Data Backup Digest

As more consumers begin to embrace the web browsing and data transfer abilities of their smartphones, wireless service providers have seen a massive upswing in the wireless data charges of their customers. AT&T, in a recent attempt to secure their customer base, has cut wireless data charges by as much as $15 per month for some individual users and up to $100 for a family of four. While the move doesn't affect all users, the markdown is a welcomed change for many AT&T customers.

But this isn't the first time AT&T has cut prices in order to appease their users. In fact, this isn't even the first time this year. In February, AT&T offered discounts for family plans, as well as additional savings for those who renewed their contracts. New customers also received $100 toward their phone bill for registering new phone lines with the company.

The most recent round of price cuts, however, has been touted as their best offer to date. Under the new promotion, subscribers to AT&T's Mobile Share Value plan with one smartphone and no annual service contract will pay a monthly rate of $65 instead of the previous rate of $80 per month. The plan still includes 2 GBs of LTE wireless data, 50 GBs of cloud storage, unlimited talk and unlimited text messaging. AT&T customers who maintain two separate smartphones will pay $90 per month. This amounts to a savings of approximately 19%.

AT&T's recent move didn't exactly materialize out of nowhere, however. In fact, the latest round of discounts was unveiled a mere day after T-Mobile raised the price on their unlimited data plan. Although AT&T isn't providing unlimited plans to new customers, they do provide a generous amount with 2 GBs of available data per month. Given the fact that the average smartphone user doesn't use more than 2 GBs on a monthly basis, AT&T is expected to draw a lot of customers away from T-Mobile following the recent announcement.

However, AT&T's newest round of price cuts will not benefit everyone. In fact, some may even end up paying more under the new pricing structure. For example, AT&T's Mobile Share Plan provides three service options, including contract plans, no-contract plans and extended payment plans. Users with a contract will still have to honor that contract or face a large termination fee for leaving early. Customers who opt for the payment plan may also end up paying more due to additional connection and device fees.

Undoubtedly, the wireless service industry is a competitive and cutthroat world. As the consumer demand for wireless data increases, there's really no telling how wireless service providers will react. The one thing that is certain, however, is the fact that the industry's top companies will also be competing for your dollar.

For those who are interested in finding out more about the available AT&T Mobile Share Plans, or if you want to sign up for service, visit their website at www.att.com. Note that service may not be available in all areas.