Do i have to have a Data Plan to Text on my ATT Tilt?

Question

My friend just gave me her old Tilt and i dont have a Data plan...so will the phone still work for texting? And can i use wireless internet without having the Data plan?

Answer 1

You do not require a data plan to use your features, but it is HIGHLY recommended.  You still can use the features of your phone, all packages do is reduce the cost of use.  The way it works is this:

Data is web browsing and downloads charged by the kilobyte. With no package, the default charge is $0.03 (3 cents) per kb, which adds up *very* fast.  Depending on the added packages, costs and included usage varies, but one example of how a package affects this would be the $15/month addition, which would give you 5 megabytes (That's approximately 5,000 kb) of data included, and reduce the charge of any data beyond that to $0.01/kb.  If you intend to do any web browsing over the 3g network or downloads, I would highly recommend a data package.   Note:  You will NOT incur data usage charges with AT&T if you are using the WIFI ability of the phone instead of the 3G connection to browse the web via a wireless network or wifi hotspot.  You must turn on WIFI to use it, though - it's in the settings menu under broadcast or some such.

Text and picture messaging is counted as a separate feature.  the standard rate is $0.25/message (text or picture, they're considered the same thing nowadays with AT&T), and typical packages work the same way a data plan works - you have an allotted amount you're allowed to use based on the price of your messaging plan, and any additional messages (overage) are charged at a reduced rate - ie, $5.00 for 200 messages and $0.10/message for each additional.

I'm not sure of the numbers on the plans, and they vary by market (the area you're in), but you can look them up under features on the AT&T website (Go to my account > my features > Add/remove features), or you can just dial 611 on your wireless phone and ask a customer service representative  :)