What would you rather pay for 200 megabytes of data while roaming international lands: $3993 dollars (204,800 kilobytes at a rate of $0.0195 per kilobyte, AT&Ts pay-per-kb rate), or a lump sum of 200 bucks per month? (Yeah, we know the only rational answer to that is “Screw that, both prices are ridiculous.”)
AT&T today unveiled the details for two new international data packages for iPhone users: $119.99 for 100mb (1.19 per megabyte) or $199.99 for 200mb (0.99 per megabyte). The packages are available while traveling to any of the 61 countries in which AT&T already offers 20 megabyte/50 megabyte smart phone data plan packages.
Sure, it’s cheaper – but it’s still absolutely ridiculous. I will never pay this much for bandwidth, and neither should you. There simply isn’t enough overhead anywhere in the system to justify it; be it AT&T or the international carriers, someone is gouging up the price to the point that it’s absurd. Find a LAN cafe, make friends with a local family, whatever – just don’t pay a friggin’ dollar per megabyte in 2008.