AT&T to allow FaceTime over cellular for all customers by the end of the year (some activated now)

Back in January, AT&T decided to open up Apple’s FaceTime video chat service over its cellular network to all users on its new tiered plans. Unfortunately, that left those still on grandfathered unlimited data plans out in the cold. According to a statement from the carrier (via TheVerge), by mid-June all customers with LTE devices will have access to the feature on its network:

For video chat apps that come pre-loaded on devices, we currently give all OS and device makers the ability for those apps to work over cellular for our customers who are on Mobile Share or Tiered plans. Apple, Samsung and BlackBerry have chosen to enable this for their pre-loaded video chat apps. And by mid-June, we’ll have enabled those apps over cellular for our unlimited plan customers who have LTE devices from those three manufacturers.

We’ve already heard from a bunch of readers that FaceTime is already being turned on now:

@9to5mac showed up for me already. LTE iPhone5

— jared mauch (@jaredmauch) May 20, 2013

Working for me (unltd) “@9to5mac: AT&T to allow FaceTime over cellular for all customers by the end of the year http://t.co/uysCMPk5VS”

— Nick McKay (@n_mckay) May 20, 2013

https://twitter.com/idannyocean/status/336572489691963392

https://twitter.com/ajorama/status/336573063036538880

I was wondering why I suddenly answer FaceTimes at the doctor, in the store @9to5mac: AT&T allows FT over cellular http://t.co/Ce9gdZLtM0

— Jennifer Sonnen (@jrsonnen) May 20, 2013

AT&T also has plans to roll out the feature to all devices, not just LTE, by the end of the year:

Throughout the second half of this year, we plan to enable pre-loaded video chat apps over cellular for all our customers, regardless of data plan or device; that work is expected to be complete by year end.

We’ve already started receiving tips from 9to5 readers that AT&T has enabled the service for at least some LTE devices on unlimited plans.