Cheap $20 a month Stand Alone Unlimited Rural Internet through AT&T Wireless

[Barry 1]

Just got mine turned on today,and looks like it's $26.39 a month with all the crap charges.They don't even ask about vehicle.

 

[zimy]

Here's a bit of the small print from AT&T's page:

2

What deems an "eligible vehicle"? I see state, fed, and all the other BS charges may be applied. Has anyone else got a bill that was way over $20?

Eligible vehicle is for car's that have the wifi built into the car like chevy onstar which is eligible, Dodge vehicles for example have Sprint wifi built in so you can't get an AT&T plan for them. The mobley is an eligible aftermarket device.

 

[sodamo]

Never asked about my vehicle either. The Mobley has no reporting attributes as far as location that are known, so it doesn't know if in one of my cars or 20 ft away inside the house.
Anything above $20 seems to be the local fees and taxes crap according to your location. I believe some on another forum reported just under $22 total and someone else about $28.

 

[BigBlue1]

"Eligible vehicle" is just generic text that means you need a 'compatible' vehicle. Something newer than 1992(?) with OBD-II port to power it. I'm sure it gives them some legal wiggle room to deny service to people who may choose to use it outside of a vehicle if they decide that such use is a bad thing.

To me, this device and plan seem too good to be true. I'm expected it not to last forever, but for now I am pleased as punch that I have a fast Internet connection at my rural home.

Rob

 

[the old grind]

"Eligible vehicle" is just generic text that means ... with OBD-II port to power it.
To me, this device and plan seem too good to be true. I'm expected it not to last forever, but for now I am pleased as punch that I have a fast Internet connection at my rural home.
Rob

Suddenly, "My Xfinity" asks me to 'sign up' to be told more about a 'new service' that sounds like someone else's version of what this thread is all about. :scratchchin: It makes me think such coverage will be available locally, and I'm open to options other than Comcast's 'loyalty gouging'.

I'll pass along any news as it arrives. Is anyone else getting such announcements, from AT&T or others?

 

[zimy]

Suddenly, "My Xfinity" asks me to 'sign up' to be told more about a 'new service' that sounds like someone else's version of what this thread is all about. :scratchchin: It makes me think such coverage will be available locally, and I'm open to options other than Comcast's 'loyalty gouging'.

I'll pass along any news as it arrives. Is anyone else getting such announcements, from AT&T or others?

Keep us posted, competition is always good for us consumers.

Very glad to pass along the info about this plan, plan had been out all last year apparently for $40(mobley came out september 2015) but they reduced to $20 in January 2017. Even at $40 I would say this plan was a good deal but obviously not complaining at $20 either, at $20 I think it a steal.

 

[1stDeuce]

FWIW, I just got my first bill. I bought my device through AT&T's site, using the "Buy with no contract" option, which indicated that the activation fee was $0.00. I paid $99.99 for the Mobley, and signed up for $20/mo unlimited data service on the site at the same time.

True to that, my bill has a $25 charge for activation, followed by a $25 credit. Total bill $23 and change. It appears that includes a dollar and change that's listed as a one time fee for adding the data package, so long term it should be ~$22.

I think this even beats buying the device through Best Buy for $80, then paying the activation fee. Plus, it was ready to use right out of the box from AT&T, so no need to mess with trying to get it activated and get service.

So far, this device rocks. I'm using it to work from home at least two days a week, and it's had zero connection issues.

 

[BigBlue1]

So far, this device rocks. I'm using it to work from home at least two days a week, and it's had zero connection issues.

I'm testing mine out with my work laptop too, before re-purposing it for family media streaming duty, just to see how well it works and what to expect. It has been very, very solid. My work VPN is sensitive to dropped connections and it has been stable with only one drop since late last week (VPN is connected 24 hours a day. Very happy so far.

Rob

 

[k0ua]

Thanks for the correction. Learn something on TBN everyday.

+1 to that.. now if I could just remember all the new stuff I have learned. :shocked:

 

[ProjectKing]

Subbed!

 

[coldsteelva]

I just received mine last week, I don't have the first bill yet, but I receive 12% off through my employer so mine will still hover around $20 after the fees. We also have an AT&T Wireless Home Phone (sim card in a base station) for the cordless phones since we have a child at home and having a working phone with a dial tone is important.

There is also a Tracfone (on AT&T) with minutes sitting on the shelf charged for emergency use.

 

[TractorGuy]

I expect this whole deal to disappear since so many are probably using the device not as intended. The out of stock status may indicate that has already happened. IF it stays available and is when my Centurylink deal is close to running out again I might jump on board and give it a try but I think my location will kill the deal anyway.

