AT&T revamps its unlimited plans with simpler names and more data

AT&T updated its unlimited data phone plans to launch versions 2.0 on Thursday, launching AT&T Premium 2.0, AT&T Extra 2.0 and AT&T Value 2.0 options. In software, when products are improved by a full version number, it means there is a lot of new hardware. But does this move mark an overhaul of the company’s 5G lines or just a cosmetic refresh?

These plans replace the AT&T Value Plus VL, Unlimited Extra EL and Unlimited Premium PL plans. However, the operator also removed its Unlimited Starter SL plan, which served as an entry-level plan (you had to know where to look to find the limited, but cheaper, Value Plus VL plan). Essentially, all but the highest plan is slightly more affordable; Although the AT&T Premium 2.0 plan is more expensive than the one it replaced, it offers unlimited high-speed data and much more hotspot data.

If you want to upgrade your existing AT&T plan, purchase a new supplier or seeks to compare carrierskeep in mind that AT&T plans allow each person on an account to have their own plan. So you can set up a plan where one person has the Premium 2.0 plan for unlimited 5G speeds and another, like a child, is set up with the Value 2.0 plan to save money.

Additionally, if you are on a current AT&T plan, you will not automatically be transferred to one of the new plans. If you want to take the plunge, you’ll have to pay a line activation fee of up to $50. And keep in mind that the price below is the autopay amount; Carriers offer a discount (usually $10) if you sign up for automatic payments.

An interesting change is that the new plans are priced with round numbers. For example, the Value Plus VL plan was priced at $50.99 for one line and the Value 2.0 plan was priced at $50 (in the comparisons below, I’ve rounded the old prices to dollar amounts). Taxes and fees add to that, so you’ll never see a round bill, but I’d like to think it’s a quiet acknowledgment that pricing a penny lower than a higher figure is insulting to customers.

Let’s get into the details.

Value 2.0, the budget plan

The Value 2.0 plan replaces both the Value Plus VL plan and the retired Unlimited Starter SL plan and costs $50 per month for a single line or $120 per month when you have four lines on the account. That’s $1 per line cheaper than Value Plus VL.

For that, you get 5GB of high-speed 5G data, then unlimited data dropped to a paltry 128Kbps for the rest of the month. Calls and texts are unlimited.

You can also use up to 3GB of high-speed hotspot data to share the cellular connection with other devices, also slowed down to 128Kbps after reaching the limit. The Value Plus VL plan did not offer hotspot data.

It also includes unlimited calls, texts and data between the United States, Mexico and Canada.

Extra 2.0, faster data for not much more money

The Extra 2.0 plan costs $70 per month for a single line or $160 per month for four lines, which is $6 less for one line and $4 less for four lines compared to the old Unlimited Extra EL plan.

The Extra 2.0 plan includes 100GB of high-speed data (with the caveat that speeds may be slowed if the network is busy), which drops to 128Kbps until the next month’s billing cycle. That’s a boost from the 75GB offered on the Unlimited Extra XL plan.

For hotspot data, the new plan includes 50GB of high-speed data, which is 20GB more than its predecessor.

As with the Value 2.0 plan, international options include unlimited talk, text, and data between the United States, Mexico, and Canada.

Premium 2.0, for everything faster

The Unlimited Premium PL plan is replaced by Premium 2.0, which costs $90 per month for a single line and $220 per month for four lines. These prices are actually higher than the Unlimited Premium PL plan, which was $86 for a single line and $204 for four lines.

For this increase in cost, you get unlimited calls, texts and 5G high-speed data without throttling.

Hotspot data has a limit of 100 GB before dropping to a speed of 128 Kbps, which is 40 GB more than the Unlimited Premium PL plan.

As for international calls and data, unlimited calls, texts and high-speed data are available in 20 Latin American countries.

AT&T also offers cellular tablets ($21 per month) and wearable devices like smartwatches ($11 per month). If you subscribe to the Premium 2.0 plan, this price is reduced by 50%.

Some thoughts on the new AT&T plans

What AT&T’s plans lack, at least compared to other carriers, are streaming benefits or bundled services. The Premium 2.0 plan’s 4K streaming option opens up a wider data pipeline for services like Netflix that support 4K playback, but you still pay separately for those entertainment subscriptions.

On the other hand, T-Mobile bundles Netflix and Hulu (both with ads) and offers Apple TV for an additional fee on its Experience Beyond and Better Value plans. Verizon takes a different approach with streaming packages, which you can choose at discounted prices instead of subscribing to them separately.

I also want to mention that I’m glad that plan names are no longer loaded with VL, EL, and PL extensions. Mobile plans are full of details as is – always read the fine print before signing up for one – so I enjoy conveying them to customers in a way that doesn’t feel like internal spreadsheet codes.

Even though the new plans have 2.0 version numbers, I would honestly rate them more like 1.5 based on their features and prices, with the exception of the Premium 2.0 plan, which is more expensive than the Unlimited Premium PL plan. As usual, if you are happy with the plan you followed, you can stick to it. But if you’re facing high-speed data caps or considering AT&T as a replacement for another carrier, it’s worth looking into the details to see if one of the new plans works for you.

Learn more: Speaking of AT&T, this week marked the 150th anniversary of the first telephone call and the company committed to spending 250 billion dollars on improving infrastructure. I also spoke with AT&T FirstNet people at the 2025 Las Vegas Grand Prix on how they support customers and first responders during high-profile events like the Formula 1 race.