AT&T targets roaming iPhone users with data plan

US mobile operator AT&T has launched an international data plan target at Apple iPhone users roaming worldwide.

The international plan gives iPhone owners 50MB of data per month and access in more than 29 countries, including Canada, China, Mexico and in areas throughout Europe and Asia.

The Data Global Plan is available to AT&T iPhone customers for $59.99 a month, and is in addition to the domestic voice and data plan they purchase during iPhone activation. The plan also allows international long distance dialling from the US at standard rates.

The plan is not available as a stand alone offer and if customers exceed the 50MB bucket they will pay $.005 per KB or $5.12 per MB. Outside the 29 countries in which AT&T has more favourable roaming agreement, consumers will pay $0.010 per KB.

AT&T is also offering a 20MB Data Global Plan for $24.99 a month but excess usage charges outside the 29 designated countries come in at $0.0195 per KB or almost $20 per MB.

Meanwhile, UK operator O2 is understood to have revised the wording on its data plan for the iPhone, which launches in the UK on Friday. The Web Bolt On is available to prepay and postpay customers for £7.50 per month and was originally subject to a fair usage policy which operates above the 200MB line. Now O2 says that when it says ‘unlimited’ usage, it means unlimited usage.