As of Feb. 12, 2020, AT&T pulled this plan from its website and it is no longer offered or available. This plan is officially retired, but the plan has been grandfathered for existing customers who adhere to the plan terms of service for use in tablets, which prohibit use in unauthorized devices like hotspots and routers.
This plan has been replaced by AT&T with a 25GB plan for $34.99/mo. More info on this plan is available here.
AT&T Prepaid is AT&T's own prepaid brand. For several years, they offered an unlimited tablet based plan that was of interest to nomads seeking unlimited data on a tablet device.
We have an in depth guide to all of AT&T Prepaid's many offerings, here. This guide focuses solely on the AT&T Prepaid Unlimited Tablet Plan, a popular option for AT&T coverage.
Tablet DataConnect Prepaid Unlimited Plan
The plan was a session-based prepaid plan designed for tablets, cellular-enabled cameras, and gaming devices. It was first released in 2010 with the launch of the cellular iPad, and quickly retired (but customers were grandfathered in as long as they continued to renew).
AT&T brought the plan back in June 2017 and made it available to all tablet devices. Later, cellular-enabled cameras and gaming devices were added as options, but tablets remain the most useful device for this plan.
The plan includes truly on device unlimited data, subject to network management after 22GB of usage, but does not include any mobile hotspot use.
The plan price was increased by $5/month in May 2019 and currently costs $40/month ($34.99 with auto-renew).
Many were using this plan on routers and hotspot devices, and since the retirement of the plan AT&T has continued to terminate accounts doing so.
In February 2020, AT&T officially retired the plan - grandfathering in those who utilize the plan as intended:
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For Our Comparative Pricing Grid:
Guide to Cellular Data Plan Pricing
Testing Status
We do not keep an AT&T Unlimited Tablet Plan in our testing arsenal.
Policies & Perks:
- Carrier Networks Used: AT&T
- Carrier Relation: Direct prepaid
- Plan Types Available: Tablet
- Device Types Permitted: Tablets, Cameras, Gaming Devices, Wearables.
- Use of SIM in a dedicated hotspot device is against AT&T's terms of service, but also not currently enforced
- Device Purchase Required: No, but can purchase a device
- Mobile Hotspot Use: No mobile hotspot use. However, many folks take the SIM card out of a tablet once activated and successfully utilize it in a hotspot device (this is very much against AT&T's terms of service.)
- Throttling: None
- Network Management: At 22GB
- International Roaming: US-only, but international data add-ons are available for some session-based plans (at an extra cost).
- Domestic Roaming: (unconfirmed) - AT&T Prepaid seems to include domestic roaming, and likely has similar limits to postpaid accounts.
- Plan Period: 30 days
- Data Roll Over: N/A
- Overage Charges: None
- Streaming: None - and stream saver not included (or needed).
- Unlimited Data: Yes
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Potential Alternatives to Consider:
Some of our TOP PICK Cellular Data Plans to also consider:
Learn More About Selecting Cellular Data Plans Explore Our Comparative Pricing Grid
Purchasing Options
No longer available, current tiered data options can be activated with these links:
- For iPads use this link: att.com/ipadlanding
- For other tablet models and compatible devices: https://buyasession.att.com/sbd/Common/ShopRatePlans.action
Shopping for Cellular Data Plans
Finding the right plans for your needs is no easy task - quite simply mobile travelers using cellular data as their primary way online is not how most carriers have designed their plans. Many of us want plans that provide copious amounts of data.
Understanding the different plan terms (like network management, throttling, hotspot data, video resolution) is key to determining if a plan will meet your needs or not. You also need plans that are suitable for use in the device you want to use them in - such as smartphone, mobile hotspot device or cellular embedded router.
To learn more about shopping for dataplans, check out these key guides:
As heavily as the carriers push their "Unlimited' data plans - you'll quickly discover that most have limits. Here's a video going over what you need to know about unlimited plans, including 3rd party resellers plans that you might find on the internet:
But a data plan alone will not keep you online - it's only one part of the equation. You also need the right gear and signal enhancing strategy.
For more education on assembling a cellular centric mobile internet setup, head on over to our collection of guides:
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