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]
Technically, even though there are many similarities between WiMAX and LTE (OFDM, MIMO, all-IP oriented, etc.), the details, especially at the Physical Layer-level, are pretty divergent. LTE has set aggressive performance requirements that rely on physical layer technologies, such as, Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) and Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) systems, Smart Antennas to achieve these targets. A harmonization may happen in the network level for seamless handover between the two networks but it’s pretty much a dual mode type of service just done in a more efficient way.
All i Can say is if they do, Im going to Sprint and getting the Evo vice the Droid X i was planning on upgrading too.
Using unlimited Clear wireless internet via portable hotspot on Wi-Fi capable phones is the way to go... A statement about tiered pricing was recently posted on the official blog; data limits will not be a problem with Clearwire!
theclearblog DOT com/clearwires-thoughts-on-unlimited-data-plans-and-tiered-pricing
@CLEARblog Starbux and Mickey D`s R FREE NOW !
@bufbarnaby You spelt Starbucks wrong.
@rhomaion On purpose.
No problem, surrounded by wi-fi at home, work, everywhere I go.
Also typed this on my laptop using wifi-tether on my rooted G1 (Cyanogen is the man BTW), using T-Mobile's unlimited data plan!!
Welcome to Business 3.0. Let's just call it the "we hate our customers" era. Trust me, that's where stuff like this is going. It won't be soon before more and more companies start to try to find ways to rip more and more out of your pocket and limit the way you do things.
This is stupid! I've had my DROID X for the weekend (since last Fri.), and I've already hit 1 GB of data. There's no way I want or will be able to stay under a 2 GB limit--especially if I look to upgrade in a year.
1) They locked the bootloader
2) This stupid cap
I figured the adoption of TRUE Android on Verizon was too good to be true. Now I just regret getting rid of the original DROID.
@ofrhythm just regret getting "so-called" internet from your cell phone provider.
I`m going to Starbucks , getting the cheapest house coffee on the menu , and using THEIR wifi !
Sprint or T-mobile here I come
I hope they do this because my wife only uses about 100mb/month on her droid and would love to switch her to a cheaper plan.
But won't current verizon customers be grandfathered into unlimited data?
If they're going to still say you're required to have a plan, they sure as Hell better be better than AT&T's plans. Over the past six months, I've used 56 MB. That's right MEGABYTES! I am one straw from ditching Verizon; I've already suppended my service to decide whether I want to to stay with them. If they don't bring back the pay-per-KB, I'm out of contract, I will leave their wretched service.
As my taste of service, I won't say who, Because I dont need any bashing, but Since I'm not a heavy talker, Just a texter/email/data person, I pay $35 a month for my minutes which is too much anyways, which that $35 also includes unlimited text/mms/data/email, and i have a blackberry curve 8530. Oh yeah, 3G is included. And I'm running on sprints network so coverage and speed is a blessing for me.
metered data usage is a scam.
these networks are not capable of delivering the internet to said sold devices in such a way that proper usage would degrade said sold service and device.
this is the only way they can continue to scam you.
price per mb , price per gb is detrimental to the internet industry as a whole and is not reflective of the true internet experience.
these so called network's should not be allowed to offer a crippled service and call it "internet access" while restricting content and experience.
and on top of that they demand "ETF's" if your not happy with said so called "internet services" to cancel.
This is what happens when you spend all your cash buying Alltel $28 Billion, just to ssay we are biggest carrier in the US and then drop $9 billion for 700mhz to deploy LTE. As on dumb region president for Verizon Wireless put it we did'nt have the cash to buy Alltel and 700mhz so we put one of them on the Corp. Credit Card.
This is why the 3G multimedia phone customer get charged $10 for shit data.
This is why data will cost more in the future ALLTELL and bad planning.
2 Questions!
When your "biggest competitor" does something that pisses off lots of people, why do you follow? Wouldn't the opposite be better?
Why, in 20goddamn10, are we started to cut back on data usage?
If Verizon does this i will be pissed off. I just bought the env3 because $30 a month was too much for internet. However the env3 requires their $10 dollar plan which only give you 25 mb. Now they are going to give 200mb for 15 bucks. Should have ordered the droid X.
It seems the droid x will not be available until after aug 3 according to websites. There was also a story about droid x users using 5x the data of other phones on verizon. Isn't it convenient that the 2nd round of droid x will be available after these new dataplans go into effect. Rat bastards!
I`m on the $175 ETF/Unlimited plan (Verizon)
If they do this ...Hello WP7 on T-mobile !
We are fully immersed in HSPA+ here.
@bufbarnaby So you wouldn't do it otherwise? Do you know how fast HSPA+ is?
@rhomaion I see test done on it and it`s generally better than Sprint`s 4G.
Well when Verizon implements this I'll be happy to pay my early termination fee and move on to Sprint.
I was honestly thinking of it anyways.
I'm not bitching about what they are doing.. I don't really use alot of data on my phone. What I will bitch about is it's a week away and customers haven't been notified...that is just WRONG. We have 3 phones and a mobile broadband card.. I'm constantly looking for a less expensive route and don't tell me to use Wi=Fi.. cost analysis on doing that and reliablity of signal makes it just not an option. Sprint keeps looking better. If Verizon keeps following ATT.. they will loose.. in a poll I created.. the biggest reason people have ATT is the damn Iphone..once other carriers have it..I bet that will change. BTW, the bill for what I currently have with Verizon from ATT would be $100 more, Sprint $ 80 more
Just spoke with a supervisor at verizon and they said this isn't true
and those who have been customers for years have everything grandfathered so I'm god to go!!!! :) droid x is sweet!!!
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10435897-1.html
@Nz1
That's from January 15th, 2010 where is the relevance?
Gives a better breakdown!!!
I am still in the midst of a two year contract with Verizon on a phone, that I bought less than a month after launch, that does not have WiFi. If they impose a data limit on me, it's not like I can just use WiFi instead. I'd be back to downloading (podcasts) on the computer and copying them to the phone. Like having an iPod, but with a monthly fee.
At least when AT&T imposes iPhone data limits, iPhone users can use WiFi instead.
This is a surprise? Apple announces that their exclusive contract with AT&T ends at the end of this year and that there will be a Verizon iPhone by February and you're surprised that Verizon is changing its plans? WHY? I'm not surprised at all. Things are only going to get worse.
I think EVERYONE should have to pay for EVERY MINUTE and EVERY TEXT, then maybe they would quit talking and texting while driving, as well as the rudeness that comes along with some of these people having to be talking or texting no stop no matter where they are or what they are doing. This is out of control!
http://www.zdnet.com/blog/btl/verizon-wireless-no-big-rush-to-tiered-data-plans-for-now/37147