AT&T enters prepaid market with $15 Build-A-Plan, challenging T-Mobile and Verizon pricing
The carrier’s latest offering starts at $15 a month for unlimited talk and text with 1GB of data, positioning itself as the lowest entry-level price among major US carriers.
AT&T has announced the launch of Build-A-Plan, a new prepaid wireless service available from 27 May. The online-only offering starts at $15 a month, providing unlimited talk and text with 1GB of data. AT&T states this entry-level price is lower than any comparable base option from competitors T-Mobile and Verizon.
The service is designed for customisation, allowing customers to add data and hotspot allowances for additional fees. Data upgrades include 5GB for an extra $5 a month, 15GB for $10, or unlimited data with standard definition video for $20. Unlimited data with ultra-high definition video is available for $35. Hotspot data can be added in 5GB increments for $5 a month, up to 50GB for $20.
Unlike traditional postpaid contracts, Build-A-Plan is a prepaid product requiring upfront payment for all features. Unused data does not roll over to the following month. For customers who do not select an unlimited data tier, streaming video speeds are capped at 2Mbps on 5G networks and 1.5Mbps on 4G and below.
The plan is restricted to single-line subscriptions and cannot be purchased at retail locations. It requires an unlocked smartphone that supports eSIM technology. AT&T positions the service as a cost-effective alternative for users who rely heavily on Wi-Fi or require flexibility without the commitment of a family plan.
The offering shares similarities with Google Fi’s Flexible plan, which starts at $20 for one line and charges per gigabyte of data. However, Google Fi includes hotspot data within the general allowance and only reduces speeds after 15GB of usage, whereas AT&T’s base plan includes only 1GB before requiring an upgrade.
