No data allowed for AT&T prepay Iphone users?!
Dec 17, 2011 | 10:37 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: London
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No data allowed for AT&T prepay Iphone users?!
I have an unlocked iphone that I use for travelling around, and have just changed my AT&T prepay rate to the $50 a month unlimited plan, which includes unlimited calls, texts, international texts and data for "regular phones".
The small print reads:
The rates shown are:
500 MB $25
100 MB $15
5 MB $5
However, according to the agent, I cant use the iphone (and she also said Blackberry) even with the purchase of the above data packages, which if true is rather unbelievable, and then also makes AT&T useless as a network for the occasional US traveler.
Does anyone have any info/experience with this?
Ace
The small print reads:
Note: Smartphone Users: You may use your Smartphone on all GoPhone plans. Smartphone users must purchase a Data package to use Data services on any plan. Pay-per-use data is not available on Smartphones.
500 MB $25
100 MB $15
5 MB $5
However, according to the agent, I cant use the iphone (and she also said Blackberry) even with the purchase of the above data packages, which if true is rather unbelievable, and then also makes AT&T useless as a network for the occasional US traveler.
Does anyone have any info/experience with this?
Ace
Dec 17, 2011 | 12:40 pm
#3
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: MCO/FRA
Programs: None anymore
Posts: 799
Then also swap that sim back into the non-iPhone on occasion. When AT&T does their system sweep and see a GoPhone sim in a iPhone they kill the data portion of the service. This used to happen every 12-18 hours, not sure now as I've moved on to Big Red(VzW and another pre-paid GSM provider in the US).
Dec 17, 2011 | 12:54 pm
#4
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Munich, Germany
Programs: UA*S, TK*G, BA G
Posts: 361
This has been driving me up the wall for years now. I am paying for a certain amount of data. Whether I use it with an Android phone, an iPhone or a flipping ZX81 is none of their business.
It's like an airline selling you a ticket and then denying you boarding because you are wearing jeans.
It's like an airline selling you a ticket and then denying you boarding because you are wearing jeans.
Dec 17, 2011 | 2:15 pm
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: London
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I really can't understand this at all to be honest, they should be delighted that you're using masses of data if they're charging for it.
How long has this (and the system sweeping) been in effect? I didn't know about it at all during the summer, and used my iphone, purchasing data bundles with no problem at all.
How long has this (and the system sweeping) been in effect? I didn't know about it at all during the summer, and used my iphone, purchasing data bundles with no problem at all.
Dec 17, 2011 | 2:20 pm
#7
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: LAX
Programs: WN A-List
Posts: 1,021
There are several active threads over on Howardforums on this topic indicating that it works just fine on gophone using an AT&T locked iphone (or an unlocked iphone obviously). You have to go to an AT&T store and get a new SIM card and not tell them it's for an iphone. Don't expect to get fast 3G speeds though.
http://www.howardforums.com/forumdis...-amp-T-GoPhone
http://www.howardforums.com/forumdis...-amp-T-GoPhone
Last edited by Dunbar; Dec 17, 2011 at 2:28 pm
Dec 17, 2011 | 3:01 pm
#8
Join Date: Jun 2002
Posts: 960
at&t will check for a smartphone on normal postpaid accounts and 'upgrade' your plan if they see an iphone or other smartphone, but gophone is not swept.
Last edited by pdxer; Dec 17, 2011 at 3:14 pm
Dec 17, 2011 | 3:06 pm
#9
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: LAX
Programs: WN A-List
Posts: 1,021
Actually on GoPhone the SIM gets locked to the device for 6 months when you activate it. So you don't want to activate the SIM card in another device. But you could swap it from another device if it's was activated more than 6 months ago. There's lots of good info in the HoFo GoPhone forum I linked to in my earlier post.
Dec 17, 2011 | 3:13 pm
#10
Join Date: Jun 2002
Posts: 960
Actually on GoPhone the SIM gets locked to the device for 6 months when you activate it. So you don't want to activate the SIM card in another device. But you could swap it from another device if it's was activated more than 6 months ago. There's lots of good info in the HoFo GoPhone forum I linked to in my earlier post.
it does not happen with standard at&t sims, which can be obtained at any at&t store or off ebay. if you get it at a store, they might want you to activate it at the same time, so bring another phone. otherwise, the sim can be activated online.
Dec 17, 2011 | 3:23 pm
#11
Suspended
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 22,778
Then also swap that sim back into the non-iPhone on occasion. When AT&T does their system sweep and see a GoPhone sim in a iPhone they kill the data portion of the service. This used to happen every 12-18 hours, not sure now as I've moved on to Big Red(VzW and another pre-paid GSM provider in the US).
Dec 21, 2011 | 1:09 pm
#13
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: cbr
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Posts: 4,971
Well, activated a prepaid microsim with ATT GoPhone 50$ plan today, and I'm so far unable to use the data. Seems like ATT now does not allow the included data to be used on smart phones :-/
Any workarounds to get this data working short of buying a 25$ data pack?
Any workarounds to get this data working short of buying a 25$ data pack?
Dec 21, 2011 | 4:21 pm
#14
Join Date: Jun 2002
Posts: 960
the other issue is you probably need to change the apn.