AT&T’s Connected Life Platform Is a Second Try in the Smart-Home Space

AT&T takes a second crack at the smart home. After phasing out its Digital Life service in 2022, powered by the now-defunct 3G network, the company is launching a new smart home security platform called Connected Life, this time in partnership with smart home players Google and Abode.

Previously available as a pilot program in select markets, AT&T Connected Life is rolling out nationwide today. The vision behind this is to simplify smart home setup. Instead of purchasing various smart devices and using multiple apps to connect them, you can purchase one of two kits directly from AT&T’s Connected Life website: the Starter Kit ($11 per month for 36 months) or the Advanced Kit ($19 per month for 36 months). You can also prepay for the kits at $399 and $699, respectively.

Each includes Google Nest smart home products and security sensors, with the Advanced Kit offering more sensors, a security keyboard, and a Nest Cam security camera. (Google has confirmed that the Nest products on offer are not the latest devices the company has launched recently.) You’ll use the Connected Life app and the Google Home app to set everything up, but you can also get help from a technician if you don’t want to DIY.

Google says the platform leverages the Google Home application programming interface (API) to integrate Google smart home devices into the Connected Life app, and after setup, users can solely rely on the Connected Life app to view live streams and manage devices.

There are two subscription levels: Essential ($11 per month) or Professional ($22 per month). They offer access to features like 30-day event video history and smart alerts, although the Professional plan includes a US-based monitoring service from Abode that can dispatch police and medical services in an emergency. The system is designed so you can pause professional monitoring when you don’t need it, rather than being locked into a contract.

AT&T touts the Cellular Backup feature in Connected Life: If your home internet connection goes offline, this feature will keep your smart devices working by routing data through your smartphone (via the hotspot), and there’s a battery backup for the hub in the event of a power outage. It was a core feature of AT&T’s old Digital Life service, but cellular backup is now an essential part of many smart home security systems, like those from SimpliSafe or ADT.

You must be an AT&T customer to use the Connected Life platform, although it doesn’t matter if you have a mobile wireless plan or home internet access. This means that the potential customer base for these new smart home services is huge; AT&T has 119 million mobile wireless customers and is the largest fiber optic home Internet provider in the United States, with more than 10 million customers.