Usually when people discuss how expensive it is to own an iPhone, the focus centers on the cost of the iPhone itself. In reality, the initial purchase price is relatively insignificant compared to the monthly data fees iPhone customers dish out to AT&T every month.
The current monthly cost for an iPhone data plan comes in at $70, a price point that inevitably makes iPhone ownership but a pipedream for many. That said, there were some rumblings about a month ago that AT&T was looking to make the iPhone more affordable for consumers who were interested in an iPhone, but who weren’t able to justify or afford the cost. Specifically, AT&T CEO Ralph De la Vega hinted that AT&T was considering lowering its monthly rate plans by $10 for users who would agree to capped data transfers.
It seemed like a workable solution, but anyone who was counting on those price cuts will be sorely disappointed. Late last week, AT&T spokesman Mark Siegel said that AT&T had no plans to adjust its data rate plans in light of the upcoming June 19th release of the new iPhone 3G S. He went on to state, “We’ve been very happy with our pricing.”
Ya don’t say. Of course AT&T is happy with their pricing, its their pricing. I wager that from AT&T’s perspective, it doesn’t make sense to lower the monthly fees down to $60 if customers are more than willing to pay $70.
via CNN
Tue, Jun 16, 2009
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