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.
How soon until the Verizon bashing comments begin?
i hate usa carriers!
I’ll bash them. Let’s see, the economy is in the tank, but we are going to start charging our customers more. That makes all the sense in the world.
@ justin
I’m with you there. All 4 major US carriers suck one way or another. T-Mobile data plans used to be at pretty good prices ($5.99 for “dumb phones” and $19.99 for smartphones). T-Mobile is going to change its data plans ($9.99 – 50MB + 200 messages). It also bundles smartphone data plans with messages ($24.99 – unlimited data + 400 messages or $34.99 unlimited). It also raises the SK data plan (same as smartphone data plans instead of the all-you-can-eat $19.99 plan in the past).
the way I see it is they’re going to hurt their own sales in the long run by forcing data plans on people simply based upon their phone selection. I’ll sit back and watch. This should be interesting.
…Love the service, hate the rates. But in all honesty thats how they get away with it. I know many people(myself included) who are on VZW and would never leave it. I left for the original iphone, and once the “new” wore off I sold it and went right back.
have a blackberry anyways…so it’s required. no biggie
why is this surprising? T-mobile does it with the G1, the iphone requires a $30 data plan (same as verizons smart phones). And blackberries have required atleast a 10mb package for quite a while.
These companies have to make up revenue somehow. Cell phone plans havent really gone up in ages and now every company offers unlm texting, so texting overages should be few and far between.
Data is the new way to increase revenue. Get used to it, because I guarantee ATT will follow suit very soon.
Its not that fact that its required with SMARTPHONES (granted they’re sort of worthless without one, but then again thats OUR choice…NOT THEIRS). But to make watered down Web 2.0 phones require a $30 data plan is rediculous. Now they are going to release more and more web 2.0 phones just to steal more of your money.
If you know this before you buy who cares. It’s only $29.99.
Pay as you go data is crazy expensive so I’m not why anyone would not want an unlimited data plan. I don’t see the point of owning a smart phone with out using a significant about of data.
and sprint the one lossing customers come on people that’s why ur broke u keep letting these companys robb ur wallet wake up usa these charges don’t have to be in 2012 it wil only be target and track phone every body be broke a 200 dollar phone bill all six people in one house should have a phone data plan or not not one person with a 200 doller bill
I’d like to know what the $29.99 plan includes. I can’t read the tiny picture… I need more than 10mb but I don’t really need the unlimited plan. Somewhere around 1gb would be nice.
What is the point of a smartphone if it doesn’t have a dataplan to make it, you know, smart? Remember, this is the US. We don’t have widespread wifi in 99% of the country and, honestly, pay-as-you-go 3g is counterproductive and going to cost everyone more.
We are under a corporate agreement with Verizon Wireless and the 10MB plan is spelled out in our contract. According to our Verizon Wireless corporate rep and her director, they are NOT eliminating the 10MB Blackberry or PDA plan because it is specifically defined in our contract. This means they apparently cannot take it away – or possibly don’t want to risk us cancelling the whole thing because they altered the contract substantially. She re-iterated twice that the storm and i770 would be eligable for the 10MB data add-on, and both of those will be released after Nov 14th, as near as we can tell.
If you are on a corporate contract or employee program with Verizon Wireless, check into it…
People, this is not just a revenue increasing initiative. This is a customer service resolution as well. Think of all the customers that have PAYG data and call in nearly every month trying to get credited for the $50 in data they used but claimed they didn’t. Verizon has to issue hundreds of thousands of dollars in credits each month from these PAYG data plans. Thus they are eliminating the customer service nightmare that ensues from that.
If you can’t afford the data…..dont get it. It’s as simple as that. You get what you pay for.
@mike
you don’t know what you’re talking about. the only mobile web 2.0 phones that require data are the ones with full html browsers which makes sense. and it’s not $30 it’s $15 you dumb ass. read the post instead of automatically assuming shit.
Awwwww, now I can’t call in and say that I didn’t use the web with my Palm and get credit back after complaining about never using the web and lying about programs on my phone that use the web all the time. Sucks. Fun while it lasted I guess.
Yes, it’s only 29.99 a month. No big deal. That’s $360 extra a year. Try being married and having two smartphones. That’s $720 a year, not including my $69.99 a month plan. Why would I want to drop $1,560 a year just for a cell phone?
@Jon
You’re an idiot. Starting on 11/14/2008, if you purchase a smartphone/pda then you are required to have the data plan…. If you already have a smartphone/pda, no package is mandatory, unless it’s a Blackberry. Wait until your phone craps out and you have to use an upgrade to get a new phone, guess what? New contract, with a data plan. Hahahah @ you
I honestly can’t see why people love Verizon so much, they nickle and dime their customers, cripple their smartphones, and get updates out months after other carriers…. Verizon sucks…
Does this mean that if, in the future, I buy an unlocked Android handset (not the G1), I will have to pay for data? Or could I just get voice and freeload off wifi?
Does this mean that if, in the future, I buy an unlocked Android handset (not the G1), I will have to pay for data? Or could I just get voice and freeload off wifi?
But here’s the idiotic thing, for those of us with Treo 755p’s, VZW is insisting we pay $49.99 for our data plans. For everyone else, it’s $29.99.
I’m exploring whether there’s a violation of the law there which might trigger a class action.
H
@henry – Verizon doesn’t cripple their smartphones. I don’t know where this myth came from and why it is constantly perpetuated across the internet by people who have never owned one. I’ve had 3 smartphones from Verizon, soon to be 4 with the touch pro, with all functions available including wifi and gps.
STOP ASSOCIATING WHAT THEY DO TO THEIR DUMBPHONES TO THE SMARTPHONES!
what is the data plan for the blackberry storm?