AT&T Considers Service That Would Allow App Developers to Pay for Mobile Data Use

With Unlimited Data plans going the way of Old Yeller, folks are doing everything they have to push their data milage as far as they can without breaking the bank. While yes, Verizon has run deals where you can get double the bang for your buck you still have that limit; taunting you, teasing you to go over where you will be charged even more money for the data you use. Well this new service by AT&T looks to put a different spin on the data usage milage with a completely different approach.

They hope to push out a service that allows content providers, as well as developers, the ability to pay the wireless carrier for mobile data its customers use. According to Mr. Donovan, the carrier’s network and technology head equated it to toll-free calling of the mobile-broadband world. As he puts it: 

“A feature that we’re hoping to have out sometime next year is the equivalent of 800 numbers that would say, if you take this app, this app will come without any network usage,” 

This is a move that attempts at finding new ways to make money on the ever rising data traffic through their networks while also being conscious of the fact that consumers have limits on what they are willing to spend. It’s unclear though as to if technology companies would be willing to pay carriers for data use. With the rollout of LTE this service could be more than a possibility though.

Basically the way it would break down is if someone was close to reaching their data limit they would be more likely to pay for a movie or playing a game if the content provider would foot the bill for the data transmission. Of course this doesn’t reflect how the content providers would thusly charge app users for footing said bills. Only time will tell.