By Alright, the proof is in the pudding and this pudding is just about ready to be served – tiered data plans are definitely coming to Verizon July 7th. And the pricing plans we heard of before are certainly true. That’s if these Big Red training materials are anything to go by, anyway. What we couldn’t get evidence on before, though, was grandfathering information. Existing users are obviously grandfathered in, but we’ve been wondering what will happen for folks who want to upgrade down the line.
These training materials say you can upgrade to a new phone after the plan changes go into effect, but unfortunately suggests that this may change sometime down the line. Other notable details include a pay-as-you-eat plan for $1.99 per MB (ouch!) and a 75MB plan for $10 per month. And yes, you will be able to get locked into current unlimited data plans if you new users sign up for Verizon as late as July 6th. Better get that done as soon as possible. Read past the source link for more details. [Android Central]
Verizon Indirect Dealer Memo
As of this morning we have been given the green light to start training on the data changes Verizon Wireless is making effective 7/7/11.
$29.99 unlimited data will be discontinued effective 7/7/11
- EXISTING CUSTOMERS- That have our $29.99 unlimited data plan WILL BE GRANDFATHERED IN, they will keep their unlimited plan after 7/7/11
- EXISTING CUSTOMERS- That current have the unlimited data WILL BE ABLE TO UPGRADE AND KEEP the unlimited data feature (No known end date on this as of this moment)
- EXISTING CUSTOMERS- That add lines post 7/7/2011, will NOT be able to choose the $29.99 unlimited data feature
- NEW CUSTOMERS- Any customer that sets up service from now, until 7/7/2011 WILL BE ON, AND WILL BE GRANDFATHERED into our $29.99 unlimited data package
- NEW CUSTOMERS- Any new customer that set up service AFTER 7/7/2011, WILL NOT be able to choose the $29.99 unlimited plan
- BUSINESS DISCOUNTS- Currently our business discounts apply to the $29.99 data plan on the primary line only. Most discounts are 20% despite whatever monthly access discount they have
- BUSINESS DISCOUNTS- After 7/7/2011 data discounts will only apply to the $50 and higher data packages on the primary line.
- Discount break down ex. of customers with a 20% feature discount on their primary line. ($50-20%=$40/month for 5GB and includes the business e-mail feature)
- — ($20/GB vs. $40/GB+ Business e-mail )
New data pricing for smart phones is as follows:
- $30 for 2GB with $10/GB overage
- $50 for 5GB (this also includes business e-mail at no additional charge) with $10/GB overage
- $80 for 10GB (this also includes business e-mail at no additional charge) with $10/GB overage
So all changes effective July 7th, 2011.
Existing customer KEEP their $29.99 unlimited data plan
If an existing customer upgrades from a feature phone to a smart phone after 7/7/11, they will NOT be able to add on the unlimited data package. They must choose from the new data plans.
Anyone who sets up new service with unlimited data, upgrades from a feature phone to a smart phone with unlimited data, or customer currently on the $29.99 before July, 7, 2011 will be grandfathered in.
These changes also apply to employee plans as well (personal accounts w/work discounts applied)
SO, This is a huge time for us to set our customers up with the right package for them! We only have 14 DAYS remaining for unlimited data, and until the new data pricing takes effect. (14 days to setup new customers w/unlimited data, and customers upgrading from a feature phone to a smart phone)
PLEASE, PLEASE make sure we take advantage of this heads up and get our heavy data users set up on these unlimited plans before they change.
In the uk I have 500mb bit they don’t seem to do anything of I go over only three does proper unlimited now and its about 25 a month similar only. But you get unlimited everything for that
Wow, Verizon is in the UK? I never knew that. I guess I’m just stupid.
Yes you are stupid. Sean was just providing us a different point of view.
Well technically vodafone is in the USA bot the other way around. Vodafone is the largest carrier in the world.
Does anyone have any idea what they’re talking about for business discounts? Is that only if you upgrade to the tiered plan afterwards? I have 20% off currently and it’s really the only thing keeping me with Verizon, I don’t want to loose the discount.
you wont lose the discount
i get to keep my unlimited and this still makes me very angry at vzw. Maybe if they would realize $30 of 2gb is redic. its 2011 people. 2gb worth of data costs them a fraction of a cent to supply to me. RIP OFF. they will change it back like they did a few months ago when they tried this shit. Whoever is calling the shots on these mobile data plans should be fed to hungry bears.
Agree I mean I could have saw making it $25 like at&t but I mean with those prices its a no brainer to go to another carrier if you have that chance which most people have atleast one other carrier they can change to and still have decent coverage.
I wish T-mobile was going to merge with AT&T because I am paying $20/month for 5gb/month.
