In February, America’s four major mobile phone carriers all launched unlimited data plans or made changes to existing data plans in an attempt to better compete. The latest carrier to join the battle is Verizon who have announced that prepaid customers will get unlimited data, text and talk for $80 per month.
So….what’s the catch?
Firstly, Verizon have stated that video streaming will be limited to 480p and the plan does not include tethering or mobile hotspot features. More notably, the company has not yet offered any information regarding a usage cap:
Video streams up to 480p. Mobile Hotspot and Tethering not included. Not available for machine-to-machine services. We may prioritize your data behind other customers during times/places of network congestion.
However, the plan does include unlimited texts to over 200 destinations and plan holders will have unlimited calls to Mexico and Canada.
Verizon have claimed that this plan will suit everyone. There is no long term contract necessary nor a credit check required to be accepted onto this plan:
“In just months, Verizon has transformed its prepaid offerings to make it easier and more affordable for customers to get access to the best network at a great value, no matter how much data they need,” said Tami Erwin, executive vice president of operations for Verizon.
“This plan is all about giving our prepaid customers more choice. With data plans from as little as 2 GB to unlimited data, we’ve got a plan that fits your needs.”
In the first quarter of this year, Verizon witnessed a loss of 307,000 subscribers, the worst subscriber loss in more than a decade. Similarly, popular carrier AT&T reported a loss of 191,000 subscribers in the same quarter.