Most major wireless carriers have phased out their unlimited data plans over time, and those that remain are getting more expensive by the year. If you’re considering adopting an unlimited data plan for your business, or are thinking about terminating your company’s current unlimited data plan, there are a few things you should consider first.
Is an unlimited data plan necessary?
Unlimited data plans give business users the freedom to browse the web and consume as much mobile data as possible, but do you really need all that wireless data every month? The average user with an unlimited data plan only ends up using around 1.8 GB of cellular data each month. If your employees are anything like the typical wireless user, they will definitely not need an unlimited data plan to satisfy their mobile data needs.
Think of it this way: Paying extra for an unlimited data plan is like paying extra money for an all-you-can-eat buffet, when you could be paying a little bit less for a sizeable two-course meal. You’re essentially paying extra due to an irrational fear that a standard wireless data plan may not be enough, when in reality a fixed data plan (a 2GB or 5GB plan, for example) is likely to be more than enough. If you have a large number of mobile workers in your company, a pooling plan will certainly all but eliminate the need to purchase unlimited plans for your business.
How much do unlimited data plans cost?
Only two of the major carriers still offer unlimited data plans, Sprint and T-Mobile. Sprint prices its unlimited plan at $70 per month, while T-Mobile prices its plan at $95 per month. Most wireless analysts agree that there is really no such thing as “unlimited” when it comes to wireless. Many users that have fully leveraged their unlimited data plans report that their mobile data has been throttled, slowing speeds, or that they have received letters from their wireless carrier indicating that excessive usage may cause an unlimited plan to be terminated.
AT&T announced in mid-January, with great fanfare, that it would once again offer unlimited plans, but only for those customers who subscribed to its DirectTV or U-Verse services. While AT&T Wireless and Verizon Wireless did away with their traditional unlimited data plans in 2010 and 2011 respectively, users that purchased their unlimited plans prior to these years were allowed to keep their unlimited data.
Many users with these grandfathered rate plans pay around $30-50 for their unlimited data plans. This may seem like a great deal at first glance, but these plans do not include talk or text, which your employees may require, and they’re often laden with hidden fees and surcharges. With these additional charges, these grandfathered plans actually end up costing close to $70-90 per month, which is still very competitive with existing unlimited wireless data plans offered by Sprint and T-Mobile.
Will the major wireless carriers keep offering their unlimited options?
While Sprint and T-Mobile charge more for unlimited data options than for more standard data plans, these companies are quite likely to do away with their unlimited options at some point as well. Why? Well, users with unlimited data plans are less likely to browse the web over Wi-Fi, since they need not worry about paying overage fees. These users clog and slow down Sprint and T-Mobile’s networks, slowing down data speeds and reducing network quality. These carriers are likely to cease offering unlimited data plans at some point in the future in order to reduce network traffic.
Are unlimited plans worth it?
If you are a business user with a grandfathered plan, and a huge appetite for mobile data, keeping your existing plan may make sense. Odds are, however, that is not the case. Your employees can easily get by with standard 2GB, 5GB or 10GB shared data plans, and for a much lower cost.
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