Verizon's promised shared data plan may arrive soon, possibly in time for World Mobile Congress next month?
Back in December 2011, Verizon Communications CEO Lowell McAdam said that 2012 will likely bring a shared data plan to Verizon Wireless so that customers with multiple lines won't have to juggle multiple data packages. Like shared minutes, a shared data plan would provide a bulk amount of data per month for one set fee for family members to share.
"I think in 2012 we will see it," McAdam said at the UBS Global Media and Communications Conference. "We have been working on this for a couple of years. Getting to one bill and getting to account-level pricing is our goal."
The news arrived after Verizon killed the unlimited data plans for new customers. Those who previously signed up with Verizon prior to the data plan change are able to keep their existing unlimited streams of audio, video and app downloads. However those signing up with Verizon after the new plans came into effect must pay $30 for 2 GB a month, $50 for 5 GB, and $80 for 10 GB -- overage costs $10 per 1 GB.
However on Monday a screenshot supplied to Engadget from an anonymous source indicates that the family data plan may arrive sooner than expected. According to the source, training material for an update to Verizon's internal account management application includes several screenshots, one of which shows the general Account Level Plan at the top, and the account's subscribed devices broken down per line in the lower Line Level Plan section (as seen below).
It's here where speculation begins to fly, as the bottom portion now sports a check-box labeled "All Lines on Data Share." By clicking this, it's assumed that all lines listed will share the same data package. Other reports claim that each line will be hit with a $9.99 data charge as the screen depicts, but that just doesn't make sense or follows McAdam's one-plan-one-charge promise. Normally family plans charge a built-in monthly fee for a bulk number minutes for all lines to share, and any overages are applied to the overall account, not a specific line.
So far monthly pricing and data allowance are unknown as well as an actual launch, so stay tuned. Verizon did not respond to an inquiry.
Then go somewhere else.... I love my grandfathered unlimited data plans.
Until you upgrade your phone...
Of course, this is still a rip-off.
And all the carriers do it; in reality, 10 GB of data costs (being very generous) 80 CENTS to provide, not 80 DOLLARS.
The "need to ease network congestion by throttling access after X GB" is also still a blatant lie (most providers do that if they offer an "unlimited" plan).
Verizon's just found a way to make it easier to go over that limit.
Unfortunately... nobody sues for price-fixing.
Only if you had a "dumb" phone previous and had to "upgrade" to smart phone... if you had a smart phone unlimited plan previous and buy a new smart phone you keep your unlimited.
This exactly. I plan on keeping my unlimited for a long time.
we will get screwed out of it sooner or later. That's what the new family data plan is all about, those dumb enough to take it. After that Verizon will find a new way to hump us!
Its only a matter of time (a very short one at that).
Well if you go buy current pricing standars ~1/gb your looking at $100 for 10/gb shared per month. Then judging by the screenshot and leaks they will charge $9.99 per line to access the data which I would assume would happen to all lines but primary.
That would be $100 + $30 for your 3 other "shared" line which would put you close to the same if not slightly more.
Dont think for a second Verizon is going to start giving customers a better value.
Exactly. I don't understand why people don't understand this. Verizon is going to charge you $10 per extra voice line THEN share the minutes as usual, AND change you $10 per extra data line THEN share the minutes... you have to PAY for the privilege of using the data you are already paying for. It's just like having to pay the $10 or $20 it is to enable wifi hotspot on your phone, even though you are ALREADY paying for the data you use.
I'm surprised phone companies haven't figured out a way to charge you for the privilege of your phone actually ringing when a call comes in. "I'm sorry, in order to make it ring, you have a pay a $10/line/month 'caller notification' charge"
Also, having that been said, I do see how this can possibly be overall cheaper. My mother is a very generous woman who pays for her phone, my dad's phone, my sisters phone and my sisters husbands phone, and she's been trying to get my wife to agree to add her phone to their account as well (my company pays for my phone). My sister is the one one with data now, but my mom wants her next phone to me smart, and my wife might go for a smart phone if she were able to share data rather than paying a ton for it... especially since she rarely even uses her phone... but there have been times when she's needed me to look stuff up for her because she doesn't have access to the internet while out on the job site.