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Cellular Phone Forum / Providers / ATT Wireless / April 2004Free To Go new plan
I noticed that Free To Go has a new flat rate plan. Charge per minute reduced to $0,25 for $10, $25 and the $50 cards, and even less for the $75 and $100 cards. The cards expire in 90 days instead of the previous 45 days (1 year for the $100 card). Unused credit also still rolls over. Check it out at http://www.attwireless.com/personal/prepaid/epw_plans.jhtml I was told that I could convert my current plan to the new plan and keep my unused balance. > I noticed that Free To Go has a new flat rate plan. Charge per minute > reduced to $0,25 for $10, $25 and the $50 cards, and even less for the $75 > and $100 cards. The cards expire in 90 days instead of the previous 45 days > (1 year for the $100 card). Unused credit also still rolls over. > Check it out at > http://www.attwireless.com/personal/prepaid/epw_plans.jhtml That is a kick but plan!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! > That is a kick but plan!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I mean butt with two T's. Everything about it is great, with one minor catch. The new plan is good anywhere in the US on the AT&T network where the old national option gave you the entire US regardless of network. For those people the change isn't so great, for the vast majority it is terrific. Bruce > > That is a kick but plan!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! > > I mean butt with two T's. So what does "on the AT&T network" mean exactly? When I click on the map at http://www.attwireless.com/personal/prepaid/epw_plans.jhtml , does the AT&T network include the ROAMing areas (the dark and light yellow-orange)? That would be just a lot of the population centers in the US. The expiration date extensions are very welcome. Perhaps there's things I'm missing, but I'm pretty happy with my free2go phone for the occational use I need here in the Minneapolis, MN area. -Allan >Everything about it is great, with one minor catch. The new plan is good >anywhere in the US on the AT&T network where the old national option gave [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] >> >> I mean butt with two T's. > So what does "on the AT&T network" mean exactly? It means anywhere they have native coverage. And with the new plan, roaming on any part of the ATT network is at no cost. (ie) Your home air time rate. Your local coverage area is no longer a small portion of the ATT network. > When I click on the map at > http://www.attwireless.com/personal/prepaid/epw_plans.jhtml , does > the AT&T network include the ROAMing areas (the dark and light > yellow-orange)? That would be just a lot of the population centers in > the US. The dark orange is the ATT network. (ie) no extra charge/home air time rate. The light orange area is roaming area. (ie) TDMA/analog at $0.69 a minute. which is just a bit higher than national plan was with a $25 denomination. Pink is $0.85 a minute Canadian roaming. > The expiration date extensions are very welcome. Perhaps there's > things I'm missing, but I'm pretty happy with my free2go phone for the > occational use I need here in the Minneapolis, MN area. To me, it looks like they are slowly bringing their prepaid plan inline with the cingular prepaid system. Cingular has a set price, irrelevant of denomination. ATT's new plan has a set price, except for the $100 denomination. And it is lower than the cingular current price. I wonder if this has any indication of the final prepaid pricing plans after the buyout goes through? (ie) flat rate for $0.25 a minute or nights a weekends at $0.35/$0.10 If cingular drops roaming to $0.69 a minute after the buyout, it will really put the hurt on tracphone and some others. Especially with the Canadian roaming. >> So what does "on the AT&T network" mean exactly? > [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] >The dark orange is the ATT network. >(ie) no extra charge/home air time rate. I just talked to a CSR, who was snippy and unhelpful. After what felt like a Perry Mason witness cross examination, I got it out of her that I would be charged roaming anywhere I travel outside the home calling area. So the national rate I'm on is a much better deal when I put a larger denomination card on it, like a $100 card gives me 22 cpm anywhere, which is much better than 69 cpm "roaming" and local 25 cpm. Even a $25 card is better (65 cpm) than 69 cpm roaming. I don't know if the expiration dates have changed. She repeatedly told me I was already on the flat rate plan even though I have repeatedly told them I didn't want to switch. Finally, she said she was wrong about that. It really angers me that when you ask questions about the charges they get very short and clipped in their speech, like you shouldn't care. This makes me most distrustful of ATT/Cingular. Not that I ever trusted them a second though... She couldn't see the map on the web site, but could lookup zip codes, like 60608 in central Chicago, which is orange on the web coverage map, and she said I would be charged roaming at 69 cpm there. My free2go phone is in the 612 area code. So I'd say free2go got more expensive and I'll use my callplus phone more. I use it 80% traveling outside the "local calling area". What a slimey company to deal with! I think I need a shower... > I just talked to a CSR, who was snippy and unhelpful. After what felt > like a Perry Mason witness cross examination, I got it out of her that > I would be charged roaming anywhere I travel outside the home calling > area. What do they call the home calling area? With cingular KIC, your home calling area is the entire cingular TDMA network. I can drive to Texas and get home air time rates. So, if they are wanting to align the free 2 go plan with the kic plan, (which it looks like that is what they are doing) The entire AT&T TDMA network will be your home area. (Soon to include the Cingular TDMA network.) And roaming outside of that is 69 cpm. > So the national rate I'm on is a much better deal when I put a > larger denomination card on it, like a $100 card gives me 22 cpm > anywhere, which is much better than 69 cpm "roaming" and local 25 cpm. > Even a $25 card is better (65 cpm) than 69 cpm roaming. Yes it is better than the new plan for people who travel. > She couldn't see the map on the web site, but could lookup zip codes, > like 60608 in central Chicago, which is orange on the web coverage > map, and she said I would be charged roaming at 69 cpm there. My > free2go phone is in the 612 area code. Quote from the ATT website. ............................................ Starting 3/31/04, all new customers get one low rate when calling local or long distance anywhere in the country on the AT&T Wireless national network. ........................................... > So I'd say free2go got more expensive and I'll use my callplus phone > more. I use it 80% traveling outside the "local calling area". Only for people that buy airtime in $75 or larger denominations for local service, or people that buy $50 or larger denominations for the no roaming plan. (The difference between 65 cpm and 69 cpm is not worth talking about at the $25 card level on the no roaming plan VS the new roaming rate.) And people that buy cards of those sizes are a very small minority. >So what does "on the AT&T network" mean exactly? Depending on how thecompany defines it it varies. Typically however, it is defined as a network of YOUR sites connected to YOUR switches to provide service to your customers. A network can be expanded by including roaming partners like AT&T did with the Digital One Rate Plan that so many who travel a lot use. So, the "network" for the DOR plan is quite a bit larger than AT&T WS's own network. -- John S. e-mail responses to - john at kiana dot net > >So what does "on the AT&T network" mean exactly? > [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > A network can be expanded by including roaming partners like AT&T did with the > Digital One Rate Plan that so many who travel a lot use. But, on an expanded network including other operator's systems, they normally won't refer to it as "The AT&T network" They will have different identifiers that are used for it. (ie) "The America's choice network." When they say, "The ATT network", or "cingular network", or "verizon network" They are usually referring to the towers that are owned by them. > I noticed that Free To Go has a new flat rate plan. Charge per minute > reduced to $0,25 for $10, $25 and the $50 cards, and even less for the $75 > and $100 cards. The cards expire in 90 days instead of the previous 45 days > (1 year for the $100 card). Unused credit also still rolls over. CallPlus (wwww.ecallplus.com) is still a better deal. Airtime through Pharos International (www.pharosint.com) is 23 cpm for $40 and $50 cards, and lower with higher $ cards. Roaming with ATT is 69 cpm, while with CallPlus it is the same as the local rate. (For those who are unaware, CallPlus uses the ATT TDMA system). Both have 90 day expirations. Lena lenagainsterAThotmailDOTcom > CallPlus (wwww.ecallplus.com) is still a better deal. Airtime through > Pharos International (www.pharosint.com) is 23 cpm for $40 and $50 > cards, and lower with higher $ cards. Roaming with ATT is 69 cpm, > while with CallPlus it is the same as the local rate. (For those who > are unaware, CallPlus uses the ATT TDMA system). Both have 90 day > expirations. More people are concerned with the cost per month, not the cost per minute. Well, at least for prepaid. If you're shopping around for a phone with the best price per minute, generally postpaid is the way to go. I agree, but the cost per month of callplus through Pharos is $3.33, and their Locus cards are even less. And to get it even less, you can get a card from Justalk: http://www.phoneshark.com/prepaid_wireless_packages.cfm?AID=6817091&PID=916521 and the cards start at $10 for 6 months, that's $1.66 /per month, and the cards are on sale now for only $8.99, so that's $1.50/mo. While it's only 40 minutes, it's perfect for the very small user, like me, for a 2nd, 3rd, or 4th phone, especially since it works everywhere. And it doesn't require a 30 day call like Callplus. Until I run out of my Callplus minutes, I am still sticking with them. Bill Andrus MountainWireless.com Denver > More people are concerned with the cost per month, not the cost per minute. > Well, at least for prepaid. If you're shopping around for a phone with the > best price per minute, generally postpaid is the way to go. AT&T says that you can bring your own phone. >If you have a Digital multi-network phone* >that is compatible with the AT&T Wireless network, >simply pick up a Starter Kit to sign up for service. But is says.......... >*Does not include the Sony Ericsson R280LX, R289LX >or Mitsubishi T250 Internet Ready Phones. Why are those phones excluded???????? Yes they are internet ready, but I don't think the system will allow a prepaid person to initiate a data connection. > Yes they are internet ready, but I don't think > the system will allow a prepaid person to initiate a data connection. Probably because there will still be customers who say "My phone has this feature! I want to use it!" They use the "old" TDMA based AT&T pocket net, which isn't supported any more by AT&T Wireless. >AT&T says that you can bring your own phone. > [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] >Yes they are internet ready, but I don't think >the system will allow a prepaid person to initiate a data connection. >They use the "old" TDMA based AT&T pocket net, which isn't supported >any more by AT&T Wireless. Actually, it's not IS-136 'TDMA', which can deliver data (Rogers did it for years), but ATTWS decided not to use that capability. Those handsets use CDPD data service over AMPS. ATTWS extended CDPD for existing customers after sunsetting it. Verizon has not yet set a sunset date for this old and slow service. >>AT&T says that you can bring your own phone. >> [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] >>Yes they are internet ready, but I don't think >>the system will allow a prepaid person to initiate a data connection. -- John Bartley K7AAY http://celdata.cjb.net This post quad-ROT-13 encrypted; reading it violates the DMCA. Nobody but a fool goes into a federal counterrorism operation without duct tape - Richard Preston, THE COBRA EVENT. |
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