Internet access in Houston
If you use AT&T’s standalone U-verse Internet access, you’re finally about to get unlimited home data.
But, you’re going to pay extra for it.
AT&T’s U-verse Internet service has long had a 250-gigabyte data cap (which the company prefers to call an “allowance”). As I wrote last summer, AT&T has not been enforcing it. But in a new blog post, AT&T Vice President of Data & Voice Products Bob Bickerstaff says customers who have only U-verse Internet can pay $30 a month for unlimited access starting May 23.
There is some good news for those who don’t want to shell out extra – data caps are going up. If you subscribe to a U-verse speed tier between 768 kilobits and 6 megabits, your cap goes up to 300 gigabytes. If you’re between 12-75 Mbps, you’ve now got a 600-GB cap. And if you’ve got AT&T’s gigabit Internet service, you now have a 1-terabyte cap.
Those who bundle their Internet service with U-verse TV or DirecTV on the same bill don’t have to worry about it – you’ll get unlimited data for no charge. These caps and unlimited surcharges are strictly for those who have Internet-only.
I asked AT&T’s local spokesman what would happen if capped customers went over their allowances. Here’s what he told me:
Customers will receive 7 notices over the course of 3 billing cycles before they begin to receive additional data in increments of 50 GB for $10 each once they exceed their allowance. In subsequent months, we’ll notify customers when their usage reaches 65%, 90% and 100% of their data allowance.
And Comcast customers, don’t feel too smug. You’ve got an unenforced data cap in Houston of 300 gigabytes, but in other markets Comcast has been charging $30 for unlimited data. And in some markets, it has set up usage-based tiers, similar to smartphone Internet plans. Don’t be surprised to see Comcast follow AT&T’s lead here.
I’ve asked Comcast if AT&T’s move means they’ll start charging for unlimited data in Houston. I’ll let you know what they say.
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