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AT&T reportedly looking to subsidize phone plans with ads

You could be getting a $5 or $10 discount on your monthly bill, a report says.

Corinne Reichert Senior Editor
Corinne Reichert (she/her) grew up in Sydney, Australia and moved to California in 2019. She holds degrees in law and communications, and currently writes news, analysis and features for CNET across the topics of electric vehicles, broadband networks, mobile devices, big tech, artificial intelligence, home technology and entertainment. In her spare time, she watches soccer games and F1 races, and goes to Disneyland as often as possible.
Expertise News, mobile, broadband, 5G, home tech, streaming services, entertainment, AI, policy, business, politics Credentials
  • I've been covering technology and mobile for 12 years, first as a telecommunications reporter and assistant editor at ZDNet in Australia, then as CNET's West Coast head of breaking news, and now in the Thought Leadership team.
Corinne Reichert
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AT&T could be subsidizing the cost of phone plans with ads, a report Tuesday said. The carrier could be providing up to a $10 discount on monthly bills by 2021, CEO John Stankey told Reuters in an interview. 

"I believe there's a segment of our customer base where given a choice, they would take some load of advertising for a $5 or $10 reduction in their mobile bill," Stankey told Reuters.

Stankey's remarks come as AT&T is planning to launch a cheaper, ad-supported version of HBO Max next year. 

AT&T didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

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