Summary
- AT&T is offering a Turbo plan for $7/month, prioritizing your data traffic on its network.
- Turbo plan promises enhanced data connectivity for gaming and streaming with lower latency and optimized data for quality.
- While not violating net neutrality, Turbo plan provides high-speed, prioritized data network access for a fee.
Typically, mobile carriers and broadband providers throttle your internet speeds during congestion or after you breach the limit specified under the Fair use policy. On more expensive plans, US carriers like AT&T and Verizon give your data traffic preference over users on cheaper plans, ensuring your internet does not throttle during congestion. With its new Turbo plan, AT&T has a new spin on this, providing you access to “enhanced data connectivity” for a fee.
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The carrier claims it is the first mobile network operator in the US to provide access to a high-speed, prioritized data network for a fee. AT&T says you can take advantage of its Turbo plan when gaming or live streaming, as the lower latency and “optimized data” will help with quality and reduce stuttering. It will achieve this by “adding additional network resources” to your connection. The speed boost will apply to all data traffic across apps and services, not just games, including tethering.
So, how does this not violate the net neutrality rules, which the FCC recently restored as a Title II Utility in the US? As per AT&T, its Turbo plan adheres to the “open internet principles” as once activated, “the boost applies to a customer’s data regardless of the internet content, applications, and services being used.” In simpler terms, you are essentially paying AT&T for higher priority on its network, though the carrier itself won’t give data traffic from certain apps higher preference.
Subscribe to AT&T Turbo online or through the myATT app
AT&T Turbo is available as an add-on on selected plans starting May 2 for $7/month. You can add it to your line through the myATT app or AT&T’s website. If you subscribe to AT&T Turbo, your mobile data traffic will get priority over others on AT&T’s network, except for FirstNet users. First responders use the latter, and their traffic gets the highest network priority.
AT&T’s announcement does not quantify the improvement you can expect with the Turbo plan. If you live in an area with spotty coverage from the carrier, subscribing to the Turbo plan is unlikely to change anything. It will likely be a lot more useful in areas with higher network congestion, where you rely heavily on your phone for streaming or gaming.
