A few days back, I asked my Dad why he won’t get an iPhone. He responded that he doesn’t want to pay the extra $25 a month for a data plan, when he works from home and he’s always surrounded with Wi-Fi. Similarly, I’m sure that the iPhone 5 will be announced within the coming months, so I’m either preparing to pass down my iPhone 4 to my daughter, or sell it off. The only problem with passing my iPhone 4 down is that AT&T forces anyone who wants to use a smartphone on their network to have a data plan. Why? She doesn’t need a data plan 24/7. I have a CLEAR iSpot 4G (a personal Mi-Fi hotspot) that’s good enough for all our iOS devices. She’s usually with me or at home with Wi-Fi. And, speaking of Wi-Fi, it’s just about every place we go now. So, why does every carrier have the need to impose a data plan on smartphones? The answer is simple. It’s only to reinforce revenue for the company, and I believe it’s ultimately a disservice to consumers.

To that end, I wrote to New Jersey Senators Barbara Buono and Robert Menendez today to propose the idea of enforcing an elimination of mandatory data plans on wireless carrier subscribers. READ MORE »