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AT&T Phases Out Overage Charges

Once you use up all your high-speed data, AT&T will slow your data to just 128 kilobits per second.

 & Angela Moscaritolo Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

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Following Verizon's lead, AT&T is finally phasing out overages.

The company on Wednesday announced new plans, dubbed Mobile Share Advantage, aimed at simplifying pricing and eliminating data overage charges.

Now, once you use up all your high-speed data, instead of hitting you with an overage charge, AT&T will slow your data to just 128 kilobits per second (or lowly 2G speeds) for the rest of your bill cycle. You'll be able to view a webpage or check email, but don't expect to play Pokemon Go, use Snapchat, or stream video from Netflix.

You can, of course, pay for more high-speed data if you like; the difference now is that AT&T won't just automatically tack it on.

AT&T said these new plans, which range from 1GB to 200GB and start at $30 a month, in some cases, offer more data at a lower cost per megabyte than what's available today.

"If you have 2 smartphone lines on a current Mobile Share Value 5GB plan for $100 per month, you can now get the new Mobile Share Advantage 6GB plan — 1 additional GB of data for the same price, plus no overages," the company said. "If you need more data, for $20 more a month, you can get 10GB of data."

In other cases, however, you'll be paying more: The base $30 plan now offers 1GB of data instead of 2GB. Check out the chart below for pricing.

These new plans, which go into effect Aug. 21, also include all the perks of AT&T's old Mobile Share Value plans, including unlimited domestic talk and text, rollover data, and shareable data.

About Our Expert

Angela Moscaritolo

Angela Moscaritolo

Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

My Experience

I'm PCMag's managing editor for consumer electronics, overseeing an experienced team of analysts covering smart home, home entertainment, wearables, fitness and health tech, and various other product categories. I have been with PCMag for more than 10 years, and in that time have written more than 6,000 articles and reviews for the site. I previously served as an analyst focused on smart home and wearable devices, and before that I was a reporter covering consumer tech news. I'm also a yoga instructor, and have been actively teaching group and private classes for nearly a decade. 

Prior to joining PCMag, I was a reporter for SC Magazine, focusing on hackers and computer security. I earned a BS in journalism from West Virginia University, and started my career writing for newspapers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

The Technology I Use

My little Florida beach bungalow is brimming with smart home tech. I have a smart speaker or display in every room, allowing me to control other connected devices by voice. The Nest Hub on my bedside table lets me set wake-up alarms, control my smart light bulbs, and set the temperature on my smart thermostat. I use the Amazon Echo Show 8 on my kitchen counter to browse recipes, reorder protein powder, check the weather, and watch the news while I do dishes. 

Because I suffer from allergies, air purifiers are essential. My favorite model is the Dyson Purifier Cool TP07, which doubles as a fan and continuously sends indoor pollution data to its companion mobile app. 

My pitbull Bradley sheds, so a good robot vacuum is a must. I currently use a premium Ecovacs Deebot that can both vacuum and mop, empty its own dustbin, and wash its own mop cloth. 

For fitness, I like to mix up my routine with cycling, indoor rowing, running, and strength training in addition to yoga. I take classes on the Tonal 2 smart strength training machine, I row indoors on an Aviron machine, and track my beach runs with an Apple Watch while listening to music on my Apple AirPods Pro. On the weekends, I love riding e-bikes like the rugged, beach-friendly Aventon Aventure for fun and fitness.

My job involves a lot of virtual meetings, so a quality webcam, microphone, and ring light are important. I use the Jabra PanaCast 20 webcam, the Elgato Wave: 3 microphone, and a Yesker tripod ring light. 

As for my preferred phone platform, I'm an iPhone person, but I've also extensively used Android for product testing.

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