(Photo Illustration by Omar Marques/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images))
AT&T is offering a more secure mobile connection—for a price.
AT&T Turbo will cost an additional $7 per month per line on eligible plans. In return, customers with 5G phones will receive "enhanced data connectivity for real-time responsiveness."
The company appears to be marketing the Turbo plan to online gamers and live streamers, where data stability matters. "For example, if customers want less freezing or stuttering and lower latency when milliseconds matter in gaming, AT&T Turbo can help offer real-time responsiveness by improving the performance of customers’ data on the network," the carrier says.
Still, the need to pay for an "optimized" data connection rather than having it added for free may annoy existing consumers. The Turbo plan also arrives days after the Federal Communications Commission reinstated net neutrality rules to ensure carriers and ISPs treat all legitimate internet traffic equally, instead of allowing them to block or throttle such traffic selectively.
That said, the FCC reinstated net neutrality without addressing "5G network slicing," which a carrier can use to segment parts of their network for different use cases or customers. This slicing has sparked concerns that companies will operate paid fast lanes, forcing consumers to spend more for better connectivity. (The FCC told The Washington Post that it "will not allow ‘network slicing’ to be used as a get-out-of-jail free card for net neutrality violations.")
So far, AT&T hasn’t given specifics on the Turbo plan, such as the expected latency or download speeds. But a company spokesperson said network slicing is not involved.
The carrier also frames the new offering as in compliance with the FCC’s net neutrality rules. “Consistent with open internet principles, once turned on the boost applies to a customer's data regardless of the internet content, applications, and services being used,” it says.
AT&T will likely release more details about Turbo when the sign-up process begins tomorrow.