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Verizon Wireless: Family Pricing in 2012
One Bucket o' Bytes for the Whole Family
For much of the year U.S. wireless carriers have insisted they'll eventually start embracing family plans for data, a "bucket o' bytes" approach that allows postpaid households to share one data pool -- just like voice minutes. The idea of having a different data allotment for every household user is certainly profitable for carriers, so they've been taking their time tinkering with ways to give consumers what they want -- without losing income. Speaking this week at an investor conference, Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam stated that Verizon should finally implement this new pricing sometime in 2012:
quote:
McAdam said that customers who are dealing with four or five screens--smartphones, tablets and USB modems for laptops and the like--do not want to pay for all of those devices on separate bills, and neither does Verizon. "I think in 2012 we will see it," McAdam said at the UBS Global Media and Communications Conference. "We have been working on this for a couple of years. Getting to one bill and getting to account-level pricing is our goal."
Back in June AT&T said they'd be unveiling a similar offer "soon," but it has yet to materialize. Getting the profitability equation right so carriers don't lose money may be partially behind the hold up -- though carriers may also be struggling to get back end billing systems up to snuff. AT&T has struggled to meter and bill DSL and U-Verse users correctly after eagerly introducing DSL and U-Verse caps and overage penalties earlier this year, and Verizon often already struggles when it comes to billing users accurately.
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i1me2ao
Premium Member
join:2001-03-03
TEXAS

i1me2ao

Premium Member

can

not wait to see how this is twisted.

buzz_4_20
join:2003-09-20
Dover, NH

buzz_4_20

Member

I like this...

Now if will just work the way that consumers think it will....
openbox9
Premium Member
join:2004-01-26
71144

openbox9

Premium Member

Re: I like this...

I'll give you a little hint. VZW isn't going to take a hit to the top line
88615298 (banned)
join:2004-07-28
West Tenness

88615298 (banned)

Member

Re: I like this...

said by openbox9:

I'll give you a little hint. VZW isn't going to take a hit to the top line

Yeah but if a family has 4 phones and none are smartphones and the reason is they are not going to pay $120 a month for data and you can offer a family data plan for $60 VZW is getting $60 vs ZERO $$$$. 60>ZERO
JPL
Premium Member
join:2007-04-04
Downingtown, PA

JPL

Premium Member

Re: I like this...

said by 88615298:

said by openbox9:

I'll give you a little hint. VZW isn't going to take a hit to the top line

Yeah but if a family has 4 phones and none are smartphones and the reason is they are not going to pay $120 a month for data and you can offer a family data plan for $60 VZW is getting $60 vs ZERO $$$$. 60>ZERO

That's exactly it. I have 4 cell phones on my family plan, and exacctly zero with a data plan. The reason? No way am I paying for separate data plans like that. Give me a family data plan, and they'll make it very hard to resist going with a data plan. It's because they created a family unlimited texting plan that I'm now even considering texting.
jp10558
Premium Member
join:2005-06-24
Willseyville, NY

jp10558

Premium Member

Re: I like this...

Can you get on these plans w/out breaking your contracts though?
xenophon
join:2007-09-17

xenophon

Member

Meanwhile, VZW LTE is down nationwide

Curious this didn't make BBR headlines...

»news.cnet.com/8301-17938 ··· ionwide/
en103
join:2011-05-02

2 recommendations

en103

Member

Re: Meanwhile, VZW LTE is down nationwide

I'm sure if it was AT&T, it'd be the top of the page

koolkid1563
MVM
join:2005-11-06
Powell, WY

koolkid1563 to xenophon

MVM

to xenophon
It's in the links for tonight (typo in heading) but so far no headline.

»Wednesday Morning Links [4] comments
en103
join:2011-05-02

en103

Member

Re: Meanwhile, VZW LTE is down nationwide

At least its seen at HoFo

»www.howardforums.com/sho ··· -12-7-11

alg
Passionately apathetic
Premium Member
join:2001-04-10
Houston, TX

alg to xenophon

Premium Member

to xenophon
said by xenophon:

Curious this didn't make BBR headlines...

»news.cnet.com/8301-17938 ··· ionwide/

Nah, no way would they post an negative news story about Verizon.

HarleyYac
Lee
Premium Member
join:2001-10-13
Allendale, NJ

HarleyYac to xenophon

Premium Member

to xenophon
Mine still has not come back..However I live on a fringe 4g area and in Jersey city it usually is rock solid

Eagles1221
join:2009-04-29
Vincentown, NJ

Eagles1221

Member

I'll sell you a bridge if you believe Verizon

We all know VZ wants it all on different bills more chances to "unfee" and "overage" us to death
OwlSaver
OwlSaver
Premium Member
join:2005-01-30
Berwyn, PA

OwlSaver

Premium Member

Four Phones

We have four phones on Verizon and do not want to pay four times $30 so they are getting zero from us right now. A plan that is about $60 and will not result in overages would work for us. I might even get some tablets at that point.

