AT and T Baits then Switches

I had an AT&T Air Card, I paid $38 to “activate it” (which took 1 minute 45 seconds on the computer at AT&T) and $60 a month for 5GB of data. I needed to be able to take orders and set up demoes anywhere. I asked them at the time why it was $60 a month for 5GB and $29.95 for unlimited for the iPad. No one could tell me. After the 3G iPad came out I decided I’d use it instead since I’d be saving $30 a month for unlimited 3G access. Well my 3G iPad is being shipped on June 7th, the day the new rates go into effect. So when I go to activate my choice will be DataPlus which is $15 for 200MB and $15 for each additional 200MB. Wha? The DataPro plan is $25 a month for 2GB a month and $10 for each additional GB of data.

Obviously AT&T wants you to get the 200MB plan where data is $75 a GB. The original iPad deal was no contract and you could upgrade on a month-to-month basis but I imagine that is gone too. In other words in the deal iPad originally offered you could get the $14.95 plan and upgrade to the unlimited in any month and then downgrade. It actually made a lot of sense considering the data transfer over 3G would be slower than other methods anyway.

So I can’t help but wonder what iPad 3G sales would be like if this had been the deal from the beginning. I bought the iPad (yet to receive it) specifically to get this deal and now it will be going away. I imagine today will be a down day in iPad sales as cancellations roll in after hearing this. Also if they wonder why people jailbreak and tether their phones they might want to look at this.

$14.95 at our webhosting company Netfishbowl gets you unlimited bandwidth. Comcast does great high speed for $49 a month – unlimited. Can cell phone towers add enough cost to actually justify $75 a GB? Even $12.50 a GB?

It’s time to push your local area leaders to turn your community into a hotspot and end this deathgrip on access by telcos.

Also this whole flim flam makes the modest Peek start to look really, really good.