( 4UMF NEWS ) Verizon Wireless Overhauls Plans:
Verizon Wireless, the nation’s largest wireless carrier, is dramatically overhauling its service plans, replacing the entire lineup with a new set that focuses on devices sharing a bucket of data.
The new “Share Everything Plans,” which will be sold starting June 28, include unlimited voice minutes and text, including video and picture messaging, as well as a single, capped data allotment for up to 10 devices. For new customers, these plans will replace its current tiered pricing plans that charge based on the amount of voice minutes and data consumed.
“This is a bold move and directed at high-end customers,” says Roger Entner, an analyst at Recon Analytics. “The carriers have tens of thousands of different permutations of plans. With this, it’s really simple.”
Under the new pricing structure, a smartphone customer opting for the cheapest data bucket, 1 gigabyte (GB), will pay $90 before taxes and fees ($40 for a phone “access” fee and $50 for 1 GB). Customers can also add a basic call-only phone, laptop and tablet to share their data allotment for $30, $20 and $10, respectively.
The data allotments will come in six buckets, ranging in prices from $50 for 1 GB to $100 for 10 GB.
Verizon is also throwing in the Mobile Hotspot service, which turns your phone into a Wi-Fi hotspot router, at no additional charge.
For those who use little to no data, Verizon Wireless is also introducing two packages that focus on voice calls — a $40 package (700 minutes, pay-as-you-go text and no data) and a $80 package (300 megabytes of data and unlimited voice and text).
The options available to you as you buy or upgrade your plans on or after June 28 will largely depend on your customer status.
