AT&T to End Traditional Voice/Data Plans, Adopt Mobile Share for New Customers on October 25

AT&T is planning to discontinue its standard monthly voice and data plans for new customers, instead offering only its Mobile Share plans, reports Engadget.

AT&T is planning to axe its traditional monthly calling and data plans for new customers – both individual and family – in favor of the network’s latest shared data options, Engadget has learned after receiving an anonymous tip and reaching out to AT&T. It appears that this move is in response to the overwhelming success of AT&T’s Mobile Share since its original debut.

First introduced during the summer of 2012, AT&T's mobile share plans offer unlimited talk and text while providing a pool of data that can be used across multiple devices.

The plans include a monthly data cost and a per-device charge that ranges from $10 to $50 based on the type of device and the selected data plan. Data is priced between $20 and $500, for between 300MB and 50GB of usage.

At the current time, AT&T also offers individual and family plans that include separate voice, data, and messaging charges at varying price points. The company says that for 95 percent of its customers, Mobile Share plans offer a better value.

The elimination of current voice and data plans will not affect existing customers, even through phone upgrades, line activations, and other plan adjustments. New customers, however, will only be able to choose a Mobile Share plan when signing up with AT&T after the changes go into effect.

AT&T plans to continue to offer the basic $40 plan that includes 450 minutes and no texting or data for customers who require a basic option. The switch to Mobile Share for new customers will be implemented on October 25.