All Things Digital takes a look at the shifting landscape of mobile device data packages, where European carriers are leading the way in offering shared data plans allowing customers to sign up for a single data allotment to be used among multiple devices such as an iPhone and an iPad. Led by Austrian offerings from Orange, those shared data plans have begun rolling out to customer bases increasingly carrying multiple devices and seeking cost-efficient ways of obtaining data access for all of them.

Although the plans vary somewhat by country, the basic premise is the same. Users pay an extra couple of dollars a month for each additional device that shares data - similar to the way families and businesses here have long been able to share minutes between multiple phones.

"We believe that's really a way for the future," said Olaf Swantee, senior executive vice president for France Telecom's Orange unit.

The report notes that executives from AT&T and Verizon in the United States have said that they are actively working on shared data plans, with AT&T saying that such offerings are coming "soon" while declining to specify a launch timeframe.

orange shared data
Apple worked closely with wireless carriers ahead of the iPad's debut in order to be able to provide customers with simple and flexible data access for owners of 3G-capable models. While the initial unlimited data package offered by AT&T for the iPad was quickly replaced by tiered plans, users continue to be able to subscribe to and cancel data services as needed without the need for activation fees or long-term commitments. But shared data plans could offer additional flexibility to provide data service for multiple devices and relatively low incremental costs, provided that the additional device fees imposed by the carriers are not excessive.

AT&T has already had to respond to the idea of shared data with its tethering plans that allow users to create their own Wi-Fi hotspots connected to the cellular network via their phones. The carrier had initially offered tethering support for an additional $20 per month on top of the standard data fee, despite not offering any additional data allotment. The surcharge drew numerous complaints from users, and the carrier eventually modified its offerings to include an additional 2 GB of data for customers on its tethering plan.

Top Rated Comments

fungus Avatar
166 months ago
I'm already dreaming of rollover megabytes... :rolleyes:
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tasset Avatar
166 months ago
Oh God, this is even worse.

Now little Cindy is gonna eat up daddy's data before he knows it. It's the shared minute/text messages family fight all over again.

It could potentially be this way, if AT&T/Verizon's idea for shared plans are made to penalize you for pooling. Such as 3gb for $50 a month. Something to disincentivize you from a per-line data plan.

I think though with good restrictions/parental controls in iOS you can set Youtube and hopefully soon other video apps to only work over wifi.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tasset Avatar
166 months ago
Charging for tethering is bull ****. Just another way US corporations are more concerned with paying CEOs and shareholders than offering value to their customers.

Television, internet, telecoms ... all of them are ruled by a few corporations, much of the time in a monopoly bubble, and all of them hold back evolution by trying to take as much money out of the consumer as possible first at the expense of the country's global technological standing.

In ten years time the USA is going to be in the bottom tier for internet and digital infrastructure and consumer reach.
I agree and try to preach this to friends and coworkers, but their eyes just glaze over and say "yeah but capitalism rules and this is just the free market at work." They have totally drunk the Koolaid. Probably will be at a Palin 2012 rally as well.
I still hold out hope that Sprint will realize they will never catch up to AT&T/Verizon and go out in a blaze a glory with an all-you-can eat data all the time plan. Or maybe that LightSquared will be a player.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
baryon Avatar
166 months ago
This is inevitable. No sane person will have a separate contract for 2-3 devices. Pay for a single service, and use it however you like.

The electric company doesn't charge me separately for using the washing machine or the lights either.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
goobot Avatar
166 months ago
I would love if for 10$ a month my ipad can join my iphone in unlimited data. Of course that isnt gana happen tho.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
RonD69 Avatar
166 months ago
Hopefully U.S. carriers will follow suit!
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 16 Camera Lozenge 2 Perspective Gray

Five Key Upgrades Coming to iPhone 16

Friday March 15, 2024 1:45 pm PDT by
The iPhone is Apple's top-selling product, and it gets an update every year. In 2024, we're expecting the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro lineup, with an arguably more interesting feature set than we got with the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Capture Button All four iPhone 16 models are set to get a whole new button, which will be...
When To Expect New iPads Feature 1

Apple to Announce New iPads on March 26, Rumors Claim

Monday March 18, 2024 4:02 am PDT by
Apple is widely expected to release new iPad Air and OLED iPad Pro models in the next few weeks. According to new rumors coming out of Asia, the company will announce its new iPads on Tuesday, March 26. Chinese leaker Instant Digital on Weibo this morning 日发布%23">claimed that the date will see some sort of announcement from Apple related to new iPads, but stopped short of calling it an...
airpods 3 orange

Two New AirPods 4 Models Expected to Launch in September or October

Sunday March 17, 2024 7:56 am PDT by
Apple suppliers will begin production of two new fourth-generation AirPods models in May, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Based on this production timeframe, he expects the headphones to be released in September or October. Gurman expects both fourth-generation AirPods models to feature a new design with better fit, improved sound quality, and an updated charging case with a USB-C...
iphone se 4 modified flag edges

iPhone SE 4 Expected to Depreciate Heavily

Tuesday March 12, 2024 9:04 am PDT by
Resale value trends suggest the iPhone SE 4 may not hold its value as well as Apple's flagship models, according to SellCell. According to the report, Apple's iPhone SE models have historically depreciated much more rapidly than the company's more premium offerings. The third-generation iPhone SE, which launched in March 2022, experienced a significant drop in resale value, losing 42.6%...
General iOS 17 Feature Orange Purple

iOS 17.4.1 Update for iPhone is Imminent

Monday March 18, 2024 5:27 am PDT by
iOS 17.4.1 and iPadOS 17.4.1 should be released within the next few days, with a build number of 21E235, according to a source with a proven track record. MacRumors previously reported that Apple was internally testing iOS 17.4.1. As a minor update for the iPhone, it will likely address software bugs and/or security vulnerabilities. It is unclear if the update will include any other changes. ...
M3 iPad Feature 3

New iPads Likely to Begin Shipping in April

Monday March 18, 2024 9:52 am PDT by
Apple's new iPad Pro models with OLED displays will likely begin shipping to customers in April, according to information shared today by Ross Young, CEO of display industry research firm Display Supply Chain Consultants. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman also said the new iPad Pro models might not ship until "deeper" into April in his Power On newsletter on Sunday:I've repeatedly said that new...
iOS 17 Passkey With Apple ACCOUNT Feature

'Apple ID' Expected to Change to 'Apple Account' Starting With iOS 18

Sunday March 17, 2024 7:13 am PDT by
MacRumors was first to report that Apple was planning to rebrand "Apple ID" to "Apple Account" across its software platforms and websites like iCloud.com as early as this year, and now Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has corroborated this change. A mockup of the new Apple Account branding In his Power On newsletter today, Gurman said the new "Apple Account" branding will start to be used later this...