AT&T and O2 unveil unlimited iPhone data plans

The iPhone has earned a reputation for being a data hog since its US release in June

AT&T and O2, the service providers for Apple's iPhone in the US and the UK, have rolled out unlimited data plans.

The plans will offer UK iPhone owners unlimited data transfer on O2, while US customers will be shielded from huge charges while travelling internationally with AT&T.

The iPhone has earned a reputation for being a data hog since its US release in June.

In order to accommodate its email features, the device constantly uses its Edge and Wi-Fi connections to check data, resulting in numerous small data transfers.

AT&T had offered unlimited data as part of its service plan in the US. When users left the country, however, they were charged roaming fees on each data transfer.

This led to cases of customers running up thousands of dollars in charges without ever really using their iPhones.

To solve this, AT&T is introducing a 'Global Data Plan' which will cost $59.99 on top of the standard iPhone service fee.

Users will be allowed 50MB per month in transfers in 29 countries. The regions covered under the plan will include Europe, Asia, Canada and Mexico.

In the UK, iPhone provider O2 announced its own plan to feed the phone's hefty data appetite.

The company has revised its iPhone policy to allow unlimited data transfers for all iPhone users. Previously, the company had imposed 'fair usage' limits to the iPhone that would have capped data transfers at 200MB per month.