If you happen to be looking for a new smartphone plan and don't need a lot of data and only have one line to worry about, Verizon has now dropped a new plan that might be of interest to you.
As part of a new promo, you can now get unlimited voice minutes, unlimited text messaging and 2GB of data for $60, you'll want to pay attention to the overage charges though that are set at a whopping $15/1GB. Obviously not going to be an option for everyone but it's sure to fit some needs.
If you happen to have a smartphone with Verizon Edge, you will receive $10 off the monthly access on the single line plan. If you're looking for the full details, Verizon has kindly set up a FAQ section on their site to view.
Source: Verizon - Thanks, John!
Reader comments
Verizon now offering $60 single line plan with unlimited talk and text, 2GB of data
That's starting to get slightly more reasonable and realistic. Kudos to Verizon for a start at least. Hopefully some of the Canadian providers will take note.
A few months ago, I went into the local Verizon store and asked about lowering my payments, I was on the standard single-line plan of 450 minutes/200 txt and 2GB of data for $75. The rep put me on a ask-only / hidden plan that is basically THIS plan, but with 1GB of data. I think a trip to the local store is in order again...
That's the trouble though, to keep customers Verizon will offer these 'secret' plans that are not for open use. When they screwed up and I lost my unlimited data because of 'clerical' error in the store they tried to offer me a real good deal but it was going to cost me $130 a month and required me to have features I didn't want to compensate me for pay full price for my iPhone 5. I ended up because I didn't want to pay 1 1/2 times what I had been paying paying $86 for a plan that was limited, paid full price the phone and even after I decided to move to T-Mobile they sent me a bill for an early termination even though I kept pointing out that I had paid full price for my phone and it was their numbskull idiots that had screwed up in the first place and couldn't undo their mess (allegedly though I think it was deliberate).
It wasn't that I used that unlimited data. If all other carriers were gone I would not go back to them, I would light a fire in the back yard and beat the tom tom drum and use smoke signals!
fail. i don't want unlimited talk i want unlimited data.
Same here. Bring back the unlimited data!!!!!
Sent from the iMore App
At least throttle down like T-Mobile, not just hit them with an additional $15 for a measly 1GB of data. What's worse, they CHARGE an additional fee (some sort of parental lock) to prevent overage. Gouge, gouge, gouge.
The games with the unlimited data users is proof that they are not willing to invest in their network. If their towers are getting congested then they need to provision more capacity to deal with that data.
Microwave data is far more efficient than fiber optic yet they don't limit their fiber network yet it is proven that their network is getting congestion at interconnects -- no different from congestion at the towers.
They need to provision the capacity rather than working on the basis that not everyone will use the service at the same time.
Verizon and AT&T have both worked on the basis of punishing those that use the service that they have paid for rather than looking at the areas where the heavy users impact the service and improve the capacity in those locations.
I don't know what any of that means but I don't want to pay a per gb data fee.
I don't mind per GB fees so long as they are reasonable. I know in the wired industry, the COST per GB is under $3. So, it would seem reasonable to have a $5-10 per GB charge. What I question is the plan cost in the first place.
In other words.... I'd be quite happy with a $20-30 / mo plan, and then charge me like $0.05 per min for calls and $5-10 per GB of data and I'll be happy as a clam.
Opps, I really blew it on my pricing there... that should have been under $0.03 per GB, not $3. So, even if they mark it up a LOT, charge me $20-30 per month and then add like $0.25 to $1 per GB for the data.
Verizon has more capacity than you can imagine. Their limiting of people from data has very little to do with bandwidth. Verizon is a greedy pig and wants as much money as they can get.
Regarding Microwave vs Fiber - not sure what you mean by microwave being more "efficient" than fiber, but the only advantage microwave brings over fiber is lower latency (in the ms timeframe, which is almost negligible for data plans on phones.) If it were a trading floor, this would help, as would the bandwidth, but certainly not for people's phones. The reason for this is because fiber's refractive index is still high (higher than water still). Once this is lowered, fiber will ultimately prevail. More importantly, microwave offers around 99% uptime vs 99.999% uptime with fiber. That's a difference of about 3.5 days of downtime per year. I think it's obvious why they chose fiber.
