Too bad for AT&T that its deal to take over T-Mobile was wasn’t allowed to go through. Not only does it have to pay $4 billion to T-Mobile for the deal gone south, but it has to figure out a way to raise money for its new, faster LTE network. How to get money fast… hmmm, let’s see. I know – raise your rates! And that’s what AT&T plans to do. Starting January 22, new AT&T customers will see the following increases in data plans: $20 for 300 mb (up from $15 for 200 mb), $30 for 3 GB (up from $25 for 2 GB), and $50 for 5 GB (up from $45 for 4 GB). As you can see, you’ll get more data for the extra cost, and if you’re a current AT&T customer happy with your plan, you can keep it and stay at the same rate. AT&T’s take on the increases: they’re for the good of the customer. The Wall Street Journal spoke with an AT&T representative: “‘Data usage is increasing at about 40% a year,’ said spokesman Mark Siegel. ‘We want to give customers more data upfront.’”

Of course, if you were an AT&T wireless customer a couple years ago, you might still be one of the dwindling, lucky ones to have an unlimited data plan. No word on if/when that will change.