Bundle Face-Off: DIRECTV with AT&T Internet and Phone
(3.9/5)(4.1/5)(4.3/5)Promo: 42% off, guaranteed for 12 months.
TV: Select Plan
Internet: up to 6 Mbps (Elite plan)
Promo: 45% off, guaranteed for 12 months.
TV: Select Plan
Internet: up to 6 Mbps (Elite plan)
Home Phone (landline): unlimited calls in U.S., Canada & Mexico
Promo: Unlimited data, text and talking (ave. of ~48% off).
TV: Select Plan
Internet: add to bundle for an extra charge
Cell Phone: unlimited calls in U.S., Canada & Mexico
Every package qualifies for the bundle and as you upgrade, relatively, you'll save more per month. Here are all the prices:
SELECT + 6 Mbps Internet: $80/mo
Choice + 6 Mbps Internet: $90/mo
XTRA + 6 Mbps Internet: $100/mo
Ultimate + 24 Mbps Internet: $115/mo
Premier + 24 Mbps Internet: $165/mo
Every package qualifies for the bundle:
SELECT + 6 Mbps Internet + Ph: $89.99/mo
Choice + 6 Mbps Internet + Ph: $99.99/mo
XTRA + 6 Mbps Internet + Ph: $119.99/mo
Ultimate + 24 Mbps Internet + Ph: $124.99/mo
Premier + 24 Mbps Internet + Ph: $174.99/mo
Every package qualifies for the bundle:
From SELECT to Premier, you can pick any DIRECTV plan; in general, your Universal Plan's total will increase about $10/mo for each DIRECTV plan upgrade. Prices vary here depending on your cell phone's contract (and remaining time on the contract), so you'll need to call to get the most accurate quote.
All the qualifying plans are AT&T's U-verse Internet with DSL tech. Their most popular internet packages are as follows (all are available to bundle):
Elite: 6 Mbps download, 1 Mbps upload
Max: 12 Mbps, 1.5 Mbps
Max Plus: 18 Mbps, 1.5 Mbps
Max Turbo: 24 Mbps, 3 Mbps
same
same
Home internet: Surf away or watch a ton of movies with no worries...thanks to this promo, you'll get unlimited data when you bundle any DIRECTV plan with internet. Of course, the wireless phone unlimited data plans carry a bit more value, but un-capped bandwidth is always a catch.
Monthly/ cumulative limit: 1TB (most folks are well under). If you exceed it for 3 or more months, they'll automatically increase your limit by 50GB for $10/mo.
same
Home internet: unlimited.
Wireless Ph internet/data: Depending on AT&T's network status in your area (i.e., in more congested cities/counties), they reserve the right to slow down your connection after you've used 22 GB per month. You'll still be able to connect, it just might be slightly slower (in our tests, you can still stream movies, live sporting events might give you some pixelation/ buffering).
Depending on the time of year, either DIRECTV or AT&T will toss in some pretty nice perks. The current deal comes with:
$50 Visa Card - Applies to online orders only. Redemption involves going to the "Rewards" page on att.com and getting it mailed to you.
AT&T WiFi Gateway - this is essentially AT&T's branded router that delivers WiFi throughout your home. If the signal gets too weak in certain rooms (eg, 2nd floors, rooms at the other side of your home), the Gateway works seamlessly with signal boosters.
same
For each smartphone line you transfer, you'll get up to $650 to cover your transfer fees (for breaking your current contract, etc). From our experience, this process is fairly seamless; just make sure you have all the necessary billing paperwork from your previous provider.
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If you need a second landline for your business, etc, 2nd and additional lines generally go for full price (no promo rates).
Each additional device you add to your network comes with a monthly access fee:
Watches: $10/mo
Basic phones (non smartphones): $25/mo
Tablets: $40/mo
1st extra smartphone: $100/mo
2nd and 3rd extra smartphones: $40 each/mo
4th extra smartphone: free
If you already have DIRECTV and AT&T's U-verse, there's really no reason not to bundle them up (it may have already been done for you and the savings applied). If you only have DIRECTV, check the U-verse signal speeds in your area first. If they're comparable to your cable or other current internet, it'll probably benefit you to switch to U-verse. If not, we recommend sticking with your ISP - U-verse's coverage has definitely grown over the years, but in certain cities, there are still soft spots that can cause some frustration during peak usage hours.
The landline in this bundle comes with unlimited calling throughout North America. So, if most of your calls stick to the U.S, Canada or Mexico, definitely consider this bundle to maximize your savings. Otherwise, you may want to go with a VoIP provicer like Skype for your calls.
If you've been an AT&T wireless subscriber for a while, you know their original unlimited data deal was pulled a few years back... and those that still had it had to jump through hoops to keep it. Well, after AT&T purchased DIRECTV, it opened the doors to a revisit and in mid 2016, they brought it back. For folks that stream A LOT (you know who you are :), unlimited data could tip the scales for ya. The monthly cap of 22 GB doesn't really put me off, either. It's more than enough for >95% of users and even the throttled rate lets you comfortably stream movies and most TV programs.
BUYING GUIDE
Current SpecialsFor TV packages only, but they'll give you a gauge of how much bundling may save you.
DIRECTV ChannelsBefore you sign-up, see which DIRECTV plans include your favorite channels and networks.
2 Plus taxes. For 12 Mo. w/ 24-mo. TV & 12-mo. Internet agmts & combined bill. Autopay & Paperless bill req'd. Pay $99.99/mo plus taxes until discount starts. $137.99/mo. in months 13-24 (subj to change)* Incl Unlimited data allowance ($30 value) at no add'l charge?.
More about AT&T's TV Bundles
Years ago, we weren't big proponents of TV, internet and phone bundles. They were murky, difficult to understand and the billing was often annoyingly all different. Nowadays, most of those issues have been rectified (though some providers still haven't seen the [fiber optic] light). With regard to AT&T, they've done a solid job of making their bundles more transparent and easier to manage. They're now ALL on one bill and with the recent addition of DIRECTV, value and convenience has hit an all-time high.
That's not to say we don't expect some bumps in the road, but the new Unlimited Plan with smartphone is probably one of the best bundling deals going. As a company, they're clearly trying to unlock value by consolidatng their original technology (cell and U-verse) with acquired (DIRECTV). That process doesn't always favor the customer, but in this case, the end result has been an impressive value proposition for both DIRECTV and AT&T subscribers alike. Here at satelliteTV-deal.com HQ, we recently bundled up our services with the Unlimited Plan and have been quite pleased thus far. No hidden fees or annoying up-sells, and uptime and speeds have been just as good (or better) than pre-bundle.
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