AT&T is now selling single-day unlimited data passes for iPads at $3 a pop, no subscription needed.
The carrier launched Unlimited Day Pass on June 10, offering 24 hours of unlimited data on AT&T's network to any eligible Wi-Fi + Cellular iPad with eSIM support. There's no monthly plan, no contract, no credit check. Critically, it's not locked to AT&T subscribers — Verizon and T-Mobile customers can use it too. Activation happens inside the iPad's Settings app under Cellular Data, and a debit or credit card is all that's required to get started.
The pitch is aimed at iPad owners who rarely need cellular but occasionally do — a day trip, a flight layover, a hotel with bad Wi-Fi. At $3 per day, it's cheaper than most airport lounge day passes and doesn't punish you for forgetting to cancel. The carrier-agnostic angle is the real hook: AT&T is effectively renting its network to competitors' tablet customers.
Whether the data is actually "unlimited" in practice — or subject to the usual deprioritization fine print during congestion — isn't something AT&T has spelled out in its announcement.