Verizon to offer iPhone 4 with $20 hotspot tethering plan

Posted:
in iPhone edited January 2014
Verizon Wireless has finally confirmed that it will offer iPhone 4 with a $20 "personal hotspot" WiFi tethering plan similar to what it currently offers its existing smartphone subscribers.



A report by MacWorld confirmed the mobile hotspot details with Verizon's executive director of corporate communications, Brenda Raney.



Verizon's mobile hotspot plan allows users, for an extra $20 option on top of their data plan, to share their mobile 3G service with up to five WiFi devices (such as an iPad, iPod touch, MacBook, or any other WiFi device).



The iPhone 4 tethering plan has its own 2GB monthly cap, according to the report, with each additional gigabyte costing another $20. Previous Verizon tethering plans cost $30 but delivered 5GB of data, in addition to the user's data plan. That means the unlimited plan with tethering will cost a total of $50, with 2GB for tethering and unlimited use of mobile data.



AT&T's $20 tethering plan currently only supports USB or Bluetooth tethering to a single device at once, and rather than offering a separate data pool, the plan counts use against the user's plan. That means the 2GB data plan with tethering costs $45 total, but still only offers 2GB of data per month.



Unlimited data



Verizon earlier announced that its new CDMA iPhone 4 would only be offered with an unlimited data plan costing $30, with no option for a limited use data plan as the company now allows its current smartphone users to choose.



In the future, Verizon says it will phase out the unlimited data plan, following AT&T toward tiered service plans. It has not detailed when it will do this, nor how much it will charge.



AT&T also announced earlier this month that it would be simplifying its texting plans to two options: 1000 messages for $10, or unlimited texts for $20.



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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 43
    Uhm...Verizon....none of your pricing announcements have convinced me to jump over to you. You need lower prices than AT&T if I'm going to go to a slower network and lose concurrent voice/data.
  • Reply 2 of 43
    macslutmacslut Posts: 514member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by noexpectations View Post


    Uhm...Verizon....none of your pricing announcements have convinced me to jump over to you. You need lower prices than AT&T if I'm going to go to a slower network and lose concurrent voice/data.



    Unfortunately, Verizon doesn't care about you, nor me, who needs a SIM slot for international travel. Verizon is too busy caring about the 10+ million who will come over or upgrade to an iPhone 4 on their network because they want better connectivity, have corporate accounts or hate AT&T for whatever reason.
  • Reply 3 of 43
    jragostajragosta Posts: 10,473member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by noexpectations View Post


    Uhm...Verizon....none of your pricing announcements have convinced me to jump over to you. You need lower prices than AT&T if I'm going to go to a slower network and lose concurrent voice/data.



    Geez. After putting up with people complaining about how bad the AT&T network was and how much better Verizon is, we're also going to have to listen to people complain about the pricing, too?



    If, as has been claimed, millions of people see the AT&T network as inferior due to dropped calls, then that should be plenty to get them to switch to Verizon. Lower prices shouldn't be necessary.
  • Reply 4 of 43
    daharderdaharder Posts: 1,580member
    US 29.99 unlimited data plan + 20.00 tethering seems fair enough given that AT&T offers neither at this point (to its new iPhone subscribers).
  • Reply 5 of 43
    cameronjcameronj Posts: 2,357member
    It's obscene that they charge $15 for Exchange server usage!
  • Reply 6 of 43
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by DaHarder View Post


    US 29.99 unlimited data plan + 20.00 tethering seems fair enough given that AT&T offers neither at this point (to its new iPhone subscribers).



    The Unlimited Data Plan is temporary. It's the equivalent of a 90 trial period for a job.
  • Reply 7 of 43
    cameronjcameronj Posts: 2,357member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by mdriftmeyer View Post


    The Unlimited Data Plan is temporary. It's the equivalent of a 90 trial period for a job.



    I don't understand. Can you give me a metaphor that will make it easier to understand what temporary is?



  • Reply 8 of 43
    Actually, although it may be temporary, if you were to buy the iPhone 4 on Verizon and agree to a new 2 year contract, you are LOCKED IN for that 2 year period, at unlimited data. So it's only a temporary window to sign up for the service, but once you have it, you have it for the duration of your contract. They can't just take it away.



    Which is fine for me. I plan on continuing with my same plan (I currently have the $30 data plan for my BlackBerry Storm2 on Verizon) and signing a new agreement for the iPhone. By the time my contract is up, LTE will be in full swing and I can move to that new platform.
  • Reply 9 of 43
    sflocalsflocal Posts: 6,092member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by jragosta View Post


    Geez. After putting up with people complaining about how bad the AT&T network was and how much better Verizon is, we're also going to have to listen to people complain about the pricing, too?



    If, as has been claimed, millions of people see the AT&T network as inferior due to dropped calls, then that should be plenty to get them to switch to Verizon. Lower prices shouldn't be necessary.



