Verizon Wireless kills Pay as You Go data plans, data plans now mandatory
This has been rumored to be coming but VZW E dropped the bomb on us all by leaking a Verizon Wireless document detailing some drastic changes to Verizon’s data plans. Starting November 14th, 2008, all new PDA / Smartphones will require a $29.99/month or greater data plan. Gone are the pay as you go data plans, 1X data block plans and the 10 MB $24.99/month plans. The good news is that those who are currently signed up for any of the now canceled plans will not be forced to change. If you have a data block, you can keep your data block and continue to use Wi-Fi instead of EV-DO for you data connection. The bad news is that once you swap out your phone for any reason, you will be forced to upgrade to a $29.99 or higher monthly plan. The leaked document also notes that a similar plan will go into effect in 2009 for select Mobile Web 2.0 phones. Since the document mentions HTML web browsing capability as the criteria for a mandatory data plan, we assume this will affect phones such as the LG Dare, the LG Voyager and the new Krave ZN4. With this change, you will be forced to subscribe to the $15/month VCast plan that provides unlimited data for email and web browsing. This move, though controversial, is not entirely surprising. Verizon is apparently trying to better montize the growing interest in smartphones and generate a constant revenue stream by requiring data for all its advanced data-capable phones. Oh, one other thing. You know all of the hot new phones set to hit store shelves in November? Don’t be surprised if we see them become available after November 14th when this new mandatory data plan policy takes affect.
This is stupid. I cannot afford to have internet on my phone, that is why i buy phones with wifi. This is going to turn customers away.
It so funny to see people complain about this. Why would you get a advance device with out the data. Thats like buying a 50″ plasma to use with rabbit ears. Pointless. It’s already required on several devices on all carriers (i.e. G1,iPhone) VZW is just making it simple. Advance device – data plan. from a customers and a sales perspective it makes everything simple
@questionmark well that makes sense, but people have to start looking at these wireless carriers as a business and nothing more. My aunt pays the bills for VZW where she works and she said that they just didn’t do that just to fleece their customers, they take the average usage from pay as you go users and since the average user uses about 30 dollars a month it only makes sense to do it that way, dont be surprised to see other cariiers to follow suit. Everyone loves T-mo’s cheaper plans but they barely have any 3g coverage, and if they wanna expand that coverage to its customers they have to pay for it somehow, and if people dont realize that by now their in for a rude awakening soon. I personally like VZW cuz of all the coverage, i’ve tried sprint and T-mo and with sprint i would be roaming in my own house lol. had a curve with t-mo and the Edge network was slow as hell. so i dont mind paying a little more for quality.
@smknv8s – The funny thing about your comment is that it’s quite possible to use a big-screen TV with OTA signals, there’s even OTA HD. It’s a totally reasonable option, probably even more reasonable that using a smartphone without a data plan.
I think the main issue here is simply the fact the vzw is forcing consumers to pay an extra 30 dollar premium just to buy the phone. Why can’t they just cut off data on the device if you don’t have a plan so you can’t connect at all? That’s how att and tmo have been doing on some phones.
This news doesn’t bother in the least bit since I live in the NY metro area and have the choice to bounce between the big 4 on a whim, but I feel bad for those who live in east bumblefuck and have no real choice but Verizon due to lack of coverage.
Good luck.
It won’t fair well and Verizon will drop the requirement.
WOW TOTALLY AWESOME!!! All Verizons plans went up $15.00 and $30.00 Per month !! YAY *Screaming sarcastically*
I LOVE when carriers dictate and force you to have DATA on a phone you selected, even if your not ever gonna use it.
Its like Comcast saying… “YOU MUST PAY FOR HD, CAUSE YOU HAVE HDTV AT HOME” even though, you never used the HD channels, or wanted them because you get them free over the air.
So who is to dictate your phone with style that happens to be a “smart” phone with internet and email, HAS to be on a data plan, if you dont want or use said data. STUPID!!!
Oh wait, sprint did this for new phones coming out, the exception, its charged LESS then Verizon.
This really sucks for people who actually like to have use Wi-Fi vs. using a data plan by their carrier.
Well, of course, on the other hand, you occasionally see in the news people who buy a smartphone, don’t buy the data plan, and then a month later get shocked when they have a $25,932,589,326 bill from using data without a plan. In those cases the cellphone company usually has to give in and wipe out the charges, which they’d probably rather avoid doing.
Does anyone on here even realize this has always been a requirement from verizon for at least the past year for any smartphone???? This isn’t new news.
Who would use a smartphone without a data plan anyway? That’s kind of lame. Verizon has the best service. I would never think about leaving them due to any necessary changes such as these. Buying a smartphone without a data plan is like buyin’ a new car without features.
Funny…for the most part you all are looking for a damn handout. Get over it! Verizon Wireless is not a charity and they have goods and services the consumer wants and needs so they are going to make sure that these wants and needs produce capital. Stick with your sub par T-Mobile/AT&T/Sprint service if you are unhappy but understand a sound business model when it presents itself. If you don’t like it, block data on your PDA or handset, then you pay not one red penny for it!
Again, this is just smart business! With the Storm and other devices following suit one would be crazy not to charge a premium for data. Noone on here can tell me that if they ran a multi-billion dollar country, they would just shrug and say…sure let them have it cheap. Also, this creates a limit on the people taxing the network by the usage, the people bitching and threatening to block it just means more bandwidth for me. Good luck in that cave your living in, I’ll be in the 21st century if you want to join someday.
