If someone does not want the Vcast service, this is a step above the current premium plans. So if your premium plan is $79.99, you can add Vcast for $15, for a total of about $95. With Connect it will be only $10 more, for a total of about $89.00. Connect allows for unlimited mobile web so if you want to save five bucks, and have the premium plan with unlimited mobile web, but no Vcast, that's the new plan.

And if you want to add it on a secondary line, it's also $10 bucks. It will be available on November 16 mobile web phones only, not smartphones.

[Thanks tipster]

The iPhone is now even more accessible for Americans who are deaf or have a hearing or speech disability. Today, AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) announced a new Text Accessibility Plan (TAP) for iPhone, designed to give iPhone customers with disabilities the choice of unlimited text messaging, Web browsing and easy access to e-mail for $40 a month.

"Our Text Accessibility Plan allows customers who are deaf or have hearing or speech disabilities to literally tap out their communications on the go," said Carlton Hill, vice president of Product Management, Voice Products and Affiliate Marketing for AT&T's wireless unit. "Now with TAP for iPhone, users can tap, flick and pinch the innovative Multi-Touch touch screen for a completely new world of functionality."

This new plan is available to new and current iPhone users with qualifying disabilities through AT&T's National Center for Customers with Disabilities (NCCD). To qualify for the iPhone TAP, customers must complete an application for eligibility. The form is available for download at

During the iPhone activation process, customers sign up for a standard iPhone voice and data plan. After the iPhone is activated, customers can e-mail, fax or mail the eligibility form back to the NCCD to change their rate plan to the TAP for iPhone.

Current iPhone customers who qualify may also submit the NCCD application to request the TAP for iPhone. Customers can contact the AT&T NCCD with questions at 866-241-6568 for voice calls or 866-241-6567 for TTY calls.

AT&T offers TAP plans to qualifying customers for use with most handsets across AT&T's portfolio. The NCCD also helps AT&T customers with disabilities with a variety of applications that aid in wireless communications. These include Mobile Magnifier, which enables individuals who have low vision or are blind to zoom in on the screen and Mobile Speak, which reads aloud menu options.

Here's another interesting detail. FedEx is supposedly delivering iPhone shipments on Friday, which means that 6PM release time was totally calculated to make sure there are actually phones in stock when the doors open.

Also, there's going to be teams of FedEx drivers making the iPhone runs—so unless you plan on wrestling two men instead of one to make off with an iPhone shipment, we wouldn't risk it.

iPhone data plan dubbed the iPlan? [Boy Genius Report - Thanks Tim!]

The status now: between $34.99 and $79.99 for data and $39.99 to $99.99 for voice. If you're going for the lowest numbers, that's $80 a month sans fees and tax. Not too bad, but all that gets you is 450 minutes a month (your data is unlimited). For non-BlackBerry devices, unlimited data can be had for $19.99. For devices like the Treo who want BlackBerry connect, it's $49.99.

Here's some good news. It seems AT&T's cancellation fee will only be $175, which is much less than what you'd pay in unused data and voice in your second year of service. It may be better just to cancel and eat the $175.

In the end, if you last the entire two years, you're going to wind up at least $2,218.12 (not including tax, plus $100 more for the 8GB model) poorer if you're getting the iPhone.

Apple's iPhone: Adding Up the Costs [Business 2.0]