I do agree with you that they need to balance their system for heavier subscriber areas. I also think there should be two classes of unlimited users. Those who stream non-stop and large data plan users. Streamers should pay higher rates for their access as it is a burden on the networks. When Verizon introduced unlimited, people abused the system and just kept streaming things 24/7. There are many people who need unlimited (or higher data rates) but are not streaming users. Not everyone should be suffering because of them.
If the only had a plan like this in canada
That's why I chose another carrier (sprint). I haven't had any dropped calls slow LTE or any of that whatsoever and I have unlimited talk text and data, I'm also able to upgrade every year and I pay 70 per month.
Sent from the iMore App
I am in the process of dropping Sprint after being a long time customer. Not only occasional dropped calls, but very spotty data--like today, I was in a location in San Antonio, but was having trouble getting info despite my phone saying LTE--I tested the speed and only got .37Mbps download speeds. I travel for a living and have intermittent data troubles all over the country, including JFK airport. Often it will say 3G or 1x. If it says 1x, you may as well forget getting any data. Anyway, I hear Sprint may drop to $50 unlimited plans, but it does me no good if I can't use the unlimited data.. 10+ year Sprint user...
Shoot I could actually save about 15 bucks/month if I switch my wife and I to individual plan instead of a share everything. But then all bets are off for my employee discounts because it's so cheap
Posted via the iMore App for Android
Same boat here. We pay $120 (before taxes) for 2 phones, unlimited talk/text, but only 1GB of data (which is enough for us). We could make 2 separate individual accounts and pay the same price for double the data. Seems worth a call to Verizon just to ask them to give us 2GB and keep the account as is.
I looked on the website to see if you could still tether without an additional charge. It did not state that it was allowed in the FAQs. That might be the deal breaker. I occasionally tether my iPad to my phone. I would not want to pay extra for the luxury, because then I would lose the savings.
I called this morning to inquire about moving to this plan. You should be aware there is no mobile hot spot on this plan. Meaning you can't tether your iPhone and share your data connection with other devices. May be a deal-breaker for some.
Thanks Katie. Was wondering about this. Makes switching a harder decision for me. Did you decide to keep your current plan? (BTW Love the podcast)
Sent from the iMore App
I do not get why they do not give free hotspot,. It will consume data and push people over the 2gb and then they make money. Didnt they make a deal with the FCC that they will not block 3rd party apps and that all new plans include hotspot.?
Does anybody remember when we got Unlimited Data for $29.99? Now $50 gets you 2 GB. Hindsight is 20/20. I wish I had never switched to Share Everything and just paid to tether my tablet.
I have 3 smartphones with 2 having unlimited data. I have the 700 min ( hardly use min) and unlimited family text. When we split the bill my wife and I pay $120 for our unlimited smart phones.....I still feel I have a better deal. I will say with the tethering of my data coming in the near future ( ironic it's around the iPhone 6 release? ) and with the one loophole they will be closing soon as well, it makes it a never ending battle to keep my unlimited data. I use about 20gb a month and I'm sorry but I actually want to enjoy my iPhone and not have to deal with checking my data every day and only truly use it when I have wifi. When Verizon said they are tethering "heavy users" in crowded areas my first question is how do they decide what's crowded? I have a feeling I will be tethered all the time, even if I'm in the freaking woods! Why is it only unlimited data users and not everyone? Well the obvious answer there is they want you to go over the more money. Verizon and these other companies just ruin the experience of having your new phone in your hand. Going to LOVE my iPhone 6 coming out soon, but going to hate being tethered for daring to use it like it was intended to be used.
Sent from the iMore App
Tethering or throttling?