Geekido

AT&T caused a stir today when it announced new data plan pricing. This hits close to home, as I’ve been considering getting two iPads with 3G (one for me, one for Julie). Negative comments abound about AT&T price gouging for data. Not too thrilled about it myself, I decided to do some comparisons, with an eye toward getting a MiFi device on either Sprint or Verizon, and using that to drive two iPads without 3G. Here’s what I found:

AT&T Plans:

• 200MB, $15/month, no contract ($75/GB)
• 2GB, $25/month, no contract ($12.50/GB)

Sprint Plan:

• 5GB, $60/month, 2 yr contract ($12/GB)

Verizon Plans:

• 250MB, $40/month, 2 yr contract ($160/GB)
• 5GB, $60/month,2yr contract($12/GB)
• 100MB, $15 one day, prepaid ($150/GB)
• 300MB, $30 one week, prepaid ($100/GB)
• 1GB, $50 one month, prepaid ($50/GB)

MiFi devices for Verizon and Sprint can be had basically for free with 2 year contract, depending on where you buy.  They list at $300 when sold without a contract. It’s not clear whether you can purchase a non-prepaid data plan month to month if you buy an unsubsidized MiFi.

So, anger at AT&T aside for changing up the data plans so soon after iPads with 3G become available, and charging an extra $20/month for tethering an iPhone when they don’t have to do anything to tether, it looks like the AT&T plans are reasonable competitive for mobile data plans. I’m sure the picture changes a lot when you’re talking data on smartphones, but I didn’t analyze that area, since I’m not in that market at the moment.