AT&T customers who have a grandfathered unlimited data plan will see a $5 hike in their monthly bill starting in February, according to an AT&T spokesperson.
The unlimited data portion of a grandfathered AT&T unlimited data plan currently costs $30 on top of the talk and text portion. AT&T's price hike raises the unlimited data portion up to $35.
Jan Dawson, an analyst at Jackdaw Research, told Tech Insider in a Twitter message there are an estimated 6 million AT&T customers with grandfathered unlimited data plans. AT&T stopped offering unlimited data plans in 2010.
While the news might anger some of those 6 million customers, AT&T's price hike is relatively low compared to other carriers' hikes earlier this October and November. Verizon raised monthly bills a whopping $20 for its own grandfathered unlimited data plan customers, and T-Mobile raised its unlimited data Uncarrier X plan by $15.
AT&T customers still on the old unlimited data should know that their data isn't truly "unlimited," at least not at full LTE speeds. Instead, data speeds will slow down when you hit the 22 GB mark.
Considering AT&T's current 20 GB plan is $140 (plus the $25 line fee if you're on AT&T's Mobile Value Share plans), the grandfathered unlimited data plan isn't actually a bad deal.
Unlike the higher price hikes from other carriers, AT&T's relatively low price hike might not compel customers to sign on to a modern AT&T plan or even jump ship to another carrier. Instead, it's low enough for die-hard unlimited data fans to continue to cling on.
