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发帖数: 29846 | 1 By SHARA TIBKEN
People who don't have an iPhone yet and want an unlimited data plan better
get moving.
Verizon Wireless, the country's largest carrier, plans to scrap its all-you-
can-eat data plan for new smartphone subscribers beginning Thursday and
replace it with a series of monthly packages that anticipate skyrocketing
demand for mobile video, games and other services.
The shift follows a similar move by rival AT&T Inc. last summer and all but
brings an end to an era when the largest U.S. carriers drove heavy use of
their networks by competing to offer plans with unlimited service for a
fixed price. No. 3 carrier Sprint Nextel Corp. still has an unlimited data
plan.
Moving to tiered plans gives carriers a way to control the heaviest users of
their networks, as well as a way to add new revenue as data consumption
crosses higher thresholds.
For the same $30 that now brings unlimited data, new Verizon customers will
get two gigabytes a month, enough to send 1,000 emails, listen to 20 hours
of streaming radio, watch two hours of streaming video, upload 20 photos to
Facebook and surf the Web.
Journal Community
Verizon Wireless, jointly owned by Verizon Communications Inc. and Vodafone
Group PLC, says 95% of its subscribers use less than two gigabytes of data a
month. But the company expects data usage to climb sharply now that it is
rolling out its high-speed 4G wireless network. Existing customers can keep
their current plans.
"It's preparing for the future and setting the stage where people will pay
for what they use," Verizon Wireless spokeswoman Brenda Raney said.
Starting Thursday, Verizon Wireless will offer two gigabytes of data for $30
, five gigabytes for $50 and 10 gigabytes for $80. Customers will pay $10
for each additional gigabyte they use beyond their plan.
AT&T offers a choice of two plans: 200 megabytes of data for $15 a month or
two gigabytes for $25 a month. When AT&T rolled out the plans, some analysts
said the limits could be low if usage climbs as expected.
AT&T spokesman Mark Siegel said the company's tiered plan has attracted
millions of customers to smartphones. He declined to comment about Verizon
Wireless's pricing plans.
One problem with metered data plans is that the measuring stick is
unfamiliar to most users. Verizon, like AT&T, plans to send customers alerts
when they cross certain thresholds, such as 50% of their plan allowance.
Verizon Wireless's pricing plans were reported earlier by the blog
FierceWireless. |
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