Verizon clarifies stance on unlimited data amid misreported rumors
Verizon on Thursday issued a statement clarifying the position it will take with customers who currently have grandfathered unlimited data plans, reiterating that the all-you-can-eat option will only terminate when upgrading to a new subsidized smartphone.
The statement, which was sent via email to The New York Times, quelled specious reports that claimed current unlimited data subscribers would be forcibly moved to the upcoming capped shared data plans expected to launch this summer.
Customers with unlimited plans will continue to be grandfathered in to the new pricing model that allows multiple users to share data on a single contract. Once the new plans debut, subscribers who choose to take advantage of subsidized phone pricing when upgrading will no longer have the option to continue their all-you-can-eat service.
The emailed statement:
On Wednesday, the carrier's CFO Fran Shammo caused confusion by saying, "when [customers] "migrate off 3G they will have to go to data share." While this might be true in some cases, the company's stated policy clearly allows for the continuation of unlimited data access if customers pay full price for new handsets.
The statement, which was sent via email to The New York Times, quelled specious reports that claimed current unlimited data subscribers would be forcibly moved to the upcoming capped shared data plans expected to launch this summer.
Customers with unlimited plans will continue to be grandfathered in to the new pricing model that allows multiple users to share data on a single contract. Once the new plans debut, subscribers who choose to take advantage of subsidized phone pricing when upgrading will no longer have the option to continue their all-you-can-eat service.
The emailed statement:
Contrary to erroneous reports around the web, it will likely take years to phase out unlimited data plans, though Verizon is definitely urging customers away from that model.
? Customers will not be automatically moved to new shared data plans. If a 3G or 4G smartphone customer is on an unlimited plan now and they do not want to change their plan, they will not have to do so.
? When we introduce our new shared data plans, Unlimited Data will no longer be available to customers when purchasing handsets at discounted pricing.
? Customers who purchase phones at full retail price and are on an unlimited smartphone data plan will be able to keep that plan.
? The same pricing and policies will be applied to all 3G and 4GLTE smartphones.
On Wednesday, the carrier's CFO Fran Shammo caused confusion by saying, "when [customers] "migrate off 3G they will have to go to data share." While this might be true in some cases, the company's stated policy clearly allows for the continuation of unlimited data access if customers pay full price for new handsets.
Comments
Essentially the same thing. "If you ever want to upgrade, we're taking away your data."
Great. I'm thankfully no Verizon customer, but AT&T will probably follow suit, as those companies have a bad habit of copying each others' policies. It's game theory at work in the oligopolistic market that is the telecom industry. "If the only real competition in town is screwing customers, then we can too!"
Interesting.. so if you bought an unsubsidized phone for, say $650 (which would be an additional $450 than a subsidized phone), over two years (24 months), you would be paying an additional $18.75 ($450 / 24 mos) on top of your regular $30 unlimited data plan. Hmm... Worth it?
Quote:
Originally Posted by tbehunin
Interesting.. so if you bought an unsubsidized phone for, say $650 (which would be an additional $450 than a subsidized phone), over two years (24 months), you would be paying an additional $18.75 ($450 / 24 mos) on top of your regular $30 unlimited data plan. Hmm... Worth it?
I was thinking the same thing. And seeing how it's probably going to be an addition 10 bucks for every gig you go over your limit, anyone that streams a lot of video and audio is probably going to go the unsubsidized route and keep their unlimited plan.
ATT: We will be happy to follow Verizon's outstanding lead, and provide you with the same upgraded service that you have experienced in the past, and know you will be happy to pay more. And by the way, if you had let us buy T-Mobile, this would likely have not happened, so you can blame yourself - so there.
(yeah, sure)
That would depend on the actual usage vs the data cap. I used 6 gigs last month, on a 2 gig plan I would've paid $40 more if I'm on a 4 gig plan it would've been $20 extra, so in my case it would pay off to pay full retail.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ifij775
It isn't very easy to tell how much data you use. I hope apple adds this to the status bar.
How is it hard? Login to your account and look.
Quote:
Originally Posted by bluesdealer
Essentially the same thing. "If you ever want to upgrade, we're taking away your data."
Great. I'm thankfully no Verizon customer, but AT&T will probably follow suit, as those companies have a bad habit of copying each others' policies. It's game theory at work in the oligopolistic market that is the telecom industry. "If the only real competition in town is screwing customers, then we can too!"
Now that's just as much FUD. No it's not the same thing and how can you have read the article without knowing it. You DO NOT lose your unlimited data plan. As of this info, you can keep it even on LTE. The difference is that you can no longer get a subsidized smartphone. You pay full price and you keep your unlimited data plan.
