Uh oh: Verizon Dropping Unlimited Data Plans Too?

Awww no...

Wow really? I was about to switch to verizon leaving AT&T for the droid x ...

Come on Verizon don't follow AT&T......

Either the internet is not ready for "unlimited 4G" or these companies (read: owners) need money to buy new car, helicopter, personal jet and islands.

I don't mind them making different plans for rates/data for smartphones as long as its not they same as ATT... if Verizon had a plan where I paid $15 or less for 2 or 3GB, I would probably change my unlimited to it but they will probably be greedy...

Why would you follow in the path of AT&T? At least Verizon is giving it's customers a heads up. Still, kinda not cool.

Normally I've been all gun ho in the opposition of these moves... until I recently took a look at my average monthly data usage.

Turns out that on my Droid I only used a maximum of 200 mb of data a month, and I average about 150. If they run the route of AT&T, I could potentially save $15 bucks a month x2 because my gf and I both have Droid phones. Free $30 bucks off a month? I'll take that.

Verizon and AT&T will have no problem with network congestion when people leave their networks for Sprint and T-Mobile (neither of whom could afford to follow suit, their unlimited plans are their saving grace).

My father-in-law just bought an LG android device. The clerks at the store actually sold him on a 25MB data plan. I learned this after I downloaded a 5MB update to the Google Maps app over his 3G connection for him. Needless to say, he will be upgrading to a more capable package to avoid the inevitable overage charges. I guess Verizon is trying to cheat its customers just like every other company.

I really don't understand pay-per-download, as even per-hour dial-up billing back in the day made more sense. Seriously, who plans to browse the internet for 32MB of data? But I'm sure some people plan to browse for an hour before stopping, so even time-based billing makes more sense than data (not that I like either idea).

You sir, are an idiot. You ever hear the old poem about how first they came for the jews, but I wasn't a jew so I didnt' speak up. Then they came for the gypsies, but I wasn't a gypsie so I didn't speak up. Finally they came for me, and no one was left to speak up?

What if Verizon was planning on having only a 25MB and 100MB data plan? You wouldn't save $15, you'd pay an extra $35 when you had to buy a second 100MB chunk. Seriously, is anyone capable of thinking farther than 5-seconds ahead. Next month, this guy will use 201MB and bitch that Verizon charged him extra.

I've had verizon wireless for about 5 years now and to date I have had little to complain about. Currently I am on the unlimited data plan for about $15/mo extra, however, as the other poster stated I doubt i use an excessive amount of bandwidth. The reason I like having the unlimited option is so I do not have to worry about going over some limit and getting raped for each kb/mb afterwards. Verizon, if you try to treat us like at&t I might have to rethink my options

I have sprint with the new EVO 4G, and between youtube, Sprint TV, downloading apps, facebook, emails, ect ect, I burn many many gigs a month in data. I also use PDA NET to connect my laptop to the internet like an air-card. Not only is it free, but man on 4G it's amazingly fast.

I don't see why everyone who has 4G in their area hasn't switched to sprint. Unlimited mobile to mobile talking from sprint works for both incoming, and out going calls, to any carrier. Only time you use minutes is when you call a lan line (for me, and most people, that's just about never) and with unlimited data I pay about 70 bucks a month, and thats basically for unlimited talk, text, and data on 4G. Verizon sucks in comparison, and now they going to cut off their unlimited data? lololol.

Apple fan boi'z need to wake up and smell the HTC Evo coffee

200MB/5$ 500MB/10$ 1GB/15$ and 5GB/25$ why can't they offer this type of plan???

more garbage as usual for folks who use smart-phones.
dump verizon and att and write a not to another company stating if they would give you unlimited rates you would use them forever.maybe that will help maybe not

LOL, 15 bucks, that would be a dream. 2GB is more than probably 99% of their customers use. I tried to see how much crap I could download in a month and barely got to 1GB before giving up. There's just not that much you can do with a phone (at least for now). Here's hoping the sub-$30 plans are at least 2GB, but I wouldn't be surprised if I ended up still paying just as much in the future. I think a sweet-spot tier to keep everyone happy would be 1GB for $15, 3GB for $30 and 5GB for $45. I would bet money that the lowest tier is $20 or $25 for 1 or 2 GB though, that's just how Verizon rolls.

