AT&T Sponsored Data Plans Bring Toll-Free Mobile Broadband

AT&T is making data plans a little bit easier to swallow. With a new sponsored data feature, the carrier says it’s like an 800 number for data plans where companies can sponsor data traffic from specific apps or services.

This would allow companies like Facebook or e-commerce sites like Amazon, for example, to sponsor any and all data charges related to browsing through the respective apps. If you open the Facebook app and post news items, browse your timeline, upload photos, the data can theoretically can be sponsored by Facebook. Amazon can host sponsored data sessions so customers won’t be billed for any data charges incurred while shopping online.

AT&T says this will help brands engage more with their customers and sponsored data can be done across industries. From health care to mobile to other leading industries, sponsored data will allow AT&T customers to enjoy more mobile internet.

AT&T’s marketing chief says that sponsored data will work in the same way and at the same speeds as traditional 3G, 4G, and 4G LTE speeds, depending on connection speeds supported by the device and the network.

Mobile data can now also serve as a reward as well, similar to earning points on a credit card for spending. For example, if customers buy flowers from a florist, the florist can reward the customer with a couple megabytes of free data. Data now becomes a form of currency.

Developers can leverage this to allow customers to stay more connected.