AT&T to offer limited iPhone data plan

Reports of price cuts to AT&T's iPhone data plans have been circulating for a couple of weeks now, but a report in BusinessWeek on Monday adds a new twist to the speculation.

 Citing unnamed sources, the report says that AT&T may offer a limited data plan, giving customers a $10 monthly savings on their bill. BusinessWeek speculates the lower prices are part of the negotiations to keep AT&T as the exclusive wireless carrier for the device.

There are no details about what limits would be placed on the iPhone under the proposed data plan, but it seems unlikely that customers would be satisfied with a plan that cut down on the usability of the iPhone. While the iPhone can be used on a Wi-Fi network, it is the ability to go from broadband to cellular networks that makes the iPhone truly useful for Web surfing, texting, and checking e-mail.

AT&T has been widely criticized for the cost of the iPhone plans since the device was first released. The price cuts could be a way to attract customers from other wireless carriers if Apple remains with AT&T. C-NET