P.S. I meant company, not country (Second paragraph, third sentence)
Sorry the election is on my mind!
you don’t need a data plan to use a phone greedy usa
well Nate,
hate to break it to you but not at tmo. if u dont wont it, u dont get it. Iphone, sidekick is the only thing i see so far that comes with it and cant detour from it. dont believe me? check tmo website urself like u are actually buying a blackberry.
This is the way Verizon can sell their smartphones as lower prices. Why do you think they can sell blackberries for $79.99?? Because you are required for a data plan. All other smartphones, currently do not require a data plan, thus they are $200+ because of all the cheapskates out there that don’t think they should have to pay for anything. Just wait and see how smartphone prices drop once Nov. 14 comes around.
Granted I agree with the dumbphone requirement to an extent. But you have to look at it this way……when you purchase a Dare, that phone has many many features and a lot of them have something to do with data. “oh but i don’t want the data plan, i’m not going to use it for that” WHAT DO YOU WANT THAT PHONE FOR??????? Besides the 15 year old little brat that walks in the store looking for that phone because it costs $200 and they HAVE TO HAVE that phone. Certain devices i can agree to require data but it’s only going to be on full HTML browser phones if they do that. Grandma’s coupe isn’t going to require data.
Just wait and see, other companies will follow suit soon enough. At least AT&T will anyways. T-mob doesn’t have anything worth charging for and sprint is giving away everything for nothing already.
As I read through half of the posts of people whining about this, i noticed that most don’t have facts totally straight. not EVERY plan went up 15 or 30 dollars. Only the plans that have a smartphone attached, and ones that have a phone with a full HTML browser (there are only 4 of them currently that would require a $15 data plan) Read the entire article before you go bashing.
Oh fantastic. Just when I though the American cell industry couldn’t get any suckier, it does.
I hope this plan fails for Verizon. They (along with every other carrier) already assume I want a shit load of minutes, and now they’ve taken the liberty to suggest I also need a shit load of data. All of this while offering joke subsidies on phones.
How about this? Let me use whatever phone I damn please and pay for service I actually need at a reasonable price or make the phone subsidization worth my commitment.
I am SO moving to the UK.
With a Blackberry you were required to have a data plan anyway, retard.
I have a Samsung U340 on Verizon. It generates a lot of data usage at times when it is not being used, such as, 3 am. I had asked for a data block but the charges still incur. Verizon will not pass up a penny in revenue.
yep, as soon as the n85 comes out state-side, me and my 6 other verizon accounts are moving. They charge for EVERYTHING! The only company that locks the GPS in their blackberries.
Verizon, you will not be missed!
I don’t blame VZW at all for this. After all, which two smartphone manufacturers blew away the competition this year? RIM and Apple, both of which (in most cases) require the data plan activated. Clearly, most smartphone users aren’t bothered by this requirement and therefore, it should be uniform. I can understand people not wanting the data and only using PDA functionality, but then again Verizon doesn’t want to subsidize your phone out the ass so you can have your calendar with you.
Alot of us used to use the Palm Pilots and Handspring Visor PDA’s. Many of us continued to want those features in a phone, some without the need for web access or a data plan. PDA’s support word documents, excel, and other custom apps that can be supported via the hotsync feature.
Verizon is simply expanding the revenue stream and simplifying its offerings. I think it’s unfortunate for some who want to pay as they go. I’ve had Palm Treo phones for the past four years. I’ve been on the pay-as-I-go plan for quite some time with no ill or adverse affect and very little data charges. Web browsing was very clunky on those units anyway.
Listen, everyone has an opinion about this but this is an obvious move to drive business. Most people, including myself from time to time, cry and moan about a phone being too expensive. You guys want this phone for as cheap as possible yet, any and every company takes a hit on that phone. Sometimes, in the case of Blackberries, HTCs, and iPhone, it’s a significant hit. Bottom line, the COMPANY loses money. So it’s basic business 101 in my opinion.
A. Sell phones as cheap as possible so consumers can and are willing to buy them.
B. Since 65% of PDA/Smartphone users who have Pay-Per-Use KB/MB Usage go over or right under the $30 benchmark, let’s go ahead and get the guaranteed money each month for that so we can keep those phones as cheap as possible.
So if you really think about it, it’s just smart business. Now keep in mind, ATT has kind of had a similar if not identical program running with their $19.99 Media Net packages for some of their buy-one-get-one free promos. So it’s not a new concept, it’s just making it more universal.
So you have a Premium Carrier who runs the highest rated and widely acclaimed network requiring you to possibly pay a little more to get the best… Then you have a Sub-Par Carrier who runs a low ranking and highly criticized network but requires little payment because they don’t have anything to expand.
It all boils down to… YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR!
You pay an extra $30 a month for a PDA, you get to use that $200-300 phone to it’s max.
Wow so those who want say an organizer and a phone but don’t wish to pay for outrageous data they don’t plan on using are SOL. PS for all of those who can’t understand why someone would want a smart phone without data here is a clue, smart phones has other functions than you surfing porn on the go like viewing documents, calendar, syncing your desktop apps.