A few years ago, AT&T Wireless–back before it was purchased by Cingular and assimilated into AT&T–sold a device called the Ogo. The device was a huge flop, but it offered an interesting proposition: a data-only plan for under $20 a month, which included access to one IM service over SMS. Additional ones could be purchased for $3 a month. I’m not sure this plan included text messaging, and I know the plan was limited to the OGO. However, for it’s day, it was an innovative idea.
Now according to Gizmodo, AT&T may be bringing a data-only plan back. We have nothing more than a store rep saying it’s in the cards, so I have no idea how reliable that is. However, given their recent PR stunt proclaiming their “network openness,” this may be one of things that would be a by-product of this supposedly new openness: allow people to use data-only devices if they prefer.
It would certainly give T-Mobile some competition for a market of people you wouldn’t think would use mobile phones: the deaf. A unlimited data-only plan with SMS and a better device than the Sidekick might be just the thing. And why don’t the other carriers get in the fun, too?
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