Some new details have begun surfacing last evening about AT&T and their plans to terminate pay-as-you-go service plans for the iPhone. The news seemed to have started with a text message that read;
“AT&T Free MSG: A new software upgrade for iPhone will be available on 6/17. This upgrade may affect your data service. Please visit att.com/iphone or call 800-901-9878 for a representative. If you download the software and are not on an approved iPhone data plan, your data service will be interrupted.”
Still, even with what seems to be lots of calls into AT&T for more information, Erica from TUAW seems to be still looking for some better information. According to the latest update on the TUAW post;
“I am working with an AT&T spokesperson to try to detangle the contradictory information discussed below. No results as yet, but will update when that becomes possible.”
Bottom line, it would appear that if you are currently a pre-paid iPhone customer with AT&T then you may want to give them a call and find out what to expect in terms of your individual account because according to what we understand — if you are not on an approved iPhone plan then your service may go away if you download and install the iPhone OS 3.0 update.
Finally, and this is according to AT&T, but it would seem that “Pay As You Go rate plans are not approved for AT&T iPhone customers.” Additionally, if you are a current Pay As You Go iPhone user then you will have to add the “required unlimited Data Plan for iPhone.” In other words, AT&T is going to require you to spend some extra money each month in order to continue using your iPhone once OS 3.0 is available.
[TUAW]
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June 16th, 2009 at 9:06 am
I just spoke to an AT&T Representative. They conferenced me in with a Apple rep and both assured me that my service will not be affected even though I am still on the original pay-as-you go plan.
June 17th, 2009 at 3:02 pm
Oscar-
Did you upgrade today? Is your service still working? Please advise us if it’s okay to upgrade.
June 17th, 2009 at 3:05 pm
Oscar-
Did you upgrade today? Is your data service working? Please advise us.
June 17th, 2009 at 5:37 pm
I would also be interested in hearing what happened. I am glad you received some encouraging news Oscar, but I still have only heard that from you. I will hope for the best though. Let us know what happens when you update.
June 17th, 2009 at 9:03 pm
I upgraded this afternoon, and my pay-as-you-go internet has stopped working on my iPhone 3G.
June 17th, 2009 at 11:10 pm
I upgrded my iphone, I am NOT on a pay-as-you-go but I AM using a NON-iphone SIM in my iphone. It is an ATT sim. After the update, my data stopped working. Buyer-beware…
June 18th, 2009 at 2:01 am
A friend of mine updated today. He has a legally unlocked iPhone 3G bought in Italy. He has pay-as-you-go and updated today to 3.0. Data service stopped working.
June 18th, 2009 at 9:21 am
I did a backup then loaded the 3.0 OS on my phone. My data services stop working also. I called AT&T and they said the only way to fix the issue was to switch to a post paid account. I loaded the backup to my phone and my data services started working again.
June 18th, 2009 at 9:38 am
I seem to have found a work around I have a back from right before I did my update I loaded it back I still have all the features of the 3.0 update and my data works again and I am still on my prepaid service.
June 19th, 2009 at 7:14 pm
@BJ: I think this gives some valuable information on how they are disable our data. Since all that updating from backup does is re-install settings, and nothing associated with firmware, I wonder if the 3.0 update installed a new APN that is either bogus or that selectively allows data access only from post-paid accounts. If this is true, then perhaps a custom APN (like one generated by unlockit.co.nz) could do the same thing as your backup work-around?
June 19th, 2009 at 7:14 pm
I just tried generating an APN using unlockit.co.nz, and I now have my 3G data access back, though I don’t know how long until ATT finds another way to do the same thing.
June 22nd, 2009 at 12:14 am
FOUND OUT WHAT TO DO !!!!!!!!!!!!!
GO TO unlockit.co.nz AND PRESS CONTINUE ,,,THEN PRESS CUSTOM APN ,,,, THEN CLICK ON CARRIER ,, (PS IM USING AT&T GO PHONE SO I PUT AT&T) AND PRESS CREATE PROFILE AND IT WORKED …
MY DATA PLAN WORKS
July 3rd, 2009 at 7:44 pm
does this still work? I just went through the exact process but can’t get my 3G data connection to work?
September 3rd, 2009 at 12:49 am
just created a custom APN and it worked with my 3G and PAYG and 100MB data plan. apn carrier=cingular
September 20th, 2009 at 7:42 am
This still works using Itunes 8.2.1 and Factory Unlocked Iphone 3g from Belgium with SW 3.1 using PAYG Sim 100mb plan
January 21st, 2010 at 10:13 pm
any one else suddenly not able to use prepaid data? Im on 3.0.1 data seems to work in another handset unsless thats "media" net……At&T usa…..custom APN was key and kept it running till now. Please help…
January 23rd, 2010 at 11:29 am
easy setting fix….settings, reset, reset network settings, cleared everything up.