 

[zimy]

I expect this whole deal to disappear since so many are probably using the device not as intended. The out of stock status may indicate that has already happened. IF it stays available and is when my Centurylink deal is close to running out again I might jump on board and give it a try but I think my location will kill the deal anyway.

Apparently that is what everyone said last year, but all at&t did was lower the price from $40 a month to $20.

 

[sodamo]

I think the abusers will be a small number and easily identified and dealt with. For the rest of us, a great deal.

 

[BigBlue1]

I think the abusers will be a small number and easily identified and dealt with. For the rest of us, a great deal.

What constitutes an "abuser" of unlimited data wireless Internet service? There is every valid reason to see this Mobley with a use case that includes someone with an RV streaming Netflix at their campground all summer long. How does that differ from someone who brings the device into their home (or uses it from their car in the garage) connected to their FireStick/Netflix in the living room? Sure, I suppose the upper 1 percentile that streams non-stop or does BitTorrent and burns up a terabyte a month might be an abuser, but are those extremists the ones you're referring to? Or just anyone who uses it in the house?

Rob

 

[newbury]

What constitutes an "abuser" of unlimited data wireless Internet service? There is every valid reason to see this Mobley with a use case that includes someone with an RV streaming Netflix at their campground all summer long. How does that differ from someone who brings the device into their home (or uses it from their car in the garage) connected to their FireStick/Netflix in the living room? Sure, I suppose the upper 1 percentile that streams non-stop or does BitTorrent and burns up a terabyte a month might be an abuser, but are those extremists the ones you're referring to? Or just anyone who uses it in the house?

Rob

It's NOT UNLIMITED. I am paying for 22GB and change, the change is up to the good graces of AT&T.

 

[zimy]

It's NOT UNLIMITED. I am paying for 22GB and change, the change is up to the good graces of AT&T.

It is unlimited, just after 22 GB you have deprioritized data, doesn't mean you get cut off, it just could be slower if tower is overloaded as you dropped down in priority. Much of my family uses straight talk and cricket phones, and if you read they are always 100% of the time depriortized on the AT&T network yet my family doesn't seem to have any issues with them, I suppose if a tower is overloaded in an emergency or something AT&T will make sure their customers get first dibs on tower traffic but for 99% of the time the cheaper deprioritized services work well.

 

[newbury]

It is unlimited, just after 22 GB you have deprioritized data, doesn't mean you get cut off, it just could be slower if tower is overloaded as you dropped down in priority. Much of my family uses straight talk and cricket phones, and if you read they are always 100% of the time depriortized on the AT&T network yet my family doesn't seem to have any issues with them, I suppose if a tower is overloaded in an emergency or something AT&T will make sure their customers get first dibs on tower traffic but for 99% of the time the cheaper deprioritized services work well.

Sorry, but if they drop my speeds down to a trickle after 22GB and there are only so many hours in a month then I'm greatly more limited than if I was not "deprioritized".

 

[sodamo]

What constitutes an "abuser" of unlimited data wireless Internet service? There is every valid reason to see this Mobley with a use case that includes someone with an RV streaming Netflix at their campground all summer long. How does that differ from someone who brings the device into their home (or uses it from their car in the garage) connected to their FireStick/Netflix in the living room? Sure, I suppose the upper 1 percentile that streams non-stop or does BitTorrent and burns up a terabyte a month might be an abuser, but are those extremists the ones you're referring to? Or just anyone who uses it in the house?

Rob

"Sure, I suppose the upper 1 percentile that streams non-stop or does BitTorrent and burns up a terabyte a month might be an abuser, but are those extremists the ones you're referring to?"

Yea, pretty much the same group that gave unlimited a bad rap back in the early unlimited iPhone days.

And I agree that your other scenario is legit, not abusive.

 

[sodamo]

It is unlimited, just after 22 GB you have deprioritized data, doesn't mean you get cut off, it just could be slower if tower is overloaded as you dropped down in priority. Much of my family uses straight talk and cricket phones, and if you read they are always 100% of the time depriortized on the AT&T network yet my family doesn't seem to have any issues with them, I suppose if a tower is overloaded in an emergency or something AT&T will make sure their customers get first dibs on tower traffic but for 99% of the time the cheaper deprioritized services work well.

I don't see that as any worse than my current provider. If a couple of heavy streamer are on before me my speed suffers greatly. Don't know about now but thought it was pretty common known in the early days of cable that more users equaled slower speed. T
I think the deprioritization will be quite individual by location with city folk impacted more than less populated rural. Seems much better to me than the old throttling method.