Verizon Planning to End Grandfathered Unlimited Data Plans With LTE Switch

U.S. cellular carrier Verizon is planning to move its customers who still have unlimited data plans for their smartphones to its new family data-share plans as customers switch to LTE data plans.

The iPhone was initially offered with unlimited data plans when it launched on Verizon early last year, but the carrier soon dropped the unlimited option in favor of data plans with allocations of data.

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Fierce Wireless has the details, quoting Verizon Communications CFO Fran Shammo at a JP Morgan conference:

As these 3G unlimited data plan customers migrate to 4G LTE, they will have to purchase the company's data-share plan (which Verizon plans to launch in mid-summer) and move off the $30 per month unlimited data plan. "Everyone will be on data share," Shammo said.

Verizon currently throttles its unlimited data users only when a particular cell tower is overloaded, whereas competitor AT&T slows its unlimited users after they use 3GB of data in a month. AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson recently noted that his one regret about bringing the iPhone to AT&T was offering unlimited data.

Sprint, the number three carrier in the country -- and the only carrier to still offer unlimited data packages for the iPhone -- has said it will continue to offer unlimited data plans for the iPhone, even if the next iPhone includes LTE, as is expected.

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Top Rated Comments

William Gates Avatar
163 months ago
The iPhone was initially offered with unlimited data plans when it launched on Verizon several years ago,

It was 15 months ago, not several years.
Score: 35 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Nostromo Avatar
163 months ago
How to cheat on your customers:

1. Sell them unlimited data plans.

2. End unlimited data plans, but tell those who already have them, that contracts will be respected = grandfathered.

3. Fu$$ it! Who cares! End grandfathering and break contracts. All grandparents must die one day anyway.

For the record: I don't have an unlimited data plan. But it annoys me anyway to see how cell phone break their word to others. Cell phone cartel keeps prices at twice the price level anybody else in the world pays.

Where is the government investigation into price fixing at cell phone companies?
Score: 33 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Peace Avatar
163 months ago
Does this mean a person can switch without paying a early termination fee since the contract has changed ?
Score: 26 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jclardy Avatar
163 months ago
Verizon has cast the first stone.

I'm awaiting AT&T's announcement next week.
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mr. Gates Avatar
163 months ago
Verizon has cast the first stone.

I'm awaiting AT&T's announcement next week.

The world is going backwards
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
boshii Avatar
163 months ago
As expected.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)