AT&T made a quiet change to its current Unlimited smartphone plans that is a huge benefit for US-based nomads who frequently travel or live in Canada or Mexico.
On May 22, 2018, AT&T removed a long-standing restriction that limited calls, text, and data that limited use to less than 50% usage outside the US in a consecutive two month period - if that level was exceeded, AT&T reserved the right to remove the international feature from a line.
That restriction was dropped from both the Unlimited Choice Enhanced and Unlimited Plus Enhanced plans but remains in effect for any grandfathered unlimited plans, including the Unlimited Choice and Unlimited Plus which were retired in February 2018.
According to a poster on Reddit, who originally leaked the information, the change was made due to a better relationship with AT&T Mexico as well as an increasing number of customers who travel frequently in Mexico and Canada.
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New Roam North America Details
- Data: Full plan data usage in Mexico/Canada, however roaming off AT&T's network partners may be limited to 2G speed.
- Talk: (Phones only) Includes calls within Mexico/Canada and from Mexico/Canada to the U.S., Puerto Rico, and U.S. Virgin Islands. Calls to other countries charged at regular rates.
- Text: (Phones only) Unlimited texts up to 1MB in size from the US, Canada or Mexico to over 120 other countries (standard messaging only).
- Restrictions: This feature is primarily aimed at smartphones and tablets. This feature does not apply to certain devices including wearables & connected cars. Check with AT&T to ensure your device is eligible.
Should you Switch?
For those that spent a significant amount of time in Canada and/or Mexico, or live and work near the border, this is a great change that could be well worth adding to your arsenal or changing from a grandfathered plan. One could, in theory, exclusively use the plan in Canada and Mexico which could be a huge benefit to US expats. US-based nomads, RVers, and Cruisers who spend several months outside the US could also benefit from this plan.
However, we would still caution anyone with a hotspot on a grandfathered AT&T Unlimited Plus plan about changing - giving up truly unlimited high-speed data for greater roaming flexibility in Mexico and Canada is a high price to pay - you'll need to weigh your options and needs to see if it is worth it for your particular situation.
Mobile Internet Resource Center (dba Two Steps Beyond LLC) is founded by Chris & Cherie of