AT&T Is Raising the Rates for Its Unlimited Plans, Bumping Hotspot Data

AT&T customers on its unlimited plans will start to see their bills go up in March. The carrier confirmed to CNET on Friday that it will raise the rates for its unlimited plans by 99 cents per line, per month. 

Notifications will begin going out to customers this weekend, with the increases taking place March 5. 

The new pricing is already visible on AT&T's website for new users, alongside the new names for the company's main wireless plans and increased high-speed hotspot data that the carrier is offering as part of the move. Unlimited Starter, the company's base unlimited plan, has become "Unlimited Starter SL" and will now include 5GB of hotspot data (up from 3GB), while Unlimited Extra -- the middle plan in the company's portfolio -- will be renamed "Unlimited Extra EL" and include 30GB of hotspot data (up from 15GB). 

The carrier's priciest Unlimited Premium option is now dubbed "Unlimited Premium PL" and comes with 60GB of hotspot data, an increase from 50GB on the old plan. The Dominican Republic has also been added as a country that users on this plan can roam in with full talk, text and data. 

Users on AT&T's old Unlimited Elite plan, which includes access to Max, will not be getting any pricing changes, though it raised rates on those lines last summer. Despite the pricing, hotspot and branding adjustments, AT&T has not re-added Max to any of its plans and, unlike rivals T-Mobile and Verizon, it still does not bundle in or discount streaming services with its main wireless service. 

In addition to updating its main plans, AT&T is also adding a 99-cent increase to its cheapest Value Plus option and rebranding that as AT&T Value Plus VL. This plan still lacks hotspot data, but the carrier is now allowing you to have up to 10 lines, whereas it previously limited this plan to just a single line. 

Those opting for Value Plus VL, however, will need to have all lines on this plan. That means they can't have some on a pricier option that offers extra features like hotspot data and others on the cheaper alternative. 

"We are bringing new benefits and added value to our best unlimited plans. This includes increased hotspot data -- doubling on Unlimited Extra EL -- and adding roaming in the Dominican Republic on Unlimited Premium PL. We are also taking our Value Plus plan, now Value Plus VL, from 1 to 10 lines, including connected devices. Customers on our current Unlimited Starter, Extra, Premium and Value Plus plans will receive the additional benefits starting in March," an AT&T spokesperson told CNET in a statement. 

"Existing customers will be notified of these changes in the coming days and will have several weeks prior to the effective date to update their plan or make other changes if they'd like to."

AT&T notes that this is the first increase it has had on these plans since introducing them in 2020.