Overview:
AT&T, formerly Cingular Wireless and BellSouth, is one of the biggest and best cellular companies in the USA. They offer their customers more than just wireless – you can get residential and business telephone service, video and cable entertainment offerings, and a full line of Internet plans. They are headquartered in Atlanta.
Pros: The BlackBerry plans are pretty straightforward across the board – they offer a lot of features and often those features have no limit. There are a number of different plans, depending on your needs, including eight personal plans at relatively reasonable prices. As well, if you don’t have a BlackBerry, there are ten plans that deal with other handheld devices.
Cons: The prices are a little expensive, and many additional features will cost you extra. Additional fees may apply, depending on what state you live in, and AT&T includes a charge of up to $1.25 to comply with state and federal regulations. A credit check is required for all plans, cellular or data. There is also a hidden activation fee of $36 for each new line. As well, you cannot use personal BlackBerry plans with BlackBerry Enterprise plans to access corporate email.
Detailed Provider Information:
Voice Plan Options: AT&T has a number of individual voice plans, starting at $39.99 per month for 450 anytime minutes, and ranging up to unlimited calling for $99.99 per month. They also have family plans, which start at $79.99 per month for the first two lines ($9.99 per additional line), through $199.99 for unlimited calling on two lines ($99.99 per additional line).
Data Options: There are two options for BlackBerry data with AT&T. First is 35 dollars per month, and includes unlimited data. This is reduced to 30 dollars per month with the purchase of an individual or family voice plan. The personal data plus tethering option costs 65 dollars per month, 60 with an accompanying voice plan. This comes with a 5 GB cap.
Messaging Options: All plans include text, IM or video messaging, unlimited M2M messaging or tethering options (which means you can connect your device to your laptop with Bluetooth or a connection cable).
Customer Service: AT&T provides support online in the form of an answer center and forums. As well, you can call their number or email them if you have a problem with your service or phone.
Contract: There is a contract for these plans – if you want to terminate early, you’ll be subject to a charge of $175. Contract lengths vary from plan to plan in different states and depend on the phone that you choose.
Messaging: Depending on the plan that you get, you can have up to 1500 messages a month, either with unlimited M2M messaging or tethering. Prices vary from state to state, but are normally in the range of $44.99 to $94.99 for the data plans.
International Calling and Messaging: att.com/wirelessinternational allows you to determine if your wireless device will work in other countries. If it does, you’ll have to activate international roaming at an AT&T store to be able to use this feature. International calls and messages can be sent if your plan allows this. If you only call occasionally, the website offers you a table that will help you determine how much your calls will cost per minute. For BlackBerries, there is an International Long Distance Text Messaging package for $9.99 a month. This includes 100 messages and 20 cents for additional messages sent overseas.
Roaming Charges: Roaming charges may apply to some plans, but AT&T may not add them to your bill for three billing cycles. Default roaming charges are 69 cents a minute for domestic roaming charges off the network.
Activation Fee: You may be charged an activation fee of up to $36 for a new line.
Additional Features: The phones include additional data options, voice options, messaging, voice dial, GPS navigators, push to talk features, roadside assistance and enhanced voice mail. You can also join the AT&T Sounds Tone club, which will give you a subscription to receive text messages on music trivia, news and more. All prices for additional features vary from state to state.
Insurance: There is a one-year warranty on new phones and accessories and a 90 day warranty on refurbished phones.
Phones: You can buy both refurbished and new devices from AT&T, including the
BlackBerry Bold 9000.
Some Additional BlackBerry Models Available:
BlackBerry Curve 8900
BlackBerry Curve 8310
BlackBerry 8820
BlackBerry Pearl 8110
Coverage Map: The AT&T coverage map can be found here.
GPS is a little rough around the edges (takes too long to download maps and location) but otherwise this is the best business-related phone ever.
small/compact and with a full qwerty keyboard. BB chat is a nice feature...although I wish it supported Y! IM better.
rock-solid email ... phone coverage is good and battery life is excellent.
buy it
Recently server is down regularly, attachments are deleted due to file size (I suspect AT&T reduced allowable size when they took over cingular) and performance is increasingly a disappointment. My service was much better 2 years ago or 6 months ago.
