT&T said Monday it will also offer $500 in credits to DirecTV or U-Verse subscribers who switch their wireless service to AT&T. The company is also offering its wireless subscribers a deal on DirecTV services, offering a TV package for $19.99 per month for the first year on a two-year contract.
But AT&T said it won’t stop with the new unlimited plan.
In its Monday announcement, the carrier said it plans to announce “many integrated video and mobility offers” in 2016, as well as a “wide-range of new video entertainment options” later in the year.
The move is consistent with AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson’s comments in December that the company is “very interested” in “putting together a bundle of content that (customers) can acquire over a smaller screen.” Stephenson’s comments hinted that the company is also looking to release a service to compete with Verizon’s Go90 video platform.
