02/19/2008, 10:15am, EST
Tuesday, February 19thVerizon formalizes unlimited cell plans
Verizon today fired a salvo at AT&T with the introduction of its Unlimited Calling Plans. Validating an earlier leak, the carrier's service guarantees an unlimited amount of calling within the US regardless of the time of day or whether the destination is a landline or mobile. Extra plans also supply unlimited SMS (text) and MMS (media) messaging within the country as well as unfettered access to some of Verizon's data services, such as its Mobile Web 2.0 portal, V CAST Internet video, and VZ Navigator for assisted GPS mapping.
These plans are available immediately and start at $100 per month for just the basic calling plan, which charges for data at $2 per megabyte; moving up to $120 per month adds the messaging option, while a $140 monthly plan adds the unlimited V CAST, VZ Navigator, and related features in addition to removing the charges for general Internet use.
Additionally, the provider now has two flat-rate data plans for its computer-based BroadbandAccess cellular Internet services: a $40 plan offers 50MB of data per month for casual or e-mail only use, while a $60 plan boosts the transfer limit to 5GB for more serious travelers. These require one of Verizon's ExpressCard, PC Card, or USB adapters and should be available as of March 2nd.
Verizon's new plans make it only the second major US carrier after Sprint to offer an unlimited plan, a strategy that critics have often regarded as a means of luring customers from other networks in a market that leaves little room for new subscribers. AT&T already offers unlimited data packages for standard phones and the iPhone but continues to depend on capped plans for calling and messaging.
Filed under: iPhone, industry
Other story tags: AT&T, Verizon, sprint
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Now, if it'll let me tether my phone to my laptop (which you can do without a data plan as long as you don't get caught), then it might be a better deal.
When you add data to the mix, Verizon is still considerably overpriced. And Sprint allows me to tether my Treo to my Powerbook, no questions asked ... no additional charges.
So, I could switch to Verizon and get the same phone and pay $40 a month more for less service? Hmm. Not gonna happen.
If I change carriers (which is not out of the question) it will be for an iPhone.
They have? That's amazing, esp. since another article here cites only 12% of the phones sold in the US are smartphones.
And most consumers DON'T CARE what phones they are walking around with. Not everyone is as all consumed with making sure they're carrying the current "it" phone. (You do realize there are people who buy music players that aren't iPods too, right?)
if its not business then its iPhone, and there is NO way for them to compete with that, not on price or any way else, especially not with gimmicky named inferior imitations.
So what is your suggestion? That they should just not try? Shutter their entire wireless business with the explanation "We don't have the iPhone, which will account for 95% of all phones next year, therefore we are unable to compete with that so we're shutting down our service, selling our assets, and returning the money back to the shareholders"???
I guess you were with Mikey Dell back in the late 90's, when MS ruled the roost and Apple had no chance of not dwindling to nothing.