Just like AT&T, Verizon isn’t keen on its long time customers holding on to their unlimited wireless data plans. Instead of raising rates like AT&T, however, Verizon is telling customers that have to switch to a capped data plan or face having their phone disconnected.
Verizon says it’s targeting out of contract customers who routinely use more than 200GB a month. Company spokesperson Kelly Crummey clarified what’s happening in a statement to Ars Technica saying,
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 did the same thing in August 2016, although at that time it targeted users who topped 500GB of wireless data a month. This time, however, customers are frustrated not only because they’re being forced into capped data plans, but also because Verizon seems to be targeting lower data usage, too. Some Verizon customers are saying they’re getting the same notice even though their monthly data usage falls between 100GB and 200GB, according to Droid Life.
AT&T has been increasing the monthly rate customers who still have unlimited data plans pay. The company raised the fee to US$35 in early 2016, and in March of this year is raising it again to $40 a month.
Both carriers offered unlimited data plans in the early iPhone years, but eventually stopped offering them to new customers in favor of capped data plans around 2010.
Maybe if you weren’t so narcissistic you would know that many rural people still don’t have anything but satellite providers ($$$) or their unlimited data plan. Do you want to pay $130/month for 20GB “Anytime” allowance and 50GB ONLY BETWEEN (2am-8am) ?
No, you have your 100Mbps cable for $60/month and a 300GB limit. Jerk.
LOL, well, luckily I don’t have Verizon, however if I did, my reply would be “Bye….”
so you may no longer be under contract and pay full price for your phone , that essentially makes you a month to month customer so if they decide to no longer offer that plan you can be disconnected. As of2017 everyone pays full price for phones, no matter if its in installments or not.The fact that there is wifi readily available in most places but you choose to use more data than 70 percent of customers to make traffic slower and a user may possibly need data because they are stuck on a highway needing to look for tow trucks just because you have to watch the office online on a small screen (when you’re standing next to your wifi router) is slightly inconsiderate. If they want to charge you more for your inconsideration so be it. Think of it as a sin tax.
I’m a Verizon customer and I can honestly say they don’t care if you stay or not. I stayed only because I haven’t experienced technical difficulty with them yet also I’ve been loyal with them before they became Verizon, Bell Atlantic before that I think it was NYNEX. It’s been a while.
I had Sprint for 6 years, until they doubled my bill and told me my plan was no longer available.
We switched to T-Mobile, and had them for 9 years, until, they doubled our bill,in the middle of the contract, telling me that due to increased costs of service, they were forced to pass the extra costs onto their existing customers.
Now, we’ve had Cricket for 8 years, and I pay $90 a month for 2 lines with unlimited data, text, talk, all of it. No “fees” no “taxes” nothing, just a straight $90 a month.
And by the way, yes, my Cricket works EVERYWHERE. I live in southern Texas, and I travel all over, and I drive everywhere I go, and I have yet to find a state that it doesn’t work in.
Sprint still has unlimited data; or if they don’t, as a deaf person I can get it (they are not required to, but they will to serve their customer needs and obviously you can’t make calls on a data only unlimited plan)
But FWIW if I had unlimited data I could stream my music and movies on my phone & tablet; maybe even run the jetpack for my laptop and my truck (yeap my truck connects to wifi to download some small updates).
These days I try to connect to wifi everywhere I go, but when I can’t I’m on 4G and I don’t think 4G is nearly as fas as the 60mbps I get through my cable company; I do a lot of photography and sync my work to Amazon Cloud Drive so I don’t think 4G is a good option since I can easily transmit at least 100GB in a single day anytime I have a shoot.
I game also; but only time I use data is when multiplayer or game updates or even purchasing games otherwise no data is really used.
Would be nice if all the phone companies would offer true unlimited data but I can see how that’s problematic; they need to expand their infrastructure and charge more for it; oh but wait I pay $170/month for 3 lines all to myself, I may be getting a 4th since I refuse to get sprint 😛
Suzanne: In these days when so many of us are cutting the cable, we often use our phones as our Wi-Fi hotspots, meaning we run all Internet through it. That includes running my Roku and computer. You can go through quite a bit of data in that case.
@John Kheit
These customers aren’t under contract. Anyone who still has unlimited data is month to month.
Trudy, are you serious?? Consumer Cellular charged us more to disconnect our line than Trak Phone charges us for a YEAR of service. Consumer Cellular is over rated and for people like my parents who refuse to research what’s out there.
To begin with, can someone explain why you’d need that much data each month? Especially when you can use wifi most time, which doesn’t require data usage!
Change over to Consumer Cellular. They’re bring your own phone, no contract, they use AT&T or TMobile,
@furbies
I will point out that the FCC is not where you sue Verizon, it’s in the courts which are much slower to be changed by a new administration. You should be sure of your facts before you vent your anti-republican vitriol. .
Rob, if you out of contract you already pay out of pocket for a new phone. I have been with Verizon for 20 years, still have unlimited data and I have paid cash for my last four phones.
Yeah, they can “force” anyone to do pretty much whatever they want. The users being targeted aren’t under contract anymore. If you’re not under contract, you’ve got no protection and aren’t entitled to anything. Their only other option is to go somewhere else and, most likely, pay out of pocket for a brand new phone. But either way, their chances of getting the same thing they had are practically zero.
verizon can nor “force” anybody to do shit do they think they are god i didnt think so i am happy with my 1GB date with cricketwireless its all i need i stay connected with my phone 90% of the time with wi-fi so they can shove thier data up there azz
John…ummm…you DO realize that people don’t sign lifetime contracts, right?
Furbles* Why doesn’t this shit site let you edit comments?
Are you always this retarded fubles?
Mr Kheit, good luck with anyone suing after the 20th and the FCC (?) falls under Republican control….
Funny, when you sign a contract they are quick to keep you to the terms or make you pay, but they try and weasel out when it suits them. I hope they get sued.
LOL, My plan costs $40/mo and I get 512MB. I’m so used to rationing data I can’t even imagine what I would do with 100-200GB/mo.