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Verizon Purges Unlimited Data Customers, Targets Those Using 200GB (arstechnica.com)
If you're a Verizon customer on an unlimited data plan who uses more than 200GB a month, you will soon need to switch to a limited plan or be disconnected, according to Verizon. "Because our network is a shared resource and we need to ensure all customers have a great mobile experience with Verizon, we are notifying a small group of customers on unlimited plans who use more than 200GB a month that they must move to a Verizon Plan by February 16, 2017," Verizon spokesperson Kelly Crummey told Ars Technica today. Ars reports: Since Verizon stopped offering unlimited data to new smartphone customers in 2011, this change affects only longtime customers who were allowed to hang on to the old plans. Verizon could simply force all customers who aren't under contract to switch to new plans, but instead it has periodically made moves that reduce the numbers of unlimited data subscribers. This policy will apply to people who average more than 200GB "over several months," Verizon said. Customers who do not move to limited plans "will be disconnected," Verizon confirmed. On limited plans, customers get reduced speeds after they exceed monthly data limits unless they purchase extra 4G LTE data. Verizon previously purged its unlimited data rolls in August 2016. In that case, Verizon set a limit of 500GB a month, the company told Ars today. This is more specific information than we previously reported. Shortly before the August 2016 move, Verizon told us that it was targeting customers who were "using data amounts well in excess of our largest plan size (100GB)," but Verizon did not specify that it was only targeting customers using at least 500GB. With the threshold being dropped from 500GB to 200GB, the latest move will affect customers who weren't using enough data to be caught up in the last round.
Yep I think those all sound like reasons people are pulling 200GB/mo.
But it shouldn't matter, if it is unlimited it's unlimited. But beyond that, it doesn't matter it's like anything else, including wired connections, the switches will load balance anyway, you're only going to be getting this data if the network isn't congested, if it's full, it's full for you too. Download caps make no sense, if I am pulling 100mb /s over my verizon LTE at 3AM what does that matter if I am the only one up. If they had throughput caps based on current usage that would make more sense, and guess what that's how it works anyway.
The deal is the same as it has always been. It's unlimited, but after the original contract period expires it switches to a month-to-month plan. At which point either party of the contract is free to cancel it for any reason at the end of the month. Verizon was, up til now, doing these people a favor by allowing them to continue under the terms of the old plan, even though they no longer offered that plan.
If they let you have unlimited data during the time you had the plan, then they've fulfilled their contractual obligation. There is nothing in the contract which says they have to allow you to stay on that plan in perpetuity. And neither should there be. Otherwise your landlord could force you to continue to pay rent as long as he wanted, even if you wanted to move out.