Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Verizon Now Offers 'Unlimited' Data On All Plans, Without $5 Fee (dslreports.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the better-late-than-never dept.

In July, Verizon announced some big changes coming to its data plans that will make them more expensive, but will add more data. They include some new features like "Carryover Data," which is Verizon slang for rollover data, and "Safety mode," which eliminates the prospect of an overage fee and reduces the speed of the service until the end of the month. Originally, the "feature" was $5 per month for some shared data plans and was included free for Verizon's XL and XXL plan customers. However, this week Verizon announced it's now including safety mode for "free" on all plans, according to DSL Reports. "Responding to ATT's own new plans and renewed pressure from T-Mobile, Verizon will no longer be charging users the $5 'safety mode' fee starting September 6th. Instead, you'll just be throttled to 128 kbps for the remainder of your billing cycle, unless you're willing to pay $15 per each additional gigabyte at LTE speeds. That's good news for users on the S (2GB), M (4GB) and L (8GB) who were shelling out an extra $5 per month, though it doesn't really help make Verizon's new plans any more interesting overall."

4 of 36 comments (clear)

  1. So that's unlimited data with limits by wonkey_monkey · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Verizon Now Offers 'Unlimited' Data On All Plans, Without $5 Fee

    Instead, you'll just be throttled to 128 kbps for the remainder of your billing cycle

    Who's actually calling this "unlimited"? Is Verizon doing so? If so, where?

    Or are we now just calling any limited plan "unlimited" because that we've got so used to that terminology coming from the suppliers?

    --
    systemd is Roko's Basilisk.
    1. Re:So that's unlimited data with limits by MBGMorden · · Score: 4, Insightful

      The speed becomes limited, but the amount is not.

      Personally, I don't have any issue with this. My main fear when it comes to buying a data plan is simply that I'll accidentally transfer too much and get an outrageous bill. Now if I happen to run out, I can still transfer data - albeit slowly. More importantly though, I can buy a data plan that's actually pretty close to what I use rather than buying one with 3-4GB of "padding" to make absolutely sure I never run over.

      --
      "People who think they know everything are very annoying to those of us who do."-Mark Twain
    2. Re:So that's unlimited data with limits by MBGMorden · · Score: 2

      While true, by that definition unlimited has no real meaning, because it's never possible. The speed is ALWAYS limited. Whether it's 128Kbps or the physical capability of the network, there is always a maximum speed and hence some maximum amount of data that could be transferred if you went at that speed constantly.

      --
      "People who think they know everything are very annoying to those of us who do."-Mark Twain
  2. Re:In other news by sims+2 · · Score: 2

    What!? They just went up $20 a few months ago!

    --
    Minimum threshold fixed. Thanks!