I switched from Sprint for the BB Curve, the phone is phenomenal, pricing fair, but the phone service is pure garbage. When Sprint gets the Curve, I'm buying out of my AT&T contract and going back to Sprint!
I really don’t understand why service provider makes it difficult on us. knowing that AT&T is the only wireless phone server provider that has satellites in the quiet zone makes me feel very good and confidant of using it as my prime provider. It works really well, so far proven AT&T is the last server to go down during hurricanes. Thank you AT&T...
At&T is NOT cheap, but they are flexible on payment plans etc and customer service is very good
The network is amazing, however, it does NOT work on NYC subways which can be a problem for some of us......
Otherwise, thumbs up Screw Verizon, theyr even worse.
Well i have switched my service to AT&T from a local little Texas company. By far AT&T plans are awsome compaired to what i have had for the past 13 years!! I have not got my phone yet, its on its way but i am excited. I have heard bad and good things but alot more good than bad......so from my stand point as of now (not haveing phone yet) I have studied on this for several days and AT&T plans are so much better......$15 more a month is what i will pay and i am getting so much more!!!! MORE BANG FOR MY BUCK!!!
I have been an AT&T customer for NINE YEARS!! Pacific Bell Wireless --> Cingular Wireless --> and now AT&T.
It has been a great ride for all these years, and will remain with AT&T indefinitely. I travel a lot, and am abroad as I'm writing this on my brand spanking new, and first ever, Blackberry Curve 8310! All I can say is W-O-W!! The OS (I currently have 4.2.2) could not be any more intuitive than it is. I downloaded OS 4.5.0.37, which will add even the maybe ONE "con" as far as Pros and Cons are concerned. And that being the ability to record videos, amongst a few other both visible as well as "hidden" updates that address stability, for example. I am so tempted to get the new OS on my "love at first sight" BB 8310, but for now I shall wait for the official upgrade.
I will also upgrade to the upcoming Blackberry Bold (9000), with the highest resolution of ANY Blackberry screen (HVGA!!), and, for that matter, ANY PDA or "regular cellphone". It will also be the first Blackberry with 3G, and wow...does it look HOT or what! ;)
AT&T also has the largest selections of Blackberry's, and cellular/PDA phones overall, for that matter. 3G is seemingly EVERYWHERE. Now THAT's an incredibly deployed network, which, only a year ago, was spotty, but only in markets that hadn't had 3G before. And to do with the 3G network what they did in only a year is just impressive and then some, and that's an understatement.
I travel a LOT, so I know how well everything works in different areas domestically, as well as internationally. With manual network selection enabled for international trips, it is stunning to see how many roaming agreements AT&T has across the pond, as well as Asian countries.
5 stars, my friends, 5 stars! :)
AT&T service in my part of Nashville is BAD. Sitting in my favorite chair: No Service. Lean to the left: 1 bar. Lean to the right: NS. Stand up: NS. In living room next to dining room door: 1 bar. Moved 1 step into dining room: NS. Front porch: 1 bar. On the steps: NS. In the driveway: NS. In the backyard: NS.
Do I need to go on? AT&T rep told me that there was nothing that could be done. I was in a dead zone.
Yes, dead zone for AT&T but just fine when I switched to Verizon.
I am hearing Imparied. I am T-Mobile service for 3 years. My Sidekick II is old and cant get the TTY service. Now I really can't wait to buy the Blackberry(Bold) 9000 from AT&T will help me out.
ATT Sucks, I had ATT for 8 years then switched to verizon wireless 2 years ago and verizon has the best and most reliable coverage and service around. The Internet speed is 3x** faster than ATT's and now verizon is the largest network in the US with over 80billion customers! Switch to verizon and you will literally never miss a call again!!
I have been with both Verizon and AT&T, AT&T has by far the best coverage and the most reliable 3G service, thats why I switched and TX GUY, how can verizon have 80 billion customers in the US when the 2008 population estimate is only 303,824,650?
We own two unlocked BB 8700G's. How can we get AT&T voice & data blackberry no equipment just airtime plan, without signing any contract?
