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 just an evil corporation trying to make another buck. Stop the big RED MACHINE!
Why would you use a smartphone/pda with no data plan anyway? To look cool to your colleagues? More commission for me. I doubt I’ll lose a single customer over this.
@smknv8s
Wow great job with the insults. Very classy.
For all Verizon does to the phones themselves by putting cripple-ware they automatically by default become the absolute worst providers. That’s all they do provide a service, but for some reason they want to make things mandatory, and limit phone’s potential with awful branding or requirements. So, if you don’t understand that then go play in traffic with your smartphone.
No, you don’t need data plan for basic phone – they aren’t built to be online 24×7 like a PDA
at the bottom of the picture of this site, it says that this includes blackberries. well, i want a verizon blackberry with a PAYG or data block and i know that it’s possible because i have heard of many verizon customers without a data plan for blackberry. so i better hurry up and get my blackberry before nov. 14th!
Sorry to tell you Tara but that is NOT possible to get a blackberry on Verizon w/o a data plan. At one time a few years ago you may have been able to get a blackberry w/o a data plan but they did away with that close to 2 years ago. Other smartphones you are able to get pay as you go data, just not blackberry.
Here’s the problem, i am a VZW customer, I have a pocketpc, i have always had no data plan, nor do i ever want one. If i want internet, I’ll use wifi, if no free wifi available, then i can live without internet access.
But this is forcing us to pay for things we do not want. I was considering getting the xv6900 but it doesn’t come with wifi.
So as I see it, i can’t even upgrade, to a new pocketpc, since it don’t support wifi. I like my phone, but want to buy a thinner phone.
Instead of making money by this move, they are actually pushing customers further unto their competitors.
I see this as a very dumb business move.
If you want to make more money, then do something that is of value.
Jeez.
I may move away from VZW just to get a nice pocketpc, that is reliable, and so i do not have to pay for a data plan, which i will never use or need.
This is ridiculous. I have a razr, and my wife and I have been holding off on upgrading to get a smartphone with WiFi. I don’t want to pay $60 a month for data and have $160 phone bill! I don’t need a data plan, I just want WiFi for occasional internet access.
Verizon is only concerned about themselves as a company, and not about their customers. They may have lost 30% of their customers to AT&T because of the IPhone, but they are about to lose a lot more. If Verizon does this, I will switch carriers.
I have a palm treo 700w and i was wondering if this $30 a month will allow unlimited data? because if it does, then i would think it is better for us because to connect to the network right now it costs me 1.5 cents a kb, or $15 a mb(which isnt much)
I just hope that do not force it on Inpulse or Pageplus or any of verizon MVNO. I think verizon will block it on inpulse. Pageplus will be getting data next year. There wont be a problem with people using it, once you are out of money on the prepaid card, you will need to get a new card.
for as much bitching as ive heard…have any of you thought about the bonuses of this? big deal you have to get internet on a smart phone which is what its mainly used for and pay an extra 10 bucks for what we all use and enjoy rather than going to a “bad” carrier…this will generate a lot of revenue and hopefully verizon can invest it back into the network….when i worked for comcast they were already talking about it with google and sprint after pivot fell through…so lets see what can come from this
I have had a Blackberry for two years with no data plan on VZW. Some Verizon marketer called my wife two weeks ago to sell her something we did not need or want, and when she accepted “100 more free minutes a month, try it for 30 days”, my life changed. Now I have to pay $30 a month for something I do not need at all, I only use the PDA features on my smartphone, and I cannot go back to the plan that I was completely satisfied with. Can you say “deceptive business practices”?
I’ve read through all these posts and I can’t find the answer to my question. I’m on a family plan where I pay $10 a month for unlimited text messaging plus $10 for the minutes. I was wondering when we go to upgrade next month how this new requirement will effect me? Can i add this “data plan” for $30 a month and that will give me unlimited texting as well? and when i go to the verizon site I can’t find this $30 data plan
@John
the $30/month is for data (web browsing, downloading, email, etc)and data only. Messaging is not a part of the data plan so you will have to pay extra for a messaging plan. You will still have to pay the $10 for minutes.
The $29.99 data plan is called “Email and Web for Smartphone”. It is difficult to find on VZW’s website. The easiest way to see it is to pretend that you are purchasing a smartphone. Add the smartphone to your cart, select your voice plan, and in the next step you will asked to select your extra features,one of which will be the email and web for smartphones. There is also a $49.99 Unlimited plan but you only need that plan if you are syncing with an Exchange server. Most people only need the $29.99 plan. Hope this helps.
This really isnt all that shocking although a little annoying it will be a way for people to learn to finally use their more features on their phone. And eventually they will hopefully lower the data plans if everyone has them and they cant get overage charges. and besides blackberries require them and WM phones arent all that great and not compatible with Macs long live Macs!!!
Just make sure you get a phone without a browser or data feature except maybe for simple text messages. Then you should be fine.
It does help, thanks Kelly!
I think its time for consumers to write to their elected representatives to force wireless providers to provide low cost data plans and zero termination fees for customers who are not satisfied.
I think I will stick to my old data less phone till voice+data is no more than $50 a month with free tethering.
@ Sam I completely agree
This is not correct. Any pda RELEASED after Nov 14th requires it. It is not effecting phones released prior to this date. For example a Palm Centro does NOT require the data plan
One other thing. I took that training. What VZW E is forgetting to mention is that when they say NEW it is referring to PDAs launched after the 14th. VZW E needs to not take that training out of context
I think it really sucks though. Today i had to turn down getting the centro because my dad said it was too much to pay a month and i have 5 lines on my plan with a bill thats over 250 every month!
I think this a terrible idea. Charging people a madatory $30/per Month for any smartphone. What a shame. Now because of this I’m not going to be able to get the phones I want, and will have to downgrade to one of their cheap cell phones. I can understand chargin a data plan, if you are going to use it on a regular basis, but a madatory plan is rediculus. Especial for phones that have wi-fi capability, you already pay to use the internet to supply the wi-fi, why should you have to pay again for something you’re already paying for? I wanted a smartphone for the wifi and because I just like them, but now I’m not getting one. A truely bad idea by Verizon.
The Samsung Saga has wi-fi, offered by Verizon after November 14, and has the $29.99 data fee. I can’t use a PDA at home on my own wireless network unless I buy the broadband plan.
I currently own a Treo, and have used $14 over the past 2 years in broadband. I’ll be shopping for other providers.
This is fucking outrageous please email and complain to Verizon. heres mine.
After spending 40 minutes on the phone with your customer support, I am still absolutely astounded that your company has decided to force everyone who decides on purchasing a smartphone to also purchase a data plan. In the case of the WiFi enabled Samsung Omnia, you would be charging me 720$ over 2 years simply to receive updates. Everything the data package allows except updates can be accomplished over WiFi and through basic functionalities. Moreover it is completely plausible to receive updates over WiFi if Verizon were to create a very simple manual update program. Basically Verizon has decided to charge all of its WiFi smartphone customers $720 for updating a phone. The price however is not the issue here, the issue is the fact that we have no options. I have no use for 3g as I am surrounded by WiFi. All I want is WiFi and the capabilities a basic phone can handle (the ability to send pictures, texts and calls). This is not asking much. This policy will not be tolerated for very long as not many people can afford to triple their phone spending for an unnecessary browsing and update option. I can only hope that Verizon is the first to realize that this is blatant robbery. After being a Verizon costumer for 7 years and to now be slapped in the face with this ridiculous policy I will likely never return to Verizon as a provider purely on principle.