Looks like AT&T may be overhauling the data plans for its non-smartphone lineup. AT&T is reportedly ditching the name “MEdia Net” and rebranding all of its data packages with the brilliantly simplistic term “Data”.  Accompanying the name change is a price drop, at least on AT&T’s unlimited messaging and data plan. The current MEdia Max Unlimited plan will become “Messaging and Data Unlimited” and will see a $5 price drop from $35 to $30. Family Talk and Business Talk customers who already have unlimited messaging can add on unlimited data for an additional $10 per month per line. Sounds a bit like Verizon Wireless’ Connect plan, with which AT&T is admittedly trying to compete. It is nice change to see some good old-fashioned competition driving prices down for consumers.

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Thanks to one of our readers, we’re finding out that some iPhone 3G users have somehow managed to get on data plans that aren’t intended for the iPhone 3G. The following is an e-mail that AT&T sent out to this customer regarding usage:

Subject: Important information regarding your iPhone 3G

The new AT&T – Your world. Delivered.

Our service records indicate that you are using an iPhone 3G with a data plan designed for other devices.

To avoid unexpected data overage charges and enable Visual Voicemail, please contact your telecom manager, or an AT&T representative at 1-800-331-0500.

Thank you for choosing wireless from AT&T. We appreciate your business.

Sincerely,
AT&T Customer Service

So, if you were enjoying paying only $15 for AT&T’s MEdia Net Unlimited, enjoy it while you can! Pretty soon, AT&T will be making sure that you’ll all be paying twice that amount for their sub-par 3G service for the iPhone. And speaking of which, after 2.1 we’ve noticed improved reception, or at least “improved signal accuracy” (according to Apple and AT&T) on our iPhone 3Gs, but the data speed still remains disappointingly slow. Have any of you noticed significant gains in data speed?

Thanks, Loyal BG Reader!