AT&T customers are set to face yet another price hike, adding to a series of unwelcome changes rolled out by the company throughout the year.
Earlier in April, AT&T reduced its AutoPay discount from $10 to $5 for customers who pay using a debit card, while completely eliminating the discount for those who pay with credit cards. Around the same time, CEO John Stankey indicated that device prices would likely rise due to tariffs imposed under former President Donald Trump’s policies — further angering customers.
In October, the telecom giant informed its home internet subscribers that their monthly bills would rise by $5 beginning December 1.
Now, a new change that took effect at the start of this month will once again impact customer bills.
Administrative Fee Increased
AT&T has raised its monthly Administrative & Regulatory Cost Recovery Fee from $3.49 to $3.99 per line. According to AT&T, this fee helps the company recover costs associated with interconnecting with other carriers and paying government-related fees.
An AT&T spokesperson defended the decision, stating:
“Like others in the industry, we regularly evaluate and adjust fees to help cover the costs associated with delivering and maintaining our wireless network. This adjustment allows us to continue investing in our network and technology in order to provide the high-quality service that our customers expect.”
The increase follows comments from Stankey during AT&T’s October earnings call, where he emphasized the company’s cautious approach to raising service prices. Still, customers have expressed growing frustration as recurring charges continue to climb in quick succession.
Telecom competitors have recently intensified efforts to lure dissatisfied AT&T users, including T-Mobile, which AT&T has even taken legal action against over alleged aggressive marketing tactics.
For now, AT&T customers will have little choice but to brace for higher monthly bills as the latest fee increase takes effect.