Verizon Begins Easing Customers Out of Grandfathered Unlimited Data Plans Discussion

[Ed Hardy]

Verizon's switch over to its new shared data plans -- which happened this morning -- marks the beginning of the end for those of its subscribers who still have an unlimited data plan.

Read the full content of this Article: Verizon Begins Easing Customers Out of Grandfathered Unlimited Data Plans

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[RickAgresta]

Ed, any further details on the definition of 'Corporate customer'? I'm wondering if the device has to be in the name of the business, or if those of us w/ a Corporate discount are included.

[r0k]

When I had a personal phone on VZW with a corporate discount, if I called VZW customer support, my calls go would to the corporate call center. The same is true now that I have ATT. When the rep comes on, they say "enterprise sales and support" even though I pay my own bill with a corporate discount. It probably depends on the size of the account and number of lines associated with the main corporate account so YMMV. For billing, however, I would expect to be able to get shared data even if my calls go to the corporate call center. By exluding corporate customers, VZW is saying they want those customers with hundreds or thousands of phones to remain stuck on those legacy plans where they pay $30 or $45 for data per line on top of voice and data charges.

I have found that cell phone companies give you unlimited dog vomit or whatever it is you don't happen to need right now. So unlimited voice and text while you shell out big time for data is no surprise to me at all. Besides, all it really takes is an app like talkatone and any device with a data connection becomes a phone with free minutes anyway. So one could argue that these free unlimited voice and text plans are competing with free alternatives offered online and the carriers will continue to charge us for something we can't easily obtain somewhere else: data.

Of course VZW is pushing ppl off unlimited data. What if you were a carrier? Who would you want to support on unlimited data? A 2G or 3G device or a 4G device that could chew through gigabytes a day if left unchecked.

I still have a bad taste in my mouth from when I paid Verizon $45 a month for "unlimited" data plus online backup on a device that could only barely manage to pull down 6 megabytes a MONTH!

[Varjak]

So a plan for 4 GB that cost $70 yesterday is now $100?

[Adama D. Brown]

So a plan for 4 GB that cost $70 yesterday is now $100?

Pretty much. But you only have to pay an extra $30 to add another smartphone to your plan!

[Ed Hardy]

Let's do a side-to-side comparison to be sure we're talking "apples to apples".

Yesterday, Verizon's unlimited voice and text (UVT) plan for one smartphone, without any data added, was $80. Adding 2GB of data was $30, adding 5GB was $50.

A Share Anything plan with one smartphone with UVT starts at $30. Adding $60 gets 2GB of data, while 4GB adds $70.

So previously, an UVT plan with 2GB was $110. The equivalent Share Anything Plan is $90.

Taking the same UVT plan with 5GB of data, the previous setup cost $130. You can get 8GB of data on a Share Anything plan for $120. For the same $130, you can include wireless service for a tablet and connect them with mobile hotspot service.

[r0k]

We have 4 lines on At&t. For under $200, we all have iPhones some of which even have replacement insurance (though I haven't told the kids lest they put them down the garbage disposal in the hopes of getting a 4S). We have limited talk (who needs unlimited talk?), we have unlimited text. Three of our lines are grandfathered on $15, 200 MB data plans. One is grandfathered on $25 2GB data. If we went to At&t's latest plans, we'd have to spend $5 more a line for 300 MB plus $30 for the 2GB line. So Verizon's deal might not look so bad next to At&t's latest rate hike but the fact is even with shared data rates are spiraling upward. Sure I can now get away with adding a tablet for only 10 or 15 bucks a month but I already had that capability on At&t which lets you add and remove an iPad on a moment's notice though you wind up paying for a 200 GB or 300 GB chunk of data.

I guess the real winners here are music and movie streamers. The rest of us, who know how to get stuff done but still manage our data consumption just got hammered.

[LandSurveyor]

I will just soldier on with my current setup. My wife will not be thrilled if they try to push her onto a new plan. She got a new contract just in time to get the unlimited data and will continue to use her Droid until it falls apart. Since it's fully insured, I assume VZW is obligated to replace it with an identical phone if hers gets destroyed. At least, that's what they told my brother when he lost his Droid.

Dog vomit! (giggle)

[Ed Hardy]

Ed, any further details on the definition of 'Corporate customer'? I'm wondering if the device has to be in the name of the business, or if those of us w/ a Corporate discount are included.

Share Everything plans are limited to 10 devices. This means a corporation can't put 50 employees on one. The carrier is working on an enterprise version of Share Everything.

The situation is different if you are an individual with a corporate discount. You can get a Share Everything plan, but be aware that the discount will apply only to the Monthly Account Access fee, not the Monthly Line Access fee. This means you save money on what you pay for data, but not the monthly fee for your device.

[Varjak]

I think that's what I posted when this first was announced. The fee is a way of clawing back some of those discounts, which some here disputed.