Smartphone on VZW with no data plan?

[r0k]

From a PM earlier today...

I may be interested in it, if you do. How much would it be? Also, I heard that Verizion requires you to have a plan if you activate a Smart Phone. Is that only if you buy a new phone with them?

Sorry. It's long gone. Sold days after I received my BB 8830. VZW allows some smartphone users to go with a PAYG data plan and block data on their lines to avoid surprise data charges. I did this for a while with my 650. I don't know if this is still true now. I will also post this in a thread in the 650 forum, or should I put it in the Verizon forum?

EDIT: BTW, I should mention that I am paying for a data plan with my Blackberry 8830 regardless of the fact I bought it on ebay. VZW requires either a $30 (personal email) or a $45 (corporate email) plan to activate a BB on their network, even if they didn't subsidize it.

[headcronie]

This is a relevant Verizon topic. It doesn't really apply to a specific device.

[Inner Prop]

I currently have a smartphone from Verizon and I have no data plan with it. It is an SMT5800 and it predates the mandate to have data so they don't require it.

I don't know if bringing in a phone to the system counts the same way, but I do know it is possible to have Verizon service on a smartphone with no data.

[questionfear]

I currently have a smartphone from Verizon and I have no data plan with it. It is an SMT5800 and it predates the mandate to have data so they don't require it.

I don't know if bringing in a phone to the system counts the same way, but I do know it is possible to have Verizon service on a smartphone with no data.

I think only older phones (like yours) can be brought into their system and activated without data. If it's a newer phone or one that normally requires data (like a blackberry) they'll throw you into a data plan.

[Hook]

Also, important for most people to know, I don't think there is a phone with wifi that qualifies.

[jigwashere]

A Verizon PAYG plan with some data might fit the bill: $29.99 1200 anytime minutes / 1200 texts / 50mb Data on Verizon. The 8830 apparently works on this plan.

[r0k]

Ok, Jig. I bit. I started peeling the onion to find out how I could get 1200 minutes of voice, 1200 texts and 50 meg of data for what I'm paying now for data alone.

I went to PagePlus cellular's web site and sure enough, they would let me re-activate my 8830 on their plan. I'm not sure what would happen to my BIS account on Verizon, though. That might stop working.

But still I wanted to know more. So I went to store locator. This is where it got interesting. PagePlus cellular store locator shows mostly liquor stores, dollar stores and gas stations in metro Detroit. I don't think I want to stand in line behind the lady buying 125 3 digit easy-picks and a case of Michelob to sign up for cell service. It was a nice thought while it lasted. Also I wondered if there were different towers available to PAYG vs monthly customers. The coverage map for PagePlus looks identical to Verizon but I would have to "walk around" to see if it really worked. Since it's PAYG, perhaps I'll dig up one of our old phones, activate it for a month and see for myself.

To further drive a stake through the chest of this idea, I checked the price on "overage" data usage. 60 cents per megabyte. Hmmm... So then I went and downloaded my data usage for September to see how it stacks up against the 50 Meg limit. I used only 6.5 meg of data. With all that fancy bb push email I only used 6.5 meg of data. Certainly paying $30 a month for "unlimited" data seems foolish right now. I just can't bring myself to go buy my cell phone service in a liquor store. But this is an eye-opener. When it comes to cell service, something needs to change around Chez r0k. And soon.

[questionfear]

I say give it a shot, at least for one month, and report back!

Do it for the team!

[jigwashere]

r0k, you should look at your data usage for 3 or 4 months. Mine with Sprint seems to vary quite a bit, although I'm guessing the higher months reflect those rare times when I tether my netbook.

[r0k]

I bet my usage pattern would make it extremely easy for VZW to bust me for tethering. I'm always watching HULU and such on my desktops and that would immediately make the loud claxon and red lights go off at VZW if I went from 6.5 Meg a month to 650 meg an hour

I will go back through my usage and see how many months of data vzw is willing to allow me to browse in my attempt to come up with an "average" and "peak" usage pattern for myself. After checking September, which I recall as a fairly "typical" month, I suspect I could get away with a 20 meg a month plan.