YAY Verizon!
Way to discourage sales of new phones!
Which might eventually help to discourage or at least slow development of new technology!
Maybe you can even help march us back to the Middle Ages, too, as part of your Hope for Tomorrow strategy...
I'll say again, that it was a mistake to allow public utilities to stop acting like service utilities,
and if you don't know what I mean by that, reread the first reply to this article...
Ok, so I'm a little confused. If I currently have an iPhone4s (3G) and I later buy an iPhone4G (if that's what it's called) unsubsidized, will I still be able to get unlimited 4G service? Or will I have to keep a 3G phone? Or would I have to currently have a 4G phone in order to get the unlimited 4G service I have been hoping for and looking forward to with the next iPhone? If I can upgrade from 3G to unlimited 4G outside of contract when the new iPhone comes out, I'll just get my sister (who wouldn't care) to upgrade her phone, and then trade me!
May take a sec or two longer than other carriers, but Philadelphia has very solid Sprint coverage.
And, since I work at a Non-Profit that has a deal with Sprint, I get 25% off my total bill!!
Aslong as you are not in the sticks, Sprint is a great option. . .
Quote:
Originally Posted by Maximum90
If I currently have an iPhone4s (3G) and I later buy an iPhone4G (if that's what it's called) unsubsidized, will I still be able to get unlimited 4G service?
Yes. It seems.
Edit: Double post by accident. Gotta love the quality of my internet sometimes...
What's confusing about this? "The same pricing and policies will be applied to ALL 3G AND 4GLTE smartphones."
Quote:
Originally Posted by ghostface147
How is it hard? Login to your account and look.
Going to Settings/General/Usage, manually totaling the sent/received, AND remembering to reset it every month is harder than it needs to be. Sounds like Windows.
Something in the status bar, or even an app that showed data left (or data over) in its tile icon would be just a little more elegant.
Hmm, does "Siri, how much data do I have remaining this month" work?
Or in my case (AT&T), I just type in *3282# and it tells me how much I've used.
I'm lucky enough to have a better option:
http://www.straighttalk.com/ServicePlans
$45 - unlimited calling, unlimited texts, unlimited data, unlimited directory assistance - and no contract.
They use AT&T's network, so I won't be losing anything in coverage, either. My AT&T contract expires in June and I'm switching.
Verizon's clarification then confirms the earlier reports, they are dumping unlimited data plans just like it was reported. The minute you get a new phone you are OUT!
I'm glad I'm NOT a Verizon customer!
??I love all these "Glad I'm NOT a Verizon customer" threads. I'm a Verizon Customer and I've had an iPhone since they first offered it. I can see how for some folks the loss of unlimited data would be a huge upset if you use a lot of it, but I think it's also fair to say this slice of customers is somewhat small in comparison to the full pie of Verizon customers.
For me it's not that big of a deal. I am currently on the unlimited "all you can possibly choke down" data plan, and I have yet to go above 2GB of data per month, and that's doing everything that I want to do. Even though I can stream as much as I want on the unlimited data plan, I find I really don't have that much to stream. My data usually involves :
- Sending/Receiving emails
- Occasional web browsing on the metro to and from work
- Using Google Map to find something
Other than what I listed above, I hardly ever stream something to my iPhone (mainly because the screen is too darn small to enjoy watching). With so many free WiFi areas available these days (Starbucks, Panera Bread, Hotels...etc) you can still have "unlimited" with those free WiFi networks.
I think it's best, before you get all up in arms over what Verizon is doing with going away from Unlimited Data, to take a look at your account and see just how much data you actually use per month. For those customers who want to keep their unlimited data plans, and actually need the unlimited data (See Desanman69's post), I think it's a good business model to allow them to buy a smartphone device at the full retail price.
For me it, when it comes time to upgrade, I'll ditch my unlimited plan since I really don't need it. I just happened to have it already and when I went to the Verizon iPhone it just followed over from my old phone (LG Dare). Like I wrote earlier, I have never gone over 2GB of data in a pay period, so $30 for unlimited = $30 for 2GB of data. Will I be bummed that I won't have that nice "unlimited buffer", absolutely...but is it a "I hate you Verizon and you're not my friend anymore" situation, by all means no!
I told my wife about this article and her response was that when it is time to upgrade her phone, she will just buy a new iPhone at the unsubsidized price to keep her unlimited data. She is a realtor and a heavy data user. I suspect that the unsubsidized sales of iPhones will increase so heavy users can keep their unlimited data. As far as I am concerned, I have no data plan. I have a cheap phone and an iPod Touch. I am not as heavy a data user as my wife and I do mobile data stuff in wifi zones.