I agree
AHAHAHAHA
Yeah I would like clarification on the data discount of 20% as well. If I lose that I’ll not be a happy camper, having had that discount for many many years. Also, If I add the $20 tethering feature does that change the data plan since it’s a new thing or will my data plan remain.
VZW is the Meth dealer of data bits. Give u some tastes of 4g data get you hooked. Then drains your wallet. Im sure It won’t be long til someone robs a little old lady to pay for there 80.00 bucks worth of data they will be addicted to.
It isnt draining those who already have unlimited data you still pay 30 a month for unlimited so how is that robbing anyone? because the only ones who got a taste already had unlimited and gets to keep it? Maybe you can’t read which is why you dont understand?
It’s quite obvious that he can read. He’s just voicing the idea that many of us are thinking, and saying ourselves…VzW is overcharging for their services.
Once again, Verizon: SPRINT IS HAPPY TO TAKE MY BUSINESS. How many people will defect to Sprint, rather than spend more money to add a new line?
In this day and age, moving to tiered data is a little ridiculous, especially if you don’t give us controls to prevent overages.
I dont get service with Sprint where I live. I had to switch to Verizon last year. I miss Sprint’s monthly bill. At least Ver will grandfather my unlimited data for now.
I am pretty much against government regulation of everything, but this is robbery. With Tmo getting bought it, its becomming more and more monopolistic by the month. Gov really needs to step in here and do some ass kicking.
I agree, it seems like carriers are taking the average consumer into a dark corner and then raping them with a sharp object.
I mean shouldn’t rape be illegal?
It is, the unfortunate circumstance is that the govt atm is too lazy to identify the current situation for the rape that it is.
At least they are trying to get the heavy data users set up.
They already are. Unless you mean set up for a robbery.
“We see that you’re using 14 gigs a month for $30. How would you like to pay 4 times as much for the same data? And commit to it in advance?”
How friendly! I love these guys!
What about for alternative upgrades? Who would have to be grandfathered in? the person with the upgrade or the person to which the phone is going to?
Any word of a family data plan yet?
I’ve been waiting for word of a family data plan, but it looks like it won’t come out ’till after July 7. I’ve never paid for data or had a smartphone, because of the cost.
If you’re not leaving Verizon, your best bet seems to get data without a contract, and switch over to the family data plan if it proves to be a bargain. There’ll be at least a $10 premium, eg $40/$60/$90 for 2/5/10 GB monthly probably $20 or $30, or a multiplier of 1.5-2x, eg $45/$75/$120.
So this is my decision: Wait for a “summer release” of the Droid Bionic (and who knows if that will turn into late winter with how many times its be revised) and wait for at least a year for the LTE build-out to reach me or jump ship to T-Mobile who has HSPA+ in my area now, who has a sweet phone in the HTC Sensation with “unlimited” (if throttled) data & minutes. I figure ride out a two year contract and wait for either VZWs LTE to get to me & for VZW to ACTUALLY GET SOME TOP TIER ANDROID PHONES like every other carrier is getting, and compare that with what will then be AT&T-Mo. MAYBE, just maybe an AT&T and T-Mobile could build a decent network.
What do you think?
i think verizon is a very costly carrier, if T-Mobile has HSPA+ in your area, you’ll recoup your new phone cost in 4 mos time ($50 a mo difference between providers). You’ll also have that rate for 2yrs so that seems like a good deal.
If your currently on the 3G plan i would assume that you can upgrade to 4G unlimited later in life. But that’s an assumption since it’s just kinda out there. When i upgraded from my BB (had 3G unlimited) a couple days ago it made me cancel that contract addition and sign up for the 3G/4G unlimited instead.
So thinking since the current unlimited data plan i had before was just called “Blackberry Unlimited Data” and my new one is “3G/4G Unlimited Data” it may be a way they try to screw you after the 7th.
Okay then I have a Droid X right now and have unlimited data so when my contract ends in 2012 can I have unlimited data for LTE
A lot of folks on this forum are likely “power users” / “high bandwidth users”, right? I mean we’re spending our spare time reading about the latest and greatest. I wonder what our average monthly usage is? And I wonder how that compares to the population of all users.
Might it not be that 2GB per month really is enough for most folks. The big unknown is 4G – will the “average user” start watching hi-def streaming content?
Unfortunately, although I don’t like the pricing scheme I can see that it’s by far the most effective tool they have to control usage in a situation where they just don’t know what effect 4G will have on usage patterns.
What I think is unreasonable is charging to tether – I’ve already bought the allotted bandwidth so let me use it how I want.
“Might it not be that 2GB per month really is enough for most folks. The big unknown is 4G – will the “average user” start watching hi-def streaming content?”
My phone streams pretty well as is. If I had to choose between unlimited 3G and limited 4G, I would take the 3G. No contest. Wouldn’t even hesitate for a moment.