Have been a 10+ yrs. cingular cell phone customer. They switched my feature plans without my knowledge. although rarely used photos, recently discovered no photos!! although they have nice phones, their customer support provide answers but not to your initial inquiries. Before merger, had excellent service everywhere in home. now no service in my own home office and other parts of house!! drops constantly. done with them. Looking at Verizon.
that should be, after merger AT&T switched my feature plans....
I am the one who sent a form to you while ago. Now I have been changed to my mind to get Motorola Q 9Q from Verizon. It make more helpful for me and easier to use and cheaper. Hope you buy it.
I am the one who sent a form to you while ago. Now I have been changed to my mind to get Motorola Q 9Q from Verizon. It make more helpful for me and easier to use and cheaper. Hope you buy it.
just in response to the price plans for AT&T, they actually have family talk plans starting at 69.99 and you can also get unlimited messaging as well. 1500 is a step below that, but not the highest you can go.
I do not have a blackberry. I only have a PC, but everytime someon contacts me via blackberry and I send the information via an attachment. Blackberry refuses the attachment
I th9ink it's time for verizon the correct this problem and make it possible fot balckberry to receive attachments.
I gotta say, reading your review I would think I get text messages with my data plan..... since you say text messenging comes with it. IT DOES NOT. you can Either pay for a text plan or pay per messege. Either way, you are charged for EVERY text SENT OR RECIEVED, WHETHER YOU READ IT OR NOT!! ATT= grab your ankles.
Blackberry.net, is this just the emails being sent or received. I didnt know what this charge on my bill was. I do have unlimited use.
I was a Bell South Mobility customer in 1989, then it changed to Cingular, and now AT&T. I travel across America by plane and auto. My service with AT&T is, very frankly, consistently disappointing. Their "More Bars, More Places" is definitely wrong. Several times my wife has been with me using her Verizon phone (I switched her over about three years ago) and has NEVER been without service, even in the mountains of North Carolina. I have been forced to use her phone more times than I can count. Unfortunately she is not always with me. I would switch in a heartbeat if it was my personal phone, but alas it is now covered in my company's plan and they pay the bill.
I love my Blackberry, but I detest AT&T.
ilove AT&T without a doubt, their service is to me is never dissapointing & ihave a Blackberry Curve 8310 . now the prices is where iget frustrated , idont pay my bill my mother does so with that iam limited to certain things . we only have unlimited text , which is an extra $30 on the bill . we have NO internet, well we do but its PayPerUse MediaNET, so we dont get Intant Messaging, Email, BBM, etc. now my mom recently decided she would turn the Internet on, she called an AT&T representative & they told her should would have to pay $30 for my line & $30 for her like with would make the bill $60 more a month, we have 1400 mins (89.99) Unlimited Text (30.00) other BS services that come up to $20 a month so adding that unlimited Internet would raise the bill well over $200 , which is death . i've come to realize that All Carriers have expensive Blackberry Rate plans Besides sprint, but they have horrible service . ibelieve they should give more reasonable BB plans, since the BB world is expanding anyway they still have a lot of $ . & also they should combine that Internet Plan w. texting cause $90 a month for internet & texting is bogus. thats not only an arm & a leg , but its a freakin LUNG . come on AT&T give your Loyal customers a damn break , pple already struggling as it is .
I have a blackberry storm unlocked. I also have at&t service and unlimited data plan. I can get the phone to recieve and make calls but I cant get it on the internet. I have had no problems at all with my service except getting this phone to work on the internet.
I had Verizon and the locations where I spent most of my time had 1-2 bars at best, so I switched to AT&T and have crystal clear conversations. Its the luck of where you are with all of the carriers. Srint has 0 bars where I work.
I am very upset with AT&T right now. I have been a loyal customer of them since they were cingular. I have a BB pearl and my son has the BB bold. I pay the $30 month for internet for his phone and the $30 for family text but I don't have or want internet on my phone. Now that my phone is not working and my contract is up I wanted to get another BB but I was informed I would HAVE to add another $30 for internet on my phone if I got another BB even though I don't want internet. come on AT&T we already give you guys $200 a month!!!!! What more do you want??