    I agree. Those that where kicking and screaming (i.e. whining) about how horrible AT&T is and how wonderful Verizon is are suddenly backpedaling their preaching? Total absolute hypocrites.



    What Verizon is doing comes to no surprise whatsoever. Cry me a river from hearing their little bubbles bursting.



    Why don't all the whiners pool their money together, build their own cellular network and do as they please? Considering the number of whiners that are raising a stink about it, they should have the money to do it
  • Reply 10 of 43
    I don't see what the complaining is about. Aren't these the same rates they offer other smartphones? This is Verizon we're talking about here. It wouldn't surprise me if they charge an extra 3 bucks for visual voicemail like they do for other phones.
  • Reply 11 of 43
    I think it's okay. My Droid X has the exact same plan. $29 for unlimited data and I do believe there is also a Hotspot option for the same price. If they did anything different for the iPhone it would be a huge slap in the face to the other manufacturers.
  • Reply 12 of 43
    cory bauercory bauer Posts: 1,286member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by cameronj View Post


    It's obscene that they charge $15 for Exchange server usage!



    I raised an eyebrow at that as well. Does that mean you can't use an exchange-based email address on your iPhone without paying Verizon an additional $15/mo?
  • Reply 13 of 43
    cameronjcameronj Posts: 2,357member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Cory Bauer View Post


    I raised an eyebrow at that as well. Does that mean you can't use an exchange-based email address on your iPhone without paying Verizon an additional $15/mo?



    Sure seems like it. I seem to recall that from sometime in the past as well, but it doesn't get a lot of mention. I expect that from RIMM, but not from the network!
  • Reply 14 of 43
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post


    Verizon Wireless has finally confirmed that it will offer iPhone 4 with a $20 "personal hotspot" WiFi tethering plan similar to what it currently offers its existing smartphone subscribers.




    Tethering lets you use the internet you are already paying for. Tethering should be free. This is one big reason I am happy with my jailbroken ATT iphone, and free wifi tethering app!



    There should be a law about double charging for one service.... Its a similar case how they charge you for one SMS message, and the receiver also gets charged for the same message!? Its not like that in other countries.
  • Reply 15 of 43
    Well I guess I'll continue using my 5 year old prepaid Nokia from T Mobile. Cost me about $10 Bucks a

    month. I just use it for outgoing call's when I'm out.....and turn it off. Any emergencies can wait till I

    get home or back to the office. I'll wait till all the provider's run together and blow up.



    Gee ....how did the world survive without all the new fangul gagets.

    I'll also stick with my 3 year old iMac 20, till I see smoke.
  • Reply 16 of 43
    dualiedualie Posts: 334member
    These companies are the modern day equivalents of robber barons.
  • Reply 17 of 43
    +1



    This is just unbelievable that they can get away with this . . . pay for x amount of data and how I access it shouldn't cost me additional fees . . . I f I buy a gallon of gas I can use it in my car, in my lawn mower, trimmer or whatever . . . OH, you want to put the gas in your atv, sorry, that will be an additional $20. Can I say I hate cell providers!!!
  • Reply 18 of 43
    cameronjcameronj Posts: 2,357member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Fast Fred 1 View Post


    Well I guess I'll continue using my 5 year old prepaid Nokia from T Mobile. Cost me about $10 Bucks a

    month. I just use it for outgoing call's when I'm out.....and turn it off. Any emergencies can wait till I

    get home or back to the office. I'll wait till all the provider's run together and blow up.



    Gee ....how did the world survive without all the new fangul gagets.

    I'll also stick with my 3 year old iMac 20, till I see smoke.



    Wow, I bet you were on the edge of your seat to see if Verizon would come close to your price....
  • Reply 19 of 43
    gotwakegotwake Posts: 115member
    It's funny how people complain about the stupidest stuff. If Verizon included tethering at no extra charge, people would use it for their main broadband connection. People using 500 MB per month would be using 5 GB.
  • Reply 20 of 43
    rot'napplerot'napple Posts: 1,839member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by cameronj View Post


    I don't understand. Can you give me a metaphor that will make it easier to understand what temporary is?







    Verizon announced that for now they'll be offering unlimited data plans to its iPhone users for $30.00 a month. With regards to the metaphor of "a 90 day job", its like when I was flying, airlines when they hired you put you on probation for the first year. You had to be on your toes to not screw up.



    I guess the posters metaphor implies that the unlimited plan is on probation until Verizon figures if its worth it to keep it so as to differentiate its top data plan to ATT's or if data hogs take advantage of the unlimited data and cause the "it's the network" carrier to have their system taxed and overburden and slow downs of data, god forbid dropped calls or whatever else might happen, that would influence the Verizon higher ups with regards to keeping the unlimited data offering or go to a tiered data structure like ATT. That's how I read the meaning of it.

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