AT&T CEO's "Only Regret" is Offering Unlimited Data Packages

attlogoSpeaking at a conference this week, AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson noted that he only had one regret about AT&T being the first cellular carrier to support the iPhone. As reported by the New York Times:

“My only regret was how we introduced pricing in the beginning, because how did we introduce pricing? Thirty dollars and you get all you can eat,” he said in the on-stage interview at the Milken Institute’s Global Conference on Wednesday. “And it’s a variable cost model. Every additional megabyte you use in this network, I have to invest capital.”

Since then, AT&T has discontinued offering unlimited data plans to new customers, as well as throttling users who have been grandfathered in from older plans.

Stephenson is also concerned about services like Apple's iMessage texting service and Skype affecting AT&T's existing business models.

“You lie awake at night worrying about what is that which will disrupt your business model,” he said. “Apple iMessage is a classic example. If you’re using iMessage, you’re not using one of our messaging services, right? That’s disruptive to our messaging revenue stream.”

All those concerns aside, AT&T has been extraordinarily successful attracting and keeping profitable iPhone users. In the last quarter, AT&T made $3.58 billion in profit on $29 billion in sales. The iPhone accounted for 60% of the carrier's total phone sales to postpaid customers in that quarter.

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Top Rated Comments

racer1441 Avatar
170 months ago
Dear Apple,

Please just buy one of these jokers, sale the iphone on your own carrier and push the current cell communications model into extinction.

Thanks.
Score: 148 Votes (Like | Disagree)
unlimitedx Avatar
170 months ago
greedy
Score: 141 Votes (Like | Disagree)
doobybiggs Avatar
170 months ago
greedy bastard is all I heard in there ....
Score: 131 Votes (Like | Disagree)
raymondthimmes Avatar
170 months ago
Mr. Stephenson,

All I can say is you have confirmed my switch to Sprint when my contract is up in July. Hell, I might switch right now and just not pay the bill you send me for $375.

**** you, sir.
Score: 110 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Frankied22 Avatar
170 months ago
Aww poor baby. Go step down and collect your millions.

Your only regret should be GETTING RID of the unlimited data.
Score: 107 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AxeluteZero Avatar
170 months ago
After living with the crappy smart phone world I'm in now, yes, I would change things.

Texting is the most ludicrous charge on a smartphone bill. Costs nothing to text from phone to phone.

Hurrah iMessage!
Score: 85 Votes (Like | Disagree)