AT&T Inc. said Wednesday that they will launch wireless plans that allow users to connect up to 10 phones or other devices.
Phones that are connected will have access to unlimited calling and texting, and all devices will have wireless data access that is renewed on a monthly basis.
AT&T's new move is being closely compared to a similar change taken on by Verizon Wireless less than a month ago. Verizon introduced its "Share Everything" multiple device plan in late June. AT&T plans to release its new plan in late August, but unlike Verizon, it will keep its individual and family plans available to customers.
To continue a close rivalry with Verizon, AT&T's prices will be $5 cheaper than that of its competitor. The plan will include 1 gigabyte of data and will cost $85 per month for AT&T users, compared to Verizon's $90 monthly plan. On both phone carriers, two smartphones and a tablet computer with a shared amount of 6 gigabytes will run customers $170.
Verizon remains AT&T's biggest competition, as AT&T is the second-largest cellphone carrier in the United States after Verizon.
Both companies' shared-data plans hope to encourage customers to purchase more non-phone devices by making monthly service more affordable.
AT&T's "Mobile Share" plan will cost customers a monthly fee that will cover smartphone and data usage. Costs are expected to range from $85 for 1 gigabyte per month to $230 for 20 gigabytes.Subscribers can then add on other devices that can use the data package, but will have to pay an extra monthly fee per device. Non-smartphone devices will cost $30 per month and a tablet will cost $10. For users who want to add smartphones, the costs will range from $30 to $45 per device, based on how large the data plan is.
