Verizon To Eliminate Unlimited Data Plans
According to Reuters, Verizon will be shaking up their data plans sometime this summer. The first change is the elimination of their unlimited data plans. We've heard rumors of this coming for some time now, and I guess its time for it to finally happen. These data plans will be replaced by tiered options. There's no reports yet of how much data will be included in each tier. If its like other carriers, we can assume 2Gb will be one of the cutoff points. We're also assuming that people on the old unlimited data plans will be grandfathered.
Their CFO, Fran Shammo, also hinted at another possible change, shared family data, he dubbed as a data "mega-plan". "We had individual minutes for individual users. Then we eventually got to what we call family share where everyone in the family shares the same minutes," Shammo said. "I think it's safe to assume that at some point you are going to have mega-plans (for data) and people are going to share that mega-plan based on the number of devices within their family. That's just a logical progression."
He also said their next version of the iPhone will be a global phone, but he did not mention anything about LTE. He also said it would be available on the same day as the At&t version.
Does this come as a surprise to anyone? Every other carrier seems to be tiered, or have a throttle in place once you reach a certain amount of data. Will this force anyone to change carriers?
© 2011, mindfrost82. All rights reserved.
Sad. Glad I’m on Sprint.
@jimmiekain,
I second that emotion. BUT, I bet Sprint follows and changes to the same crap soon enough!
@big3etr, Sadly I think your right
@big3etr, Doubt it. Sprint needs to keep customers. Changing people’s plans would cause a mass exodus.
@saibot,A man to that one brother!!!
@big3etr,
they can’t. that’s what the additional $10 on all smartphones are for,.
Verizon’s unlimited plan is capped at 5GB anyway, or you had to start pay more per 100 MB(or 1 GB) subsequent to that i believe. So there just reducing the cap that isn’t exactly unlimited in the first place
@llea1, Or they’re actually just making it known that there’s a cap at different levels. Sprint is capped at 5GB too aren’t they? They just usually don’t enforce it.
T-Mobile has the better option IMO. They just throttle you down after 2GB. I would rather pay for “unlimited” and just be throttled if I happen to go over a certain limit. I usually don’t tether, and am usually on WiFi, so 2GB isn’t that bad for me.
@mindfrost82, According to the Dan Hesse commercial, Sprint doesn’t have a cap and doesn’t throttle. If in fact they do have a 5GB cap, that leaves them open to a class action lawsuit.
I haven’t ever had a problem surfing, but I don’t think I download that much. I have tethered a couple of times when my cable went out and even watched Hulu with no problems though.
@1sae, He also said at CTIA “4G will also let Sprint offer faster speeds and more capacity at the same price.”
Then they added the $10 fee to 4G devices.
@1sae, lol i use like 30+ gigs a month on sprint.. never had an issue
@mindfrost82, Sprint has no cap. That’s what the $10 fee is for. Being throttled after 2GB in no way sounds like a better option. $79.99 = $69.99 + $10 so for the same amount you can be truly unlimited. Even if you usually don’t tether, isn’t it nicer to have the option? Mobile WiFi has come in handy on several occasions.
This could be the straw that broke the camel’s back for me. High prices, outdated equipment, and now data caps? Sprint sounds better and better everyday
Sprint has NO CAPS whatsoever on data. Check the forums and see some of the Ridiculous amounts of data used by some.
sprint does have data caps on the mobile broadband plans just not on the smartphone plans. that’s the reason for the premium data add on. this is surely to boost sprint to #1 in customer satisfaction. I’ll be satisfied once my speeds permanently stay above 700k like they once were.
on one hand, this sounds stupid. However, I dont like that fact that I use 300 mins or less per month and have to pay for 500. I used gigs o’ data and should get full bandwidth if I were to pay a tier for it. So if they can guarantee 9+mb download 80% of the time and so forth I could understand a tiered system. Similar to cable internet etc.
That said SERO till death!
This is why I would never go with Verizon. Sprint may have horrible customer service but at least they give their customers what they pay for. It is sad to see this technology that could revolutionize how we do things be capped like Verizon and other companies are doing. Hopefully Sprint sees that they can use this to their advantage and keeps data “unlimited”. I listen to streaming internet radio on a daily basis and would use 2GB in a couple days.
That is messed up they they are tearing people plans apart! To me it remind me of when they used to screw us on the minute plans back in the early and late 90′s! So far Sprint is the true unlimited! But they have said recently they are going to try to keep it as is for as long as is and is they catch someone who seems to be abusing it then the will punish them, but I don’t know what that means.. But whateva! Go Sprint!
Unlimited is good and I’m certainly am a fan of it. But I have serious doubts Sprint is going to be offering the lowest prices/unlimited data/and good coverage specifically 4g coverage. In the end, if they end up having a substandard 4g offering, people will still leave or they will retain folks only interested in the cost. I am not saying that shouldn’t be a priority, but some will look at it based on cost, coverage, phone selection, etc. I was with T-mobile for example for 5 years before sprint, and finally gave up on them because they didnt even have 3g in my area. I was willing to pay more for a real network.
I’m getting more and more glad to stay with Sprint. The alternatives are getting pricier, and since Jan 28 when my area went 3G may data speeds have gotten better and better. All without limits or caps.
@guitardoc64, seems that my 3G speeds are getting worse as urs are getting better.
Verizon: Yes, people will leave for Sprint’s unlimited but in the end they’ll probably just come back just like they always do because we have the best service – and droids. *Flips switch to turn off unlimited data while belting an evil laugh.
Sprint HAD horrible customer service. for the past two years they have been AWESOME on any question or issue i have had.
Your only going to have your plan changed if you change it!
So for all you guys waiting for 4G you had better get your plan now!
But if you keep your current plan they can not lower your Data Cap!
Anyone with the old Unlimited Data plan will get to keep it provided you don’t change plans by going 4G (which forces a new plan on you)
It all depends how much data you use, people. I wish the carriers would just stop overcharging for data and txtng. The margin’s on Data and Txt are HUGE! But its all about what the consumer will pay.
Sprint is good for me (3rd party EMP plan till DEATH)
all of these clowns are doing the same…. makes me wonder when SPRINT is next…
The 5GB cap is for wireless cards and WiFi Hotspot (actual paid) on 3G. 4G is unlimited and the phones get unlimited 3G and 4G
@mulhiny, I was replying Mindfrost82 above.
If it’s around 4-5gb on for the same price or lower as unlimited, I guess it’s not a big deal. It’s people who download big torrent files with this kind of plan that makes these things happen.
I was away for 3 weeks out of the month, tethered every day for at least 2-3 hours and some times streaming music, doing remote computer work and just checking my email. In that month, I used a lot less than 1gb.
I still hate the big man putting limits on the internet, isn’t this a step backwards ?
I don’t download torrents… And I’m hovering around 40Gb per month… If I am capped at 2GB… I might have to switch to a dumb phone. What’s the point?
Does no one else watch Netflix or listen to Pandora or Soundcloud?
p.