Verizon Implementing Tiered Data Plans Soon

[danDroid]

Verizon’s chief Ivan Seidenberg recently announced that the mobile giant is going to be implementing tiered data plans within the next four to six months. Verizon’s decision comes following rival carrier AT&T’s decision to switch to tiered plans earlier this year. This comes as a disappointment to heavy data users (me included) but we all knew it was coming as data usage increases with increased smartphone sales. Currently AT&T’s plans include a $15 a month plan with a limit of 200 megabytes of data a month and a $25 plan with a limit of 2 gigabytes of data per month. Hopefully Verizon’s plans will be a bit more customer friendly than AT&T’s currently are but don’t get your hopes up just yet.

By Andrew Demski
Source: Verizon to Change Mobile-Data Plans - WSJ.com

 

[bigee1212]

awesome for people like my dad, worst thing for me!
at least they have to grandfather our unlimited in

 

[furbearingmammal]

I remember reading a news story within the past month and a half that had an interview with one of Verizon's CEOs or something, and he was emphatic that tiered data plans weren't coming "any time soon".

Good to know we can't trust anything Verizon tells us.

 

[s13_slider]

awesome for people like my dad, worst thing for me!
at least they have to grandfather our unlimited in

Would that still apply down the line, say when it's time to upgrade?

 

[HamDog]

I heard about this on CNBC today. A major bummer. But won't this allow us to get out of our 2 year contracts since the terms are changing materially? And that's assuming if one wants to get out. I would actually consider getting out and going with Sprint's EVO.

Last I heard, Sprint allows even tethered unlimited data access if in a 4G area (of course, there is a $30/month fee for wifi hotspot tether feature). In a 3G area, it's limited to 5Gig/month. Maybe Verizon will do something similar when their 4G (LTE) is out by next year.

Personally, I'm not a heavy data user. I'll certainly need more than 200 megs though! And I am rooted using wi-fi hotspot on my Droid, but I rarely have the need for it. But I just hate counting and keeping track of data usage. I think a lot of people share this feeling.

 

[HamDog]

at least they have to grandfather our unlimited in

Hope they do. Did ATT grandfather their current iPhone users when they changed their data plans?

 

[s13_slider]

Wouldn't you think they might also have an unlimited tier also? Just priced higher than the 2 gig?

 

[furbearingmammal]

Hope they do. Did ATT grandfather their current iPhone users when they changed their data plans?

Yes.

Wouldn't you think they might also have an unlimited tier also? Just priced higher than the 2 gig?

No. Nothing I've read has indicated they'd keep unlimited at all, merely speculation on how it'd be a good thing.

What I don't get is why they'd do this while the switch to LTE is going on. Unlimited on LTE makes no sense, but as everyone switches to 4G the demand for 3G is going to drop. Once there's no demand then the bottleneck they're facing, which makes it so "unprofitable" to have the unlimited plans disappears.

 

[Wadman]

I wonder if Verizon will offer more early upgrades now so they can slowly fase out the unlimited plans that people already have? I wouldn't upgrade right now simply because my droid 1 does everything I need it to. I am waiting for that one blow me away device to tickle my fancy.

 

[bhall238]

awesome for people like my dad, worst thing for me!
at least they have to grandfather our unlimited in

Has anyone heard anything about grandfathering? And what would change it for you; if you updated your phone, or changed your plan?

 

[Wadman]

awesome for people like my dad, worst thing for me!
at least they have to grandfather our unlimited in

Has anyone heard anything about grandfathering? And what would change it for you; if you updated your phone, or changed your plan?

There's no way they can make any changes to your current plan. Your contract went into effect before they did this. In otherwords...If you are under contract nothing will change. IF it does....the floodgates will open :icon_eek:

 

[huskur]

Personally i don't like the fact that i have to keep check on my usage. That really really blows in my book. Nice to have when needed but not necessary. I have a gps in my vehicles pre-droid and i can always find wifi. That being said it may be the last of my smartphone/droid and hello to my android tablet. Tiered pricing sucks all the way around. I use 1GB some months and some months i use 3+ GB. Its a "no can do" for me.

 

[clucernoni]

Well maybe some of these new phones coming out at the end of the year will be with Sprint and I can head on over there. I know data demands are getting higher, but LTE is supposed to be faster AND cheaper for them to sustain.

Plus, I understand doing this or throttling during peak hours, but why shouldn't I be able to stream a movie to my droid at 2am on a tuesday night...not enough bandwidth or something?

 

[BigMcGuire]

I use about 300MB/month on average. When I used to pandora on 3g (instead of on my laptop), that was the only time I've ever gone over 2GB in a month. Considering my phone sits on WiFi now (thanks to co-workers investing in an isp at work with approval of boss) - this is a good thing for me.

 

[xmguy]

awesome for people like my dad, worst thing for me!
at least they have to grandfather our unlimited in

Same for me. Albeit I probably don't use over 2GBs since I mostly stream internet radio. Ok that's ALL I do. But still I like knowing it's unlimited and I don't HAVE to think about a limit. My hopes either VZW grandfathers current users in. Or allows onlly 4G users to have to get the tiered plan.