Unfortunately, I’m not going to get this option. So I don’t think this has anything to do with 4G.
I don’t see how they can justify these ridiculous rates.
I’ve been a proponent of verizon for several years, but you know what? I WILL NOT PAY THESE RATES.
I have less than 2 years to go on my lines but after that if Sprint still has unlimited data, I’m jumping ship.
So you are bitching because they are letting you keep unlimited even after you upgrade and you are mad?
For the rest of his life? Yeah, sure, Mr. Verizon PR.
You’d have to be a complete sucker to pay those prices. $30 for 2 pathetic gigs?! LOL, take that garbage elsewhere.
Obviously AT&T and Verizon have the FTC paid off, and I thought Democrats were suppose to be for the blue collar “working man” (or person) as we must be politically correct now days.
LOL @ verizon…
They will end up losing the opportunity to gain a lot of future android customers with this pricing… Now the apple sheep on the other hand may just buy it anyway as long as stevie tells them to.
Existing customers will not loose anything except for when Verizon changes their mind and call it a perk and not part of the contract. Blah Blah, Blah. Whatever. Only reason they are reason they will let the existing customers keep it because they dont want flocks of people going else where. It’s coming though if not now may be SOON.
What I don’t understand about anyone’s VZW rants is this : if you already have unlimited what’s your friggin problem? Nobody has true 4g BUT VZW has the fastest and truest 4g available. For those jumping ship, have fun with ur sub-par speeds and lack of being on phone while surfing! I’ll be blazing movies and data with VZW.
Our friggin problem is that they are going to pull the rug out from under us and you as well. We will not be able to grandfather unlimited data for the rest of our lives. If you think that’s the case, well I’m sorry, but you are simply not very bright.
Pay more, get less. What is the upside to this? Anyone? Bueller? You must have been dropped on your head if you don’t see why anyone is angry about this, even if it only applies to others for now. Verizon has carried the torch for Android and if they kill data then they are starting to kill the Android experience. Short-sighted much? To give one example, I take pride in being able to stream entire episodes of Rachel Maddow (to LISTEN to!) every morning during my commute. That’s 200 megs every morning and it costs me nothing.
Under this lame scheme, that would run up 4 gigs a month, and would thus cost me more than my current data plan. FAIL. I love gadgets but the one constant is that bits get cheaper over time. Verizon is about to reverse that trend. And in case you’ve forgotten, it’s coming out of your wallet.
So as someone had asked before, if you have an android with unlimited 3g right now, are you able to stay grandfathered in upgrading to a 4g phone?
Yeah data plans are the same for 4g and 3g.
Not necessarily true, the unlimited 3g and unlimited 4g are technically different plans, so swapping between the two after the 7th may be a no no.
HOLY CRAP! I feel so sorry for you guys… I thought data was expensive in Australia but that is downright daylight robbery. I pay $8 on top of my phone contract (which already includes 250mb) for an extra 1GB of data giving me a total of 1.25GB/month which I can use however I want. Theres no premium to tether or create a wireless hotspot, access to the mobile pages of the most popular social networking sites are unmetered and if I happen to use more than my 1.25GB extra data is charged at 12c/mb, not $1.99/mb.
Even if I was with our most expensive telco, I’d only be paying $20 for an extra 2GB but even they throw in at least 1GB of data for most mobile plans.
Sprint and T-Mobile seem to be the only proponents for Unlimited data at an affordable price nowadays. Jump ship while you can.
Lol. Jumping ship is exactly what you shouldn’t do if you have a Verizon unlimited plan. You sacrifice being grandfathered. Also, Sprint totally blows anywhere but a major metro area.
Well that just isn’t true. I’m hundreds of miles from a major metro area and love my Sprint service.
Shorter Verizon:
You will pay a lot more for astronomically less. Quite literally, infinitely less. Unless you join up now. And even if you do, we’ll put the screws to you next year. By the way, we hate you.
Verizon really needs to stop with the tethering plan crap. Tethering should be included on ANY data package. There’s no way I will pay $20/month more for a feature I rarely ever use, but do need once in a while. Their argument about tethering users using too much data for what they’re paying just went out the window, because they will now charge per data used. If you use too much data while tethering and go over, you will pay an overage fee, thus making up the extra cost. Verizon needs to quit copying AT&T and come out with some competitive plan pricing if they want to stay in the game, ESPECIALLY if AT&T-Mobile does become a reality.
say that i just activated a blackberry yesterday and im not due for an upgrade (got the blackberry from my buddy just in case and hopefully it will work ) till july 16th does this still count as me paying the 30.00 bucks for the unlimited data and will it grandfather me in so i can keep the unlimited
Whats the use of having a data hungry Android phone if you can’t use it for anything more than making calls out of fear of paying overages