AT&T will soon require that anyone buying a smartphone sign up for a smartphone data plan to go with it. The policy change will take effect on September 6th.
Why we are making this change?
We want our customers to have the best possible experience with their Smartphones. A predictable bill is a key factor in customer satisfaction, so effective September 6, 2009 Smartphone customers will need to subscribe to a data plan, as the vast majority of customers already do. Data plans let customers fully utilize their device, without the worry of bill shock.
Current customers with non-smartphone plans will be able to keep their existing plans as long as they keep their existing smartphone. But as soon as they decide to upgrade to a new one, the new rules will take effect.
If AT&T is so focused on customer satisfaction, why force customers to sign up for a service that they do not want? They may reduce bill shock but I doubt that they will reduce bill anger every time a customer sees a bill for services they don’t use.