Under mounting competitive pressure from T-Mobile, Verizon has brought unlimited data back from the dead. According to a company announcement, starting today Verizon's now offering customers unlimited US data, calls and texting for $80 per month ($45 per line for a family of four). AutoPay and paper-free billing to sign up for the new plans, Verizon's first true foray into unlimited since the company shifted to metered plans back in 2011.
Unlike T-Mobile and Sprint, Verizon says there's no throttling of video, games or music by default on these unlimited lines. There is, however, a 22 GB cap after which your connection may still be throttled.
Verizon notes that to "ensure a quality experience for all customers, after 22 GB of data usage on a line during any billing cycle we may prioritize usage behind other customers in the event of network congestion." The company adds that it doesn't "expect to do that very often," and that "network management is a crucial tool that benefits all Verizon customers."
We had just gotten done noting that the move was a necessary one for Verizon, which now faces a T-Mobile network that is gaining ground in both speed and coverage. That's eroding Verizon's long-standing claim that it didn't need to compete more seriously on price -- or offer unlimited data -- because it had the far-superior network.
But it's also a sharp about face for a company that for the last several years has breathlessly insisted that consumers neither need nor want unlimited data, and has cracked down fiercely on its grandfathered unlimited data users for years.
"We’ve built our network so we can manage all the activity customers undertake. Everything we’ve done is to provide the best experience on the best network -- and we’ve built it for the future, not just for today," said Ronan Dunne, president of Verizon’s wireless division. “We also fundamentally want you to have more choice. We’re not limiting you to a single plan. If you don’t need unlimited data, we still have 5 GB, S, M, and L Verizon plans that are perfect for you."
The move now puts some interesting pressure on AT&T, who currently only sells unlimited data if consumers bundle their cellular connections with AT&T's DirecTV television service.
You can find additional detail in Verizon's
full announcement.