Kiss Your Unlimited Data Goodbye: Verizon Wants Tiered Plans with 4G

[phandroid]

In a move that is sure to offend customer while keeping Verizon’s pockets deep, CEO Lowell McAdam stated in a conversation with investors that he doesn’t see unlimited data plans as making sense when their 4G network rolls out. Purchasing a set data bandwidth per month is what he sees as the logical model moving [...]

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[3devious]

We'll see. I hope that if they do this, they still have a plan that a consumer will want while they try to fend off competition from wireless broadband and other options.

I was hoping that with all of the strides we were making that mobile internet access would become more affordable, not less. While most people were mad that VZW made data plans a requirement amongst feature phones, I was happy that they atleast made the point of entry cheaper for people who just wanted to check their mail and watch the occasional cat movie on VCAST.

If they do something simliar to that with 4G, it won't be as painful but will still kind of suck.

 

[Railz]

If the cap is around 5gig, I really don't think there is an issue. More often then not I am using the wifi with 3G turned off. I just got the phone, downloaded well over 200 apps and themes and still am under 2gigs on verizon's usage.

 

[caustic]

I never really liked the idea of a data ceiling, where as soon as you hit a certain amount you're charged exorbitant fees, but at the same time I think some people have overly high expectations of what they deserve from any monthly fee. It never seemed terribly fair that grandma, who uses 100 mb of data a month, pays the same as the guy torrenting 100 gb of data a month.

I wouldn't mind it if it was done like my electric bill. I pay a fee for monthly use, then a small fee for every gb or whatever I use. Maybe even have lower rates at the middle of the night "off hours" when the tubes aren't as clogged.

 

[Schwin97]

I don't have any issues with them making new plans based on whatever crazy schemes they can come up with. What I do want, is for them to be honest and upfront about what is in the plan. I also don't want to even think about changing someone's current plan because of these new rate plans - if they do that, then I should be able to jump ship and find a new carrier with no penalties...

If they do come up with some sort of tiered pricing arrangement, I would also like to have the option to be charged extra once I use my data, or to just cut me off once I have used my allotted amount. The last thing I would want is a month where I wasn't (or wife or kids) watching where I was on my data usage and get a ridiculous bill.

 

[3devious]

I also don't want to even think about changing someone's current plan because of these new rate plans - if they do that, then I should be able to jump ship and find a new carrier with no penalties...

When they adopted the current data plan at the beginning of this year, my contract was up and if I had kept my LG phone and let the contract roll over, I would have had the data plan that I originally started with. You could argue either way if it was good or bad. The VCAST V PACK was $15 and gave you unlimited data and web. The new plan is $10 and gives you just a little bit of data monthly. It would be hard to exceed the limit unless you had figured out how to tether as I had given that the browser on the EnV Touch was so hindered.

It doesn't look as if our plans will be changing right away as he was mostly talking about 4G (where people will really be making big downloads.) If they weren't going to grandfather you in like they would have with my V PACK example, they probably wouldn't hit you with it until your term was up.

 

[Eazail70x7]

I'd rather pay 10 bucks extra for unlimited 4g to be honest. I can't stay under 5GB's to save my life. This is 3G data usage without tethering that I'm talking about! I'd hate to be charged a high penalty fee for going over the limit

 

[3devious]

Now you are making me want to take a look at my usage...

 

[oakindustries]

Not passing judgment until I see the structure and plans.

 

[IOWA]

Tiered data is a bad thing. Would you pay tiered data for your home isp as well?

While heavy users should have some sort of penalties,
(Over the 5gb cap on regular basis)

Even with my tethering, I fail to go over 5gb, at all. Part of that is using wifi at home. (Much faster! =D)

If they kept the plans as is, (all carriers!) With a 5gb cap for a lower price, ($20/mo?) And higher tiers at higher respective costs, with say a truley unlimited option around $40, that would be fine with me.

Or do away with caps all together, and have pricing somewhere around $5 per GB. That would work for me too, and round it to the nearest MB.

But no service fee, that would be stupid. Its not like the electric company at all, we already have the line open. Also, include tethering apps for free. If I had a tiered usage such as $5 per GB, id want customers to use all the data they can. Charging extra for tethering on tiered data would be a bad idea.

Tapatalk. Samsung Moment. Yep.

 

[fiskadoro]

Another report about tiered plans this morning on CNET, this time from Verizon's chief financial officer, John Killian:

Verizon Wireless eyeing tiered data service | Wireless - CNET News

Sad, but somehow inevitable after AT&T changed theirs.

 

[ylexot]

This is really stupid. They just got rid of the 4 GB limit from their "unlimited" data plan. They should have just renamed it to the 4 GB limit data plan and added a slightly more expensive, truly unlimited data plan.

 

[JustLeft]

If they want to implement tiered pricing, they should be forced to notify you and get your approval before going to the next tier. If you don't approve, then they can cut off data. In no case should you get an astronomical bill without approving the additional data access. It is BS that you need to keep such a close eye on usage to insure you don't get an astronomical bill. If this was really about bandwidth, capping excess use (if you didn't approve additional bandwidth charges) makes sense. This is really about increasing their revenue by collecting from those who don't keep a close eye on their usage.

 

[Chidori602]

i hope tmobile doesnt do this. once i get passed 1 or 2 gigs they halve my speed. thats BS.

 

[SquareBare]

I have a question if you guys don't mind...

Will verizon let you get a smartphone with nothing but a data plan, skipping text and voice?
Just kind of like a mini iPad?