Verizon switching to AT&T-style limited data plans later this month?
By Chris Ziegler 
posted July 20th 2010 7:24PM
posted July 20th 2010 7:24PM
Hang on to your megabytes, folks, because it looks like the Brave New World of limited data is truly upon us. AT&T and Verizon tend to follow each others' moves pretty closely -- the two carriers regard each other as their nearest competitors, after all -- and we're hearing that Big Red intends to move to some sort of tiered bucket strategy on July 29. We don't have details on whether the pricing will be identical to AT&T's ($25 for 2GB, $15 for 200MB), but we imagine it'll be within shouting distance if not. Of course, Verizon has been sending this message for a long time -- even before AT&T was -- so it shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone that this is going down. You might say that Droid Does Caps, eh?[Thanks, RBF]
Google and Apple have completely different ways of making money, but they are still competing vigorously: yay capitalism! (Also, I just owned your @ symbol for my personal use ;)
@ndroid for the win
so much for unlimited...
@ndroid for the win
$25 for 2GBs isn't bad at all compared to Canada. Paying $25 for 500mb on Rogers.... so be happy you ain't here.
Rogers Prices:
- $25 = 500 MBs
- $30 = 1 GB
- $45 = 2 GBs
- $60 = 6 GBs
:(
@Plazmic Flame
this is why Sprint will prevail!
@Plazmic Flame
Just because someone has it worse, that doesn't make this acceptable... if it's true.
@Wjackson25
Exactly. If this occurs, I will be doubly happy I'm on Sprint.
@Wjackson25 Sprint is going to get wiped out with its WiMax obsession. All 3 carriers will have LTE and so most innovative devices will come to them.
@ndroid for the win - Yay to T-Mobile and Sprint screw the competition citizens move markets so move to Sprint or T-Mo and they will reverse their failed position.
@Plazmic Flame
If you bought the 3G or 3GS when it first came out, you could of gotten 6GB for $30 like a lot of people did :-p
Makes me really glad I am with Sprint.
DAMN !
@ Android for the win (Hah, I took back my "@" you tool.) I have an NE2 waiting to be used. I was going to buy a Droix X. I have been with VZW going on 10 yrs, but if this pans out I may just switch to Sprint and get an EVO.
@ndroid for the win
I for one am happy with the tiered data plans. I've never been a high bandwidth user, so when AT&T changed their plans it saved me $15/month. I always felt ripped off by being "forced" to pay for unlimited data when I didn't need it. I say let the heavy users pay for what they use, I shouldn't have to subsidize other people's high data consumption.
Now an extra $20/month for tethering? That's a rip-off!
@a dumb cat
I also think consumers are now FINALLY starting to pay attention to their carrier as much as to their actual phones. Sure, go buy your subsidized phones with a 2-year contract, but pay out the arse in monthly fees that will eventually make your venture on at&t or verizon seem like not such a good idea any more. Contract pricing was the main reason I switched to Sprint because I saw "the light."
@memeslayer
If I'm not mistaken, can't WiMax towers be upgraded to LTE with a software update?
@ndroid for the win
this is bs. EVERYONE BUY A DROID X NOW BEFORE ITS TOO LATE!!
@MarqBland It's true, what you guys complain about being all terrible is what we wish we had up in canada.
we have all the crap phones, expensive data, and atleast in my area the coverage is a joke the instand you leave the city (winnipeg)
@ndroid for the win Right, Google provides needed services and a robust mobile OS for free. Apple lies and deceives people into thinking they invented something magical and charges 5 times the market value for it.
@memeslayer
You are a nincompoop. Wimax can easily. Be switched to lte
@ndroid for the win
How is this not price-fixing?
@Mike10010100
I specifically asked Clearwire this question and their response was that it would be very simple to convert to LTE.
@Cotay
That is exactly what I thought. lol Thanks!
Go Sprint! Affordable from beginning to end!
@Mike10010100 Something like that has been said before, I think. But it doesn't really matter. 4G will get better range on Verizon and AT&T because they'll use the 700 MHz spectrum vs Sprint's 2.5 GHz. I don't think LTE would change that nor would it allow phones to be interchangeable between Sprint, Verizon, and AT&T (because of the frequency difference).
@ndroid for the win that is why SPRINT IS THE BEST COMPANY BECAUSE OF THERE CHEAP UNLIMITED PLANS
Welcome to the death of inovation in the mobile world. Lets build all these great applications and handsets and watch the carriers fuck the customers.
