AT&T Revives Smart Home With Google and Abode Partnership
▼ Summary
– AT&T is launching a new nationwide smart-home security platform called Connected Life, partnering with Google and Abode after shutting down its previous Digital Life service.
– The service simplifies setup by offering two pre-configured equipment kits for a monthly fee or upfront cost, which include Google Nest products and security sensors.
– It features two subscription tiers, with the higher Professional plan including professional emergency monitoring from Abode that can be paused instead of requiring a contract.
– A key feature is Cellular Backup, which uses AT&T’s wireless network to keep devices online if home internet fails, supported by a battery backup.
– The service is exclusively available to AT&T’s massive existing customer base, which includes over 119 million wireless and 10 million fiber internet subscribers.
AT&T is making a significant return to the smart home security market with its new Connected Life platform, developed in collaboration with Google and Abode. This move follows the shutdown of its previous Digital Life service and aims to provide a streamlined, integrated solution for home automation and security. The nationwide launch offers customers a simplified approach to building a connected home through bundled equipment kits and flexible subscription plans.
The service is designed to reduce the complexity often associated with smart home setups. Instead of purchasing individual devices from various brands and managing them through separate apps, customers can choose from two primary equipment bundles available directly from AT&T. The Starter Kit is priced at $11 per month for 36 months, or $399 upfront. The more comprehensive Advanced Kit costs $19 per month for the same term, with an upfront option of $699. Both kits include a selection of Google Nest products and Abode security sensors, with the advanced package adding extra sensors, a security keypad, and a Nest Cam indoor security camera. It’s important to note that the included Nest devices are not the latest models recently released by Google.
Setup and management are handled through a combination of the Connected Life app and the Google Home app. Google has integrated its devices using the Google Home API, allowing for seamless operation within the Connected Life ecosystem. After the initial configuration, users can choose to use only the Connected Life app for viewing live camera feeds and controlling their devices. For those who prefer not to handle installation themselves, AT&T offers the option of professional technician assistance.
The platform operates with two main subscription levels. The Essential plan costs $11 monthly and provides access to features like 30-day video event history and smart alerts. The Professional plan, at $22 per month, includes all those features plus a critical addition: professional 24/7 monitoring provided by Abode. This service can contact emergency responders such as police or medical services when an alarm is triggered. A key flexibility of the system is that users can pause the professional monitoring feature whenever they wish, avoiding long-term contractual lock-ins.
A major selling point for the new service is its Cellular Backup capability. This feature ensures that the security system remains online even if the home’s primary internet connection fails. Data is automatically routed through AT&T’s wireless network via the Connected Life hub, which itself includes a battery backup to maintain operation during a power outage. While this was a defining feature of AT&T’s legacy Digital Life offering, similar cellular backup is now common among modern security providers like SimpliSafe and ADT.
Access to the Connected Life platform is exclusive to existing AT&T customers, whether they subscribe to AT&T wireless mobile plans or AT&T Fiber home internet. This requirement opens the service to a vast potential audience, given the company’s enormous subscriber base. AT&T serves approximately 119 million wireless customers and is the nation’s leading fiber internet provider, with over 10 million subscribers for that service alone.
(Source: Wired)
