{"id":660129,"date":"2013-05-24T15:16:11","date_gmt":"2013-05-24T19:16:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/gigaom.com\/?p=649330"},"modified":"2013-05-24T15:16:11","modified_gmt":"2013-05-24T19:16:11","slug":"atts-gophone-prepaid-service-can-now-connect-to-lte","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/660129","title":{"rendered":"AT&T’s GoPhone prepaid service can now connect to LTE"},"content":{"rendered":"

AT&T is no longer saving its sparkly new LTE network<\/a> for its high-end contract customers. On Friday the company confirmed it is opening up the faster speeds of its LTE and HSPA+ systems to GoPhone prepaid customers.<\/p>\n

Those high-capacity connections are only available to customers who buy a compatible device (many phones in GoPhone\u2019s portfolio are either 2G-only or can only access slower HSPA speeds) or to customers who bring their own compatible devices to the network. And yes, that includes new high-end smartphones like the iPhone 5 and the Galaxy S 4.<\/p>\n

AT&T sells data add-ons to GoPhone plans, ranging from $25 a month for 1 GB to $5 a month for 50 MB. New customers will get immediate LTE and HSPA+ access, but current customers will have to wait a bit. An AT&T spokesman said the carrier is working on ways to extend these new network capabilities to its existing customers with compatible devices, but it\u2019s still working out the details.<\/p>\n

AT&T\u2019s archrival Verizon Wireless has restricted access to its LTE network to only its contract smartphone customers<\/a>, and it looked like Ma Bell was going to do the same. Earlier this month AT&T launched a new prepaid brand called AIO Wireless<\/a>, targeting more data savvy smartphone users who didn\u2019t want to deal with contracts. The AIO service, however, doesn\u2019t include access to LTE.<\/p>\n

I suspect we\u2019ll see LTE on AIO as it rolls out to new markets, though. Of its two prepaid brands, GoPhone is definitely the lower-end service. If AT&T is finding that its GoPhone customers are asking and willing to pay for LTE, then AIO customers most certainly would do the same.<\/p>\n

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