Thursday, May 17, 2012

Verizon To Kill Unlimited Data, Will Honor Grandfathered Plans

Verizon customers were hit with some bad news and false reports on Wednesday when the company outlined its goals to kill off unlimited data plans and instead move customers to shared data plans. Unfortunately many people, myself included, incorrectly read the report and believed that meant that Verizon would no longer honor grandfathered plans and would ultimately kill unlimited data plans the instant that shared data plans were introduced.

Looking to clarify its position Verizon has released a statement as to what will actually happen.

Customers with unlimited plans will get to keep their unlimited plans. But when shared data plans become available, the unlimited option will no longer be available to customers when they buy a new device at a subsidized price, usually with a two-year service contract. In other words, customers that are now on grandfathered plans will keep their unlimited plans so long as they don't want to upgrade their phone as a discounted price. If they need a new phone they will either have to pay full price or loose their old plan and be ported over to the new shared plans.

Verizon’s e-mailed statement, in full:
– Customers will not be automatically moved to new shared data plans. If a 3G or 4G smartphone customer is on an unlimited plan now and they do not want to change their plan, they will not have to do so.
– When we introduce our new shared data plans, Unlimited Data will no longer be available to customers when purchasing handsets at discounted pricing.
– Customers who purchase phones at full retail price and are on an unlimited smartphone data plan will be able to keep that plan.
– The same pricing and policies will be applied to all 3G and 4GLTE smartphones.
In short, Verizon is hoping the death of grandfathered unlimited data plans will come by way of attrition. They hope when all the people with unlimited data plans want new devices they will give up their old plans for a cheaper price on a new phone.

Source: NY Times

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