Verizon cuts EV-DO from $80 to $60

Yep, as expected Verizon Wireless dropped the price of their high-speed EV-DO BroadbandAccess Package from $79.99 to $59.99 when you sign up for a new two-year service agreement. Will Sprint Nextel follow suit? Sorta sounds like they have to, especially since Verizon offers a much wider coverage area.

[Thanks, Dave Z.]

[ian spain @ Dec 19th 2005 12:19AM]

yay for capitalism!

[Torben @ Dec 19th 2005 12:19AM]

"monthly access w/ 2-yr customer agreement and qualifying voice plan"

2 year agreement, sure - voice plan, no thanks

[Jon Granada @ Dec 19th 2005 12:19AM]

Umm...repost? Maybe one was just considered the pre-announcement, versus the actual announcement.

http://engadget.com/entry/1234000840056352/

[SD @ Dec 19th 2005 12:19AM]

Read the fine print. There are a ton of limitations on what you can actually use it for - Voip being one of them.

[Eric Jacobsen @ Dec 19th 2005 12:19AM]

Do any basic EVDO routers exist? Like, something that I can hook up to my basic Linksys network router in place of my existing cable modem?

[Peter Rojas @ Dec 19th 2005 12:19AM]

Nope, not a repost. Yesterday we reported on the rumor, today we're reporting the confirmed news.

[Jon Granada @ Dec 19th 2005 12:19AM]

"Nope, not a repost. Yesterday we reported on the rumor, today we're reporting the confirmed news."

Ah, yeah. That's what I figured. This still is really good news!

[Jeffrey Gordon @ Dec 19th 2005 12:19AM]

So does this also change the pricing for the consumer-targeted $45/month BroadbandAccess plan that can be purchased with the Audiovox XV6600 or Samsung SCH-i730 smartphones?

[Alcaron @ Dec 19th 2005 12:19AM]

Seeing this, and the fact that you also have to have voice through them, and the limitations, I went to my providers site (cingular) and look at their data access, they list a BroadbandAccess Data Connect Unlimited for $45 a month for a laptop, however I tried to email them to ask if this is Edge service (their map LOOKS like it is) and all I got was a set of multiple choice dropdowns, the most applicable of which ended with "please call us" (I could have done that a long time ago j@ackass).

So yeah, guess I'll just have to keep hoping that somebody releases something useable.

EVDO sounds nice, but $60 a month, plus voice contract, PLUS two year contract, PLUS you cant download streaming video or music????

No thanks.

Someone wake me up when cingular hires a web designer.

[Thought @ Dec 19th 2005 12:19AM]

Alcaron:
Cingular is indeed still using 2.5G technology, their so called "Edge" network...which doesn't even come close to the 3G EVDO...

As for the requirements and limitations of the Cingular data plan: it's the exact same as Verizon's. If you read their terms and conditions, you will see that the Cingular data plan also requires a 2 year contract, and specifies the same types of limitations as the VZW service, such as no streaming music or video.

Of course as others have noted, I wonder how widely this is enforced by the carriers anyway.

So basically, if you are comparing VZW to Cingular, the terms and conditions are the same, the only difference is that VZW offers a far higher speed data connection, and now, is even less expensive, at least for the moment.

[cbisquit @ Dec 19th 2005 12:19AM]

Posting from my nearly year-old verizon EVDO connection I'd say that they have zero enforcement of that policy. If there's something that can be done on the internet, chances are I've done it via EVDO (MMORPG, >1gb downloads, etc) and the only thing thing that keeps me from streaming video on it more often is the crap latency.

[macsucks @ Dec 19th 2005 12:19AM]

I thought EDGE is considered 3G... whereas GPRS is 2.5G... anyone?

[macsucks @ Dec 19th 2005 12:19AM]

I thought EDGE is considered 3G... whereas GPRS is 2.5G... anyone?

[Thought @ Dec 19th 2005 12:19AM]

EDGE is nowhere near comparable in speed to EVDO...it is not a true 3G type of service...

That is why Cingular is working on their true 3G UMTS network...

[Thought @ Dec 19th 2005 12:19AM]

Here's the bottom line:
For now by far the best and fastest data network is Verizon...regardless of what you might think of Verizon as a corporation and its policies.

No one even comes close. Sprint is only now rolling out their own EVDO service, with far more limited coverage than VZW. It will take them a while to catch up, if they do at all. And we all know that Sprint as a general rule doesn't measure up to VZW in terms of network or customer service.

As for Cingular, they will probably start rolling out their own version of 3G either late this year or next year...but again, in a very limited fashion, and will be behind VZW for a while.

Say what you will about VZW, but they do invest big bucks in their network infrastructure. I'm in Florida and VZW is the only network that remained fully operational during last year's hurricanes. And when Katrina swept through South Florida again it was VZW that stayed up and worked flawlessly. Because of this, the state of Florida signed a contract with VZW to provide cell service for the state.

So again, bash VZW all you want for their corporate pricing strategies, the slowness at which they add new equipment (due largely to make sure the equipment works right when released), etc., but in the end with a cell phone provider you are purchasing a network, and VZW right now has the best network.

[Sean Siler @ Dec 19th 2005 12:19AM]

Anyone heard if this will be retro'd to those of us already ponying up the $80 a month, or is it only for new suckers? - I mean customers.

[EVDO Guy @ Dec 19th 2005 12:19AM]

You can call Verizon and IF you have a Verizon cell phone, you can lower your current $79.99 to the $59.99 plan.