Verizon To Offer iPhone Users Unlimited Data

Hugh Pickens writes "The WSJ reports that Verizon Wireless, the country's largest wireless carrier, is confident enough in its network that it will offer unlimited data-use plans when it starts selling the iPhone around the end of this month, a person familiar with the matter says. Such plans would provide a key means of distinguishing its service from rival AT&T Inc., which limits how much Internet data its customers may use each month. Verizon has a lot at stake as it starts to carry the iPhone, which it is expected to announce Tuesday at an event in New York City. Verizon, more than any other US carrier, has built its reputation on its network quality, and any stumble in handling iPhone traffic will call into question Verizon's major selling point. On the other hand, if it does handle the iPhone well, then AT&T will have a harder time arguing it didn't mismanage its own network. Anthony J. Melone, Verizon's chief technology officer, says the company has invested heavily in its 3G network to handle surging smartphone traffic, including nine million Android subscribers, up from none a year earlier.'"

Comments

Re:Yeah, right.

[electrosoccertux]

I call bullshit. We should all know the marketing definition of "unlimited" by now.

yeah, but it works from the tech perspective. You can cram 30-40x the cellular connections into the same chunk of frequency with CDMA that you can with GSM. I know that data is different than voice but the fact is that CDMA is a significantly more efficient use of spectrum than GSM-- it's one of the reasons you never have dropped calls with Verizon, but do with AT&T: the europeans, in their infinite wisdom, decided with GSM that a cell would be connected to only one tower. With code division multiplexing, other towers can easily listen in and pick up the call if you drop from one tower. GSM can't do that.

Re:Competition again?

[demonlapin]

Verizon offers unlimited data on all smartphones. They do not offer it on tethering packages. This has been confirmed over and over again on the Android sites.

Re:Article is worthless

[cmburns69]

AT&T does offer an unlimited data plan for the iphone--that's the plan I have.

AT&T no longer offers the unlimited data plan. Were you to sign up as a new AT&T customer today, you would not be able to choose the unlimited plan.