AT&T to allow app developers to pay for your data

posted by Brian K. / Feb 27, 2012, 1:47 PM

AT&T to allow app developers to pay for your data

If the Wall Street Journal is to be believed, and there are few more credible sources in the media, then AT&T will soon be unveiling a service that allows for app developers to pay for data used by their apps. In a smartphone market where apps are becoming more graphically complex while most carriers are cracking down on data usage, this would allow the user to use the app as often as they'd like without fear of their data cap. With Verizon offering a data-tracking widget on their Android handsets and Google building a data manager into Android 4.0, this is a very real concern for many users out there. This new model would give app developers an advertising advantage with customers who are worried.

While there are no hard details, the developers would presumably be able to purchase this data at wholesale rates. This means that the price of your app may go up a dollar or two, but that one time fee is insignificant compared to the harsh overages a user can be subject to every month. It will be interesting to see how developers respond to this, as AT&T in many ways is simply shifting the burden from the customer to the developer who often do make large profits. It is an interesting idea and we are eager to see the full details as well as how this plays out in the market.

Source: Wall Street Journal(subscription required)

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12 Comments

1. JGuinan007

Posts: 699; Member since: May 19, 2011

Sweet if the developer wants to pay my data bill to use their app I'm all for it unless I have to pay $20 for their app that is.

posted on Feb 27, 2012, 1:52 PM 1

2. HGMIV

Posts: 52; Member since: Feb 15, 2012

AT&T is being...generous?

posted on Feb 27, 2012, 2:12 PM 1

6. Castro90

Posts: 41; Member since: Feb 10, 2012

not generous, just connivingly smart.

posted on Feb 27, 2012, 3:32 PM 7

3. squallz506

Posts: 1075; Member since: Oct 19, 2011

wow, big blue thought up another way to complicate your bill. now data tracking apps will be useless.

posted on Feb 27, 2012, 2:16 PM 6

4. Forsaken77

Posts: 553; Member since: Jun 09, 2011

They made a way for YOU to use less data and you're complaining?!! Way to look a gift-horse in the mouth.

posted on Feb 27, 2012, 3:25 PM 3

10. jmoita2

Posts: 930; Member since: Dec 23, 2011

Gift horse??? If it's like the gift horse the Greeks left behind,I would want to examine it too.

posted on Feb 27, 2012, 4:33 PM 3

12. squallz506

? How does billing developers make me use less data? All big blue is doing is transferring the cost to developers. And that cost is then transferred to the consumer. But now there isn't a reliable way to watch your data. Do you really think big blue is considerate of end-user cost? They wouldn't make this change unless they are getting richer from it. Dolla dolla bill y'all. If big blue really cares about the customer explain their "unlimited" throttling. Explain why they've gotten the worst consumer ratings two years running. Explain why android users pay iPhone subsidies. Get real. Its all about the Benjamin's.

posted on Feb 27, 2012, 9:45 PM 1

5. Forsaken77

This would be great for apps like Pandora or Last FM. Though I don't know if those companies want to shell out that much money because those apps use up a serious amount of data

posted on Feb 27, 2012, 3:27 PM 1

7. McLTE

Posts: 922; Member since: Oct 18, 2011

I'm not sure this is really saving the consumer anything. The app developers aren't going to shrink their earnings, they will just pass this cost onto the consumer. I'm an unlimited data user.. I will now have to pay more for my apps. or.. I'm one who smartly downloads big apps or uses them when on wifi.. I will now have to pay more for my apps.

posted on Feb 27, 2012, 3:48 PM 4

8. som

Posts: 768; Member since: Nov 10, 2009

Stingy AT&T never want customers to stay with them for a long time, so AT&T created tier data plans and now App developers pay users data usage and developers will raise the price the apps to pay AT&T. What next? pay per use internet, watching video, etc.

posted on Feb 27, 2012, 3:59 PM 2

9. Jeradiah3

Posts: 1149; Member since: Feb 11, 2010

I'm for it. I don't use Netflix on my phone as much because of my capped data plan, but with this new service, I can use it more often!!! I hope this is true