Furthermore, AT&T decided to go all in and also start charging $15 to those who bring their own device and get it activated on their network.
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For now, existing Next subscribers won’t face any new fees, The Verge reports, and AT&T has yet to add any fees when upgrading to a new phone on the Next plan. The carrier has decided to push the activation fees for customers that plan to sign on for a one year or two year agreements, from $40 to $45. $5 isn’t big news but it seems as if the carrier is looking for ways to charge more. That’s the highest in the industry as Verizon still charges a $40 fee. Before activating a device on AT&T Next cost you nothing so slapping users with a $15 upgrade fee really is a big change.
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AT&T is Raising Activation Fees… This past spring AT&T’s national retail partners and third-party dealers began moving toward offering just AT&T’s Next equipment installment plan option, in which customers do not get a subsidized device, but instead pay off their phones through monthly payments and can upgrade to a new phone earlier. However, the company indicates that this is temporary. “Any lines already on a Next plan before August 1 are not affected at this time”. This could provide T-Mobile with another excuse to attack AT&T and unleash a campaign, indicating how it is still better. The changes apparently won’t affect your next upgrade if you were locked into service before August 1st, but don’t be surprised if the upgrade after that comes with a thickened price tag.