TechyDad
Premium Member
join:2001-07-13
USA

TechyDad

Premium Member

Re: Four Phones

We're in the same boat albeit with 3 phones, only 2 of which we'd get data plans for. Right now, they get $0 per month from us because I refuse to spend $30 per phone per month. Even if it cost $45 per month, I might actually consider it. It'd still be pricey, but at least I'd know that I could add devices on without incurring more monthly fees. (Assuming they stayed under the bucket's limit, of course.)
ShellMMG
join:2009-04-16
Grass Lake, MI

ShellMMG

Member

Re: Four Phones

Same boat here, gents. We are a family with four dumbphones and have far too much experience with data caps (thanks to satellite ISP service) to trade up. I pay the bill and I go over every line to make sure the kids haven't used too many minutes or unwittingly subscribed to a garbage text service.

There had better be a pretty big bucket of data available or there will be war. One too many movies atreamed, songs downloaded or Skype sesaions and BOOM! There goes another tuft of dad's thinning hair. Or, worse yet, mom gives you "The Look."
OwlSaver
OwlSaver
Premium Member
join:2005-01-30
Berwyn, PA

OwlSaver

Premium Member

Re: Four Phones

Yes, we can't have "The Look". That would be unacceptable.
88615298 (banned)
join:2004-07-28
West Tenness

88615298 (banned) to OwlSaver

Member

to OwlSaver
said by OwlSaver:

We have four phones on Verizon and do not want to pay four times $30 so they are getting zero from us right now. A plan that is about $60 and will not result in overages would work for us. I might even get some tablets at that point.

Well do they do have a $20 plan which gives you 300 MB a month. It's only avilable until Jan I believe. I mean you can stay on the plan past Jan it just won't be available after Jan for people who haven't gotten on it yet.
88615298

88615298 (banned)

Member

Short on actual facts

"I think in 2012 we will see it," McAdam said at the UBS Global Media and Communications Conference.

He THINKS. That FAR short of a sure thing. Sometimes I THINK I might to get to have sex with Mila Kunis one day.

No talk of pricing or how much data you get. So this is a bunch of nothing in my book.

IowaCowboy
Lost in the Supermarket
Premium Member
join:2010-10-16
Springfield, MA

IowaCowboy

Premium Member

I'd take a lower price anyway.

My VZW bill runs around $170 per month. I have the unlimited voice, unlimited data (on my phone) 250 texts, and the total equipment coverage for iPhone. I also have a 4G USB modem which adds another $50 to the bill and Taxachusetts (Massachusetts) gets their cut.

If the shared data plan offered any real savings (I use less than a GB on my phone and 1-2 on the USB modem) then I would give up my unlimited data on my iPhone.
tmc8080
join:2004-04-24
Brooklyn, NY

tmc8080

Member

Re: I'd take a lower price anyway.

said by IowaCowboy:

My VZW bill runs around $170 per month. I have the unlimited voice, unlimited data (on my phone) 250 texts, and the total equipment coverage for iPhone. I also have a 4G USB modem which adds another $50 to the bill and Taxachusetts (Massachusetts) gets their cut.

If the shared data plan offered any real savings (I use less than a GB on my phone and 1-2 on the USB modem) then I would give up my unlimited data on my iPhone.

$120 a month for cellular service seems outrageous... even if it is an "unlimited data" plan. There are too many gullable people who are addicted to smart phones and having data everywhere they go.. nevertheless, if you can drop $1400+ a year on cell service (plus a $600 phone) then you are doing alright.. most likely in the middle class with some job/funding security. This is what Verizon and AT&T shareholders bank on, is your gullableness to keep spending on these habits. So much so, that they've just about done away with unlimited plans and want to go back to the old usage based model even though the acquired spectrum and upgrade investments will make the cost of running the cellular business 50 fold cheaper for them and support loads more cu$tomer$ who will be coerced to drop similar bundles of cash for less service.

Years ago I could not see the value of being tied to a cellphone and today they (and smart phones) are tools for turning people into work and social zombies. If that EMP doomsday tech scenario comes to pass.. there will be millions of people with mental problems and won't be able to function normally in society.
mogamer
join:2011-04-20
Royal Oak, MI

mogamer

Member

Re: I'd take a lower price anyway.

said by tmc8080:

Years ago I could not see the value of being tied to a cellphone and today they (and smart phones) are tools for turning people into work and social zombies. If that EMP doomsday tech scenario comes to pass.. there will be millions of people with mental problems and won't be able to function normally in society.

Being connected is the mental problem. A EMP attack would just show that problem to everyone who wasn't paying attention. I know several people who need help. They're the ones who are in a store talking loudly on their bluetooth earpiece or take photos with their phone and have to post it asap on Facebook or are keeping up with their Twitter account during a social gathering.

Those people truely need to go "cold turkey" with their "always connected" lifestyle.

There is nothing wrong with using data on a phone or other mobile device. There is a problem when you are basically basing a lifestyle around using that data.

i1me2ao
Premium Member
join:2001-03-03
TEXAS

i1me2ao to tmc8080

Premium Member

to tmc8080
i am also able to move around and see kids at games and run around town because i have smart phone and bluetooth. i am not tied to sitting at home and being in front of computer. it is nice.
othas3
join:2002-07-15
Los Angeles, CA

othas3 to tmc8080

Member

to tmc8080
Even though he has a smartphone, the bulk of his bill is still for VOICE. Assuming his plan is similar to mine, he's probably 70V + 30D + 10T + tax.