AT&T has launched its affordable new Broadband Bundle

Want HBO without all those other pricey cable channels? AT&T has a new offer for you. The telco, looking to win over customers disinclined to pay for a full lineup of cable channels, is pitching a stripped-down package that includes HBO, Amazon Prime Instant Video, broadband and broadcast networks for just $39 per month — well below what pay-TV subs typically shell out for service bundles. The telco’s the new $39 bundle includes U-basic TV, HBO and HBO Go, U-verse Internet Max Plus (which provides up to 18 megabits per second downstream), as well as one free year of Amazon Prime. Customers must sign up for a 12-month contract, after which standard rates will apply. Note that it’s available only in areas where AT&T has launched U-verse. Other providers, including Comcast, Time Warner Cable and Verizon, have been testing out lower-priced packages aimed at so-called “cord nevers” that include broadband, HBO and broadcast-basic TV. But AT&T’s bundle appears to be the first to include one year of Amazon’s Prime, normally $99 per year in the U.S., as part of the deal. Prime provides free shipping on millions of Amazon products as well as access to the Prime Instant Video service.