Additional details about Verizon’s Mandatory Data Plans emerge
Remember that rumor floating around about Verizon requiring a $29.99 data plan for all new smartphones? It was based upon a leaked screenshot of a small section of a two-page slide deck that detailed the new smartphone data requirement. Well, we got our hands on the original two-page document and now have all the nitty gritty details for you. First the bad news, all new smartphones launched on or after November 14th will require a minimum $29.99 data plan for everyone except Government customers. In 2009, select Mobile Web 2.0 devices that have a full HTML browser will also require a data plan, either $15/month VCast or the Connect or Premium Plan which includes data. Verizon’s own system will be edited to prevent new smartphones from having PAYG, 1X Data Block or 10 MB data plan so trying to sweet talk the customer service representative into activating these plans on your line wont work. Now onto the semi-good news, the changes apparently only apply to new phones launched on or after November 14th and does not apply to existing plans and existing phones. According to the slide, the exceptions to the mandatory data requirement are as follows:
- Existing PDAs/Smartphones customers with Data Block will not be impacted
- Existing PDAs/Smartphones customers with Pay As You Go will not be impacted
- Existing PDAs/Smartphones customers with 10 MB / $24.99 Feature will not be impacted
- Existing Gov’t customers may continue to add new PDAs/Smartphones or upgrade to new PDAs/Smartphones without a data plan/ feature of $29.99 or higher
- Devices already in store will not be impacted (As older models are sold through they will still follow the old policy)
If you are current customer on one of these now defunct Data Block, PAYG or 10MB plans, then you can keep your data plan until the point in time that you purchase and try to activate any new phone that was launched on or after November 14th. As long as you keep using your old phone, you’re golden. Hit the jump for the second slide which has selling points to try to get you rebel holdouts to purchase a data plan.
Not the same thing at all. Data services are core to what these devices do. Voice is merely an add on feature. If you don’t want the data services then why do you get the phone in the first place? Get yourself a Dare or whatever and be happy with that.
I really wish these data die-hards would take a moment to think before they post. So you are saying that a Dare can run windows mobile programs? That it can sync with outlook so you have your contacts and calendar always available? Does the Dare have WiFi?
If that isn’t true, then a “Dare or Whatever” would not make me happy. That would be like me telling you not to get a PDA phone because all you need is a laptop. Most of us want a PDA phone for all of its features – not just for data or voice. And, saying that one feature is more important than another is only a matter of opinion.
so i found a moto Q (smartphone) on ebay that was was purchased BEFORE 2009 and the person just ended the contract. if i purchased this and replaced it for my broken phone, saying that it was my dads or somthing, do i still have to pay 30$ a month?
Dont agree that pda/smart phones are worthless without one, had a htc window mobile phones for years without a plan, use wifi when i need to connect, its everywhere and free. love to sync files contact, etc between work and home, and the unbelievable amount of applications i have, (free with window mobile). this phone cost me 9.99 a month, a replacement would triple the cost for the same style phone, $720 more over the 2 yr life that sucks.
My vx6700 died last week and I purchased an HTC Ozone as an upgrade on my previous 2yr plan. For the last two years I existed happily without data service, getting on the internet via wi-fi on my home network and hotspots all over the place, doing all the cool things like checking e-mail, finding the nearest gas station etc without having to use Verizon’s data service. I never had an “accident” either. But I hardly ever used the wi-fi anyway – I used the phone as a PDA – keeping my appointments, notes, contacts, using Word or Excel – I would have been happy even if it didn’t have wi-fi – it was all good just having a phone and a PDA all in one box. So now they’re forcing me to use their $30/month data service if I want to keep the phone (it’s a pretty nice phone, BTW). Well, it’s going back, and I’m canceling my service just to make a point. Sure the competition is doing the same thing, but that still doesn’t make it right. I’ll be back to dumb phones and a separate PDA, but at least I won’t be rewarding Verizon for making me pay for something that I wouldn’t use.
If you can, take a few moments to email Lowell McAdam, the CEO of Verizon Wireless about this. You can get his address on the VZW site – just search for “Executive Leadership”. Of course he won’t contact you back, but someone from that office will (I usually get a call back in 2-5 days). Maybe if enough people contact them, they might change their policy.
I’ve been sure to propose alternative plans such as giving people the option of either a Mandatory Data plan or a Mandatory Data Block plan.
BTW – So far at least, AT&T is not demanding you have a data plan for their Samsung and HTC phones. However, I’m sure this will change if they see VZW getting away with it.
BTW, this doesn’t just apply to phones you purchase from Verizon. I bought a used Blackberry Curve from an individual and Verizon stated that they wouldn’t activate it without charging the $30 monthly fee for the data plan. I spoke to numerous Verizon reps and got a plethora of different answers from all of them. One (who I’ll refer to as Hugh Lyon Sackov) stated that it was impossible for them to block data on a Blackberry.
Well, regardless of the economy being in the tank- that fact remains the the US is deemed a free country- and the freedom is based on the rights to pursue happiness as long as we don’t infringe on other pursuits. TRICKY situation for corporate america to make money for services and crap on customer for outrages rates… BOTTOM LINE – no one is boycotting- it’s still respected that people DESIRE cel phones and it is not a necessity / it’s a luxury- SADLY !!! WE KEEP FORKING OUT THE CASH- THEN THEY WILL STILL CHARGE YOU !!!
if I was going to sell something, I’d want the most I could get out of it – just as you- look at CARS
what about the samsung i730, does it require the data plan, or was it made before the nov. 14th cut off? if it does require the plan does any one know how much it is?
