Verizon to begin requiring data plans on '3G Multimedia' phones?

It looks like new buyers of a slew of Verizon's most popular handsets are going to get saddled with a little extra baggage starting next week: a minimum required data plan of $9.99. The package -- which is said to include 25MB worth of data -- is apparently going to be required for some heavyweights in the carrier's lineup including the enV3 and enV Touch, devices termed "3G Multimedia" phones by the powers that be (as opposed to "advanced," we guess). If you have one of these phones already and you're using it without a data package, don't worry -- you won't initially be required to make any changes, but it seems that certain plan modifications will trigger an automatic add-on. It's a pretty lame move, and considering how closely the FCC is watching Big Red right now, it's not particularly well-timed, either.