Today we’ve learned that AT&T has added a new monthly fee for all users that will earn the company millions of dollars. It isn’t much, requiring subscribers to pay an additional $0.61 per month for what they’re calling a “Mobility Administration Fee.” Nickels and dimes folks, nickels and dimes.
It might sound small, and in reality it really won’t be much to consumers. On the other side however, this new fee will earn AT&T millions and millions of dollars. Each and every postpaid subscriber will be required to pay this addition 61 cents each and every month.
Actually, saying millions of dollars is an understatement in the long run as the bottom line will be far into the billions. Each subscriber will be paying an additional $7.32 per year ($0.61 x 12) so in all reality we’re actually paying almost $8 a year for nothing. Don’t get out the pitchforks and get angry too fast though guys. After being asked AT&T mentioned this is a similar fee that other wireless carriers charge. They aren’t the bad guys. The spokesman said the new fee is:
“consistent with similar fees charged by other carriers,” and that it will “help cover certain expenses, such as interconnection and cell site rents and maintenance.”
This new fee went into effect on May 1st, so many of you probably noticed a small increase on the bill this month. It really isn’t all that much and after checking it does appear that other carriers have similar fees in place. However, if you’re angry over it you could always switch to AT&T’s new prepaid AIO Wireless option.
So AT&T customers, how do you feel about this new fee? Sound off in the comments below but keep it clean folks!
If AT&T does it, how long before VZW, Sprint and others follow?
According to AT&T, they already do.
The government and corporations are all out to get us and eventually take every cent we (those of us that work) earn or have.
The real question is, do they need more money from customers to begin with? For crap sake they already charge $10-15 per Gig of data! They want rural area users to move away from DSL crap line to LTE instead of building on U-Verse. Yet LTE is to expensive for the type of use that todays technology allows. The Telecoms in the USA have to much of a monopoly, once again. They over charge for what we get and they obviously are not spending money wisely on upgrades or they would not need to find another fee to charge us. I’m afraid my AT&T stock is going to be worth jack in the future unless we help them understand there is money to be made in keeping prices down.
Screw AT&T. They can call it what they want because if it doesn’t lower my bill, it’s called a profit in the dictionary. God, I miss Cingular.
Switched from ATT to Tmobiles prepaid plan a few months ago. $30/month, unlimited text and data (5GB and throttled down after that cap), 100min talk. Coverage is fine in major cities but can be spotty in rural areas.
They could charge people an extra $1000 a month if they wanted to. It’s up to you to do something about it.
wht about the new fee? some detail information
Phone carriers have always been a bit annoying with their policies and charges, but now they’re starting to wade into the same stinky, mucky waters where banks, Wall Street, and airplane companies have been for a long time. Jerks, every last one of them. I think I’ll be switching to pre-paid.
Attention entrepreneurs: Now is your time! Get in there and undermine all the BS phone companies simply by being fair and and you will be bigger huge!