All the major US wireless companies have recently started requiring a data plan of at least $30/month for smartphone users. On my smartphone, I have wifi and wish to pay per kilobyte, an option afforded to non-smartphone customers (smartphone versus non-smartphone determination is quite arbitrary, has nothing to do with the phone’s capabilities, and is based only on a list of operating systems, since many feature phones access the internet just like smartphones).
The carriers state their reason for this policy is because smartphones must use data, and by having a mandatory charge of $30/month, users will avoid surprise overages. However, smartphones can be perfectly functional using either 3G or wifi and it is entirely possible to turn off data on my smartphone and turn it on whenever I need to. I have successfully done this for months without incident. I use less than 1 megabyte of data a month by occasionally checking my email or google maps when I need to, and relying on WIFI the rest of the time. This amounts to about a dollar a month for pay-per-kb. In Windows Mobile all you do to turn off the 3G data and turn it back on is go to Settings – Connections – Connections, then Advanced, then Select Networks. Click New… then type the word “none” where it says “enter a name for these settings”. Then OK. Your AT&T connection will still be in the dropdown as My ISP if you ever need 3G, but your data will be OFF, as in you will not be consuming one byte of data through wap.cingular after that setting is changed. The only data charges you will ever incur will be SMS & MMS if you leave that setting to default on “none” (or whatever you name it) with nothing in the modem settings. I don’t know how to do this for Iphone or BB but for anyone who has even moderate technical proficiency, that’s not that difficult in Windows Mobile. It is complete bull that voice service would need to be tied to 3G.
Paying for an unlimited data plan for two smartphones over the course of a two-year contract (my spouse uses a smartphone for organization and games, not for data) would cost us over $1400 – for a service we do not want or need. It is worse for me to be charged $30/month for years “to avoid surprises” than it is for me to simply not be charged for an unwanted product. For a family of two parents and two teenagers with Iphones, think about it – it would come to over $7200 over five years for a service they can’t opt out of, even though their phones are fully functional with wifi. Saying that smartphones require unlimited 3G data is false. Unlimited data through 3G networks is a subscription feature that should be a choice. Data blocks should also be a choice to prevent overages (for people not confident about their ability to effectively disable and re-enable their smartphone’s 3G). You don’t see wireless carriers shutting off voice service to prevent overages – are we all going to be switched to mandatory unlimited voice minutes “to protect us” or mandatory GPS “so our phones can reach their full capability”?
All the carriers can now use the IMEI information sent over the voice network to ENFORCE this policy. This means that people who were grandfathered in could be slapped with a mandatory unlimited data plan anytime their SIM is detected in a smartphone during a “data sweep”. This is in the AT&T terms of service (that you agree to being “upgraded” to the more “appropriate billing plan for your device” at any time). This is already actually happening for Iphone users.
I believe that refusing to allow smartphone users to subscribe to voice services without an accompanying unlimited data plan constitutes TYING (see antitrust laws). Tying is when the consumer is obligated to purchase an unwanted product or service in order to receive a wanted product or service. If all the major US wireless carriers institute and enforce tying, no one will be able to “vote with their wallet” anymore.
This is not for customer satisfaction, this is for major profit and it is a policy that hurts the free market. If you do not agree with this policy – regardless of whether it directly affects you, regardless of who your carrier is, or what you are being charged per month – you have the right to voice your opinion by filing a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission, Federal Communications Commission, Department of Justice, Consumers Union, and your elected representatives.
You can file a complaint with the FTC at https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/
regarding collusion and/or bundling.
You can also complain to the FCC at http://esupport.fcc.gov/complaints.htm
Just discovered that the current FCC investigation into wireless companies was because of the efforts and concerns of Senator Herb Kohl from Wisconsin. He is the Chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights. Since his web contact form is only for Wisconsin residents, here is his email for the general public to contact him, from the U.S. Senate website: senator_kohl@kohl.senate.gov
I would think he would want to know what consumers think about this policy.
What makes a smartphone “smart” is the PDA functionality, not the fact that it has internet services. Ever consider that a consumer may want a nice organizer that syncs to their PC and that you can install apps on AND a phone in one? I think its ridiculous to force the data plan, what happened to “choice”
Hello all
I would like to get a TP2 from Verizon for my business as they are my current carrier but with this mandatory data plan…no way!
And with this excuses that they need to subsidized to pay for lower price phones, and the other one about how customers were incurring accidental charges, or the best one, that these devices need this connection to perform other non data connection services such as the phone
I mean come on, I don’t know how long these carriers are going to continue to think that only uneducated little children use there phones so that can pawn off any excuses they want. Its time they realized the all the little ignorant children they suckered into being addicted to cell phones are all grown up now and a lot more educated.
At any rate this whole thing is just so disgusting that I am planning to write the FCC and Senator Kohl about this but I was just wondering about a few things as I am now just finding out about this so I just want to see if I have this correct.
As I understand it back around Nov of 2008 Verizon implemented this.
But at that time no other of the major carriers did this too?
The reason I ask is that I have seen quite a few posts from all the nice people who state, hey if you don’t like it go to so and so carrier, but in looking for this phone I see that everyone now does this.
Actually I would think this very fact would even be more fuel for fire with the FCC as if one company started a money making scam and then all the others followed suit because is was not against any current regulation…well?
Also does anyone know for sure that if it is still the case that a device such as the TP2 purchased for governmental use does not require the plan?
Thanks for any info.
P.S. here is some info on Senator Kohls investigation: http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2009/08/kohl-lauds-fcc-wireless-indust.php