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AT&T's 'sponsored data' comes to prepaid for guilt-free video streaming

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By Daniel Petrov

Published: Feb 21, 2018, 5:07 AM

After Verizon announced the largest update to its prepaid plan portfolio in a while a few days ago, we made a comparison of the prepaid offers for the big four yesterday, when Verizon's new options kicked in. In it, AT&T didn't look half bad next to the supposedly more affordable carriers like T-Mobile or Sprint, as its unlimited prepaid goes for as much as T-Mobile's, while you can even have a cheaper unlimited option for $60, though at humbler top speeds.

Its $40 for 6GB of max speed data is also one of the best prepaid offers out there, so customers might think hard before they feel the need to go to AT&T's own MVNO Cricket to get on the prepaid bandwagon. As if to sweeten that deal further, it seems that AT&T is now extending the courtesy of its "sponsored data" option from its contract, to the prepaid plan crowd as well. The "sponsored" streaming doesn't count towards your mobile data, in the great spirit of broken net neutrality, so you can watch to your heart's desire, and still spare those 6GB you paid $40 for on AT&T, in addition to the unlimited talk and texting that come with that prepaid plan option.

The thing is, however, that the carrier's "sponsored" offerings are few and far between, and are actually its own DirecTV and U-verse service, with Fullscreen added for a good measure, but let's not forget that, as of January 24, Fullscreen operates as a subsidiary of Otter Media, that is in a joint venture of AT&T and The Chernin Group in its turn. You also need to be a DirecTV or U-verse subscriber, needless to say. So, long story short, you can stream as much video as you want on your smartphone or tablet, and it won't count towards your monthly data allotment on AT&T's prepaid plans now, as long as the streamers are owned by the carrier. Glorious times.

AT&T's 'sponsored data' comes to prepaid for guilt-free video streaming

source: AT&T

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Daniel, a devoted tech writer at PhoneArena from 2010 to 2025, has been engrossed in mobile technology since the Windows Mobile era. His expertise spans mobile hardware, software, and carrier networks, and he's keenly interested in the future of digital health, car connectivity, and 5G. Beyond his professional pursuits, Daniel finds balance in travel, reading, and exploring new tech innovations, while contemplating the ethical and privacy implications of our digital future.