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There are times when a contract-based cell phone is not a good fit for what you’re interested in. You may not blow through a large number of minutes or texts during a month, and it’s possible most of your data needs come via a Wi-Fi connection. In these instances, you may want to go with a prepaid phone. One such option is an ATT Go Phone. This is a desirable option when you want to use the AT&T network but you don’t want to pay a monthly service fee. You just need to know how to use the ATT Go Phone login to fully take advantage of the prepaid device.
AT&T Company Profile
AT&T has a rather long and interesting history. So before you consider how to take advantage of the ATT Go Phone login, you may want to dig a bit deeper into the history of the company. It is one that dates back all the way to 1885, making it one of the oldest telephone companies not only in the United States but in the world.
The History of AT&T
The company hasn’t always been known as AT&T. It first started as the Southwestern Bell Telephone Company, which was a subsidiary of the Bell Telephone Company. Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of the telephone, started the Bell Telephone Company. While Bell Telephone was first started in 1880, Southwestern Bell opened shop in 1985. There were a number of Bells to pop up over the years, including the American Telephone and Telegraph Company (or AT&T).
AT&T went on to purchase the Bell company in 1899 as it continued to purchase additional Bells that had opened up around the United States. Because Alexander Graham Bell had patented the telephone, many of the companies were named after Bell.
AT&T continued to expand throughout the United States. However, in 1982, the FCC broke up AT&T, finding it to be a monopoly. This forced the company to split into regional companies. These are often referred to as Baby Bells (although these locations were also known as Regional Bell Operating Companies). Since the breakup of the 1980s, AT&T has continued to expand back into a massive corporation. With other telephone companies currently available in the United States (such as Verizon and T-Mobile) it is no longer a question of a monopoly (unless AT&T attempts to buy Verizon).
Pushing into Latin America
Beyond the United States, AT&T has pushed into Central and South America. Several Mexican companies have allowed AT&T to create what is known as AT&T Mexico. The company also recently bought DirecTV and Time Warner, although these mergers and acquisitions have not gone as smoothly as what those within the company might have hoped, as the fear of potential data infrastructure monopolies has continued.
While the company continues to deal with monopoly issues inside the United States, Latin America does not have these problems. In fact, AT&T now operates in 11 countries throughout South America, which has lead to the development of AT&T Latin America.
Some Additional Information on Baby Bells
Many of the current wireless and Internet carriers within the United States directly come from the original AT&T Corporation. For Example, Bell Atlantic went on to rename itself Verizon Communications (so yes, while Verizon and AT&T continually go head-to-head, the two were once the same company).
When AT&T Corporation was broken up, the Baby Bells formed included AT&T, Ameritech, Bell Atlantic, BellSouth, NYNex, Pacific Telesis, Southwestern Bell (which became AT&T Inc.), and US West.
Bell Atlantic and NYNex formed and bought a new company called GTE and went on to become what is now Verizon. US West obtained a new company called Qwest and eventually went on to become CenturyLink, which is an Internet company located mostly in the Southwestern United States.
AT&T Inc. has absorbed many of the original Baby Bells of the 1980s. In fact, AT&T Corp, Ameritech, BellSouth, Pacific Telesis, and Southwestern Bell went on to become AT&T Inc. (along with the purchase of AirTouch). Essentially, a good amount of money was passed around to create a company that has all the same parts as previously, save for Bell Atlantic, NYNex, and US West.
AT&T Prepaid Services
If you’re interested in an AT&T prepaid service, you will want to look further into the ATT Go Phone login feature. The prepaid service gives you access to the same network as the monthly subscriptions, only you prepay, which is desirable when you want to buy your minutes ahead of time and you don’t want to be attached to a long-term contract (while there are no longer “contracts” with most wireless carriers, you are forced to buy the phone from the company and pay it off in monthly installments, which essentially tethers you to the company without having a “contract” agreement).
Service Options
Before you can take advantage of the ATT Go Phone login you’ll need to look over the different service options. With these options you’ll pay at the beginning of the month and can stop at any time. You will receive a discounted price if you set up auto-pay, so if you want to avoid overpaying you should sign up for the auto-pay feature and then cancel auto-pay when you are ready to move on from the Go Phone.
The first option is $30 a month (or $35 without auto-pay). With this, you have unlimited call and text, plus 1 GB of data. The data rolls over to the next month when you haven’t used it all. You also can create a mobile hotspot with your device (although at just 1 GB you may want to avoid this as you’ll chew through this data relatively quickly).
The next option is $40 a month (or $50 without auto-pay). Using this option you have access to 8 GB worth of data and all unused data rolls over to the next month. You have mobile hotspot access, plus you stream HD video. You also have unlimited talk and text to Mexico and Canada, plus you can use data in Mexico and Canada.
The third option is a $45-a-month prepaid plan (or $65 a month without auto-pay). With this, you have unlimited talk, text, and data. However, you do not have a mobile hotspot, nor can you stream HD video. You do have unlimited talk, text, and data to and from Mexico and Canada.
The final prepaid option is a $65-a-month plan (or $85 if you don’t do auto-pay). This gives you unlimited talk, text, and data. You also can share up to 10 GB worth of hotspot data. You can watch HD video, plus you have unlimited talk, text, and data in and out of both Canada and Mexico.
ATT Go Phone Login & Online Services
The ATT Go Phone login is straightforward once you decide you want to use a prepaid phone and have selected the device you want to use. If you haven’t, head over to the ATT.com website, choose “Prepaid,” then select the plan you want. You can then select if you already have a phone (in which case you’ll be sent a prepaid SIM card), or you can pick out the phone you want. After you complete the checkout process, you can begin creating your personal account.
Using the ATT Go Phone Login
You can manage your account and sign up for auto-pay (or take yourself off) using the ATT Go Phone login. To do this, you’ll need to head over to the ATT.com website then click the “Sign In” option at the top of the page. Now you will be taken to a new “MyAT&T” page. Here you’ll type in your user ID and password.
If you don’t have a login yet, you’ll click the “Don’t Have An Online Account” option. Now, type in your AT&T phone number (or your account number), plus your five-digit billing zip code. Follow the basic prompts and your ATT Go Phone login will be created.
Conclusion
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If you want access to a wireless service provider but you don’t want to use a higher price plan, you may want to take advantage of a prepaid method. You can do this with the ATT Go Phone login. All you need to do is sign up and pick out your phone. In some instances, you may even be able to use your current phone. Even if you can’t use your current phone, you can pick up an inexpensive, prepaid phone from AT&T which ranges from a $50 TETRA device to an iPhone 6s. With so many options, you will never be forced to go with an overpriced service plan you don’t need.
We hope this article has been informative about AT&T the company, its history, its phone service plans, and its online login. If you are looking for some affordable service plans, head on over to ATT.com today and see what plan is for you.
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