Verizon and AT&T pushed data to the consumers, then they forced it on them, then they got a % of the customers hooked on all the cool shit a device can do, and now they are going to rape anyone who wants to use it.
Welcome to the future we made. But than again the average smartphone customer does not use 95% of the phones ability. i see it each day
@ndroid for the win
Dude, the phone companies aren't dictating the carrier's decisions.
@cloud858rk
While a lower frequencie travels farther. Sprint has alot of 850mhz spectrum too thanks to Nextel.
@a dumb cat don't worry. Sprint and T-Mobile will be next...
@Plazmic Flame @EMoSLO Where I am, smartphones don't require a data plan. You can have loads of data plan options. Starting next month, you can get unlimited data (moving the right direction instead of the wrong...)
Where is this land of maigcal unicorns? SK
@Plazmic Flame
Paying 30$ for UNLIMITED HSPA Internet (7.2mbit/s about as fast as 4G in the US), plus 150 (anywhere, anyWHEN) minutes, plus 150 messages, plus FREE TETHERING in the Netherlands :)
With the iPhone of course!
@Mike10010100 Yes, the towers can. At least Clear/Sprint's towers can.
BUT! The phones cannot. Clear has already announced they aren't mutually exclusive to WiMax, as has Sprint. But if they make the switch, 4G phones like the Epic or Evo won't get 4G anymore, which will be as big as Antennagate IMO.
Or, they could mutually maintain both networks, so as to keep current users happy
@MGore32
No thanks, I just took my third and final one back. They can keep the Droids.
@ndroid for the win
What does Google and Apple have to do with this article? Yes, I know their smartphones are using up a lot of data and all of that good stuff, but your comment doesn't relate to this article at all.
On topic, AT&T's recent change really annoys me. I'm switching to Sprint as soon as this contract is over.
@ndroid for the win Will previous lines get grandfatheres
@ilwisucks
Yeah, I was just thinking that today. I'd probably be using some p.o.s. flip phone today if it wasn't for the iphone. I really think the carriers want to go back to "the good old days" where they charged $60 a month just to check your damn email and see 5 websites.
@memeslayer
Yes, LTD will be capable of great speeds. Which will mean people will hit their bandwidth caps that much quicker and will be looking huge bandwidth charges.
Meanwhile, over on Sprint, we are enjoying truly unlimited bandwidth on our EVOs for a mere $10 uplift. :)
@geniusdog254
I think that the latter option is the most likely.
@ndroid for the win If there is one private sector industry that you can count on moving backwards, it's the cellular communication industry.
@ndroid for the win
http://www.nooooooooooooooo.com/
@MarqBland I'm so disappointed with verizon recently, they sold me (fios tv and internet) to frontier communications and now this news.
@ndroid for the win
Haha, its funny to see Fandroids squeal on Command
@ndroid for the win
alright im absolutely not sure about this and have no real knowledge of verizon's plans so please, correct me if im wrong. But arent you required to get a $30 data plan PLUS the call/text plan whenever you buy a smartphone? If im right, then personally i think thats an absolute rip off. Id much rather have an option to only get a $15 plan with not as much data because i dont think id need more than 200 mbs. the required $30 plan is absolutely rediculous. i dont want to pay $50+ every month for ONE person.
@Plazmic Flame hence why I got rid of my Rogers plan.
@memeslayer it won't really matter since you won't have enough data to take advantage of them anyways!!!!
Data needs to be unlimited. Period.
@geniusdog254
@Wjackson25 sprint is next dood. especially with the evo now. they're already feeling the strain.
@Nanosman1994 Their*
@brittonx Remember when Sprint was the only carrier left with an "unlimited data" plan for broadband cards? I was with Sprint for 4 yrs before they changed to 5gb and was told that I was grandfathered, yet last Aug I got a letter saying my unlimited plan was changed to 5gb. I would hope sprint doesn't follow suit but history says they will.
@Plazmic Flame
You think you have it bad? I pay AU$2 (roughly US$1.75) PER MEGABYTE for data on my phone... charged by the kilobyte. Australia sucks. Mobile data is ridiculously expensive, and with the biggest ISP here, AU$70 will get you 12GB of data (at 1.5mbit ADSL1 speed, ADSL2 will cost you more), and any good games get banned.
So will all you people please stop complaining? You DO NOT have it as bad as we do.
@Slashee the Cow Well, the big difference here is that you didn't originally get unlimited data for one price, then have that option stricken away from you. In the grand scheme of things we have it good in the US, but with the culture we've built around streaming media and having internet on our phones at all times, this is a bit like the dealer jacking up the price once you're hooked.