AT&T offers unlimited mobile-to-mobile calling to any number

AT&T continues the trend of throwing everything it’s got at customers in hopes of keeping them from wandering off to Verizon. The company announced today that it will roll out a new calling feature to allow certain AT&T subscribers to make unlimited calls to any other mobile number, whether or not the other number is on AT&T.

The offer will be available starting on February 10 to existing AT&T customers who subscribe to unlimited messaging ($20 for individual plans and $30 for FamilyTalk plans) and have a “qualifying voice plan.” AT&T spokesperson Seth Bloom confirmed with Ars that the qualifying voice plans include Nation 450 and 900, or FamilyTalk 700 or higher.

The offer only applies to direct calls to and from US mobile numbers, and customers must activate the feature at att.com/anymobile before it goes into effect on their accounts.

The deal seems like a good one if you already meet the requirements to qualify. When you combine the unlimited mobile-to-mobile calls with rollover minutes, it becomes nearly impossible to run into a “minute ceiling” again. Then again, that’s why AT&T is able to roll out something like this—minutes are now a less valuable commodity than data, which the company started locking down last year.

The announcement follows last week’s free microcell offer extended to certain AT&T customers. The carrier did not formally announce that promotion, but instead sent e-mails to certain subscribers saying they could pick up a free microcell at any AT&T store “as our way of saying ‘thank you’ for your continued loyalty.” Customers who accept a microcell must commit to another 12 months with AT&T, but their existing contracts won’t be otherwise affected.

AT&T’s latest campaigns are likely due to the rollout of the Verizon iPhone, which officially begins on February 10 (though some customers who preordered the device have already received them). However, AT&T isn’t the only carrier making aggressive offers to entice customers these days. T-Mobile announced this week that it was having a two-day handset giveaway on February 11 and 12 in which every phone—including smartphones—are free with a two-year contract. Although T-Mobile has a history of offering steep discounts on phones, it’s clear that all the carriers are beginning to feel the heat from the “Best Network in America.”