I don't understand why these companies keep advertising "fastest xG" network if they are going to limit you on how much you can download. With web browsing and video viewing on the go, your limit will be reached faster with the faster network speeds. It's like saying hurry up and wait at the same time.

I dont care I will pay full price for the phone, and keep my grandfathered plan. Can't really switch here as Sprint sucks for reception here. F-U Verizon

Think about it. Not too long ago, there was no data on your phone. Then you got an app or web browser to use a little data here and there. More data apps appear, and your data usage goes up. Then mobile data exploded, and you got a phone that's "data heavy" and you're now averaging 150mb a month.

You don't think that pretty soon, with this "mobile explosion", you're data use isn't going to continue to skyrocket just as it has been in the past?

You people are too short-sighted. You think your current trends are going to continue 6 months, 1 year, 2 years down the road? Pretty soon you'll all be begging for your unlimited data back. But by the time your phone companies bring unlimited data plans back, it will be $60, $80, $100 a month.

Look beyond your nose once in a while. I need a nap. /grumpiness

This is "slippery slope argument" - the worst kind of argument there is, IMO.
There are reasons to criticize this decision, the main is probably slowing down the rate of developing the use of internet on the phones, another is inconvenience to the costumers (monitoring their data volume) but your argument is not a very good one.

Understandably, Wireless networks don't have the same capacity as physical networks, but this goes hand in hand. The solution is simple. Quit overselling your network if capacity really is an issue and not just some made up excuse to suck money out of your "consumers" pockets, which for DSL/Cable most certainly is. Or stop creating/hosting products that are sure to put a heavy load on your network.

It's not like they didn't see this coming, maybe not when the iPhone first came out but ever since to play blind, deaf, and dumb is just a childish excuse from an executive standpoint. Long gone are the times when the only need to go online on your phone was for ring tones and wallpapers. You guys advertised the experience, now either deliver it or shut the fuck up about it. Consumers don't want to hear lame duck excuses when you are the ones that brought it all up with this HTML browsers, Youtube on your phone, streaming radio and all that hoo-hah.

Don't blame us.

I've got Sprint and haven't had any problems with the bandwidth police. Some months on the 3G network I use 10GB and no problems. I'm planning on upgrading to a 4G soon. Forget AT&T and Verizon, the Iphone isn't worth it right now. The main reason for getting a smartphone is to use more data. They say only a small number of users use more than 2Gb but most of the users right now haven't upgraded to smartphones.

Please don't quote something about the Holocaust and make a reference to cell phone data plans. Seriously.

Perhaps this will only apply to 4G data plans and phones? That's kinda what it sounds like the guy was saying (and what I am hoping for). I would prefer paying a $10/month premium for 4G like Sprint is doing right now. Is $40/month really not enough for them?

***Post deleted by moderator.***

Cool it on the language.

The tower density for 4G is much greater than 3G, and is therefore much more expensive to deploy, as Sprint has found out. Which is why carriers need to find a way to fund their 4G expansion. While I don't like it, it's the price of advancing technology.

I think those of you who are unhappy should boycott AT&T. Either don't use its services at all or cancel your data plan. Show this evil corporation how tough you are. Make it see the error of its ways. And most important of all, that will keep the network usage down for serious users.

Yes, sorry about that. Stupid of me to lose my temper when businesses act like businesses.

I don't understand whats wrong in USA. Here in Europe you can use uncapped hi-speed internet almost everywhere. At home 100mbps or 1gbps fiber optics (of course there is places forgotten by god, but they're disappearing fast), every bigger mall or bar has free wi-fi zones. Even outside you can find tons of unprotected wireless networks with good connection speeds.
If you want to be on the move, there is wimax. You get up to 1-2mbps connection even 10-15km outside of town, and sometimes 5+ mbps if you're near a tower. Costs 15-30euro and it's uncapped of course. Just have any device (phone, laptop or pc) that has wi-fi connection.

I had a much longer comment but figured this was a little more to the point:

Verizon Power DSL (3 Mbit/sec) = $30
Verizon 3G (I get at least 768Kbit/sec and up to 2.5 Mbit/sec) = $30

You're pricing is perfect, don't change it.

Reference:
http://www22.verizon.com/Residential/Internet/

The US is a much larger region. We also have 2 competing phone standards (GSM and CDMA) thanks to government interference. Everything contributes to added cost.