Got a smartphone on Verizon Wireless? Get ready to wave goodbye to the days of unlimited data.Verizon will axe its unlimited smartphone data plan this summer, according to remarks made by the carrier's chief financial officer. Speaking at the Reuters Global Technology Summit on Thursday, Verizon CFO Fran Shammo (no relation to the ShamWow guy) said the company will soon roll out new tiered pricing plans and eliminate the current $30-a-month unlimited option.
According to Reuters, which reported the news, the move is designed to "force heavy data users to pay more for mobile data." Ouch.
Hang on, though: For most of us, it may not be nearly as painful as it sounds.
Verizon Smartphone Data Plans: Context and Perspective
First, some context: We've seen the end of Verizon's unlimited data coming for a while now. After AT&T eliminated its unlimited data plans last summer, Verizon execs hinted it wouldn't be long before they followed suit. Soon after, in October, Big Red seemed to test the waters, unveiling an option to get 150MB of data per month for $15 -- half the price of the unlimited plan. (Oddly, that option was discontinued a few months later.) Read More
