Verizon’s all-you-can-eat buffet is ending.
It has been confirmed that tiered data plans will come to Verizon starting on July 7.
The tiered data plan date, which was first discovered by DroidLife, will do away with unlimited data for new customers and start at $30 for 2GB.
According to DroidLIfe, the plans will look like this:
Without Tethering:
- 2GB – $30/month
- 5GB – $50/month
- 10GB – $80/month
With Tethering:
- 4GB – $50/month
- 7GB – $70/month
- 12GB – $100/month
Any data you use in excess of your purchased amount will cost you $10 per GB.
Of course, Verizon cannot alter preexisting contracts, so as long as you have or start a contract before July 7 you will get unlimited data for at least two years. Also, DroidLife reports that existing customers may be able to renew their contracts after July 7 and keep their unlimited data plans, though this is unconfirmed. Nonetheless, if you’re soon to be in the market for a new Verizon phone, it would be wisest to renew your contract the day before tiered data plans hit.
Verizon has been talking about going the teared route since Sept. of 2010, and it is following chief rival AT&T, which initiated tiered pricing in early 2010.
Of the two carriers, AT&T’s tiered plans are cheaper by $5 per tier.
- 200MB – $15/month
- 2GB – $25/month
- 4GB – $45/month
Verizon’s 4G LTE network has been proven to be more advanced and reliable, which helps justify the $5 price increase.
Both carriers switched to the tiered model, which is unpopular with consumers, to squeeze more money out of the data boom. As data consumption has increased exponentially, an unlimited buffet for $30 was quickly offsetting the balance between network capacity and profits reaped by the carriers.
DroidLife obtained Verizon’s letter announcing the tiered plans to Verizon employees, which can be viewed here.
