NEWS: Verizon Cuts Price on Unlimited Voice Plans

Verizon on Friday debuted new, lower-priced unlimited plans, a
long-expected move that makes its unlimited talk and unlimited
talk-and-text plans more affordable. It also introduced new pricing on
prepaid plans and raised the price of higher-end feature phones by
requiring a $10 data plan for them. The new pricing will go into effect
Jan. 18.

The company lowered its nationwide unlimited voice plan to $69.99 a
month from $99, and introduced a new nationwide unlimited voice-and-text
plan for $89.99. An unlimited plan including 5GB of data usage is
$119.98.

Verizon's nationwide unlimited family plans will be $119.99, and an
unlimited family voice-and-text plan will be $149.99. These family plan
prices are for two lines.

Verizon also will offer new prepaid unlimited plans that don't require a
contract, but will cost $5 more than comparable unlimited plans on
contract. (An unlimited voice plan will be $74.99 and an unlimited
voice-and-text plan will be $94.99.) The 450- and 900-minute prepaid
plans also will be $5 more a month than similar contract plans.

The new pricing options won't affect existing customers, but these
customers have the option to switch to any new plan without incurring a
fee or penalty.

One drawback to Verizon's new pricing is that the company is raising the
minimum price users pay per month on data-capable feature phones. The
company will now require $9.99 data plans on the LG Chocolate Touch, LG
enV 3, LG VX8360, Motorola Entice W766, Nokia 7705 Twist, and Samsung
Alias 2. Verizon previously only required data plans on its LG enV TOUCH
and Samsung Rogue feature phones.

Verizon's new plans make the carrier's postpaid monthly plans cheaper
than AT&T's, but they still charge higher rates than Sprint and T-Mobile
do for comparable plans.

MORE: <http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2358122,00.asp>

John Navas wrote:

>One drawback to Verizon's new pricing is that the company is raising
>the minimum price users pay per month on data-capable feature phones.
>The company will now require $9.99 data plans on the LG Chocolate
>Touch, LG enV 3, LG VX8360, Motorola Entice W766, Nokia 7705 Twist,
>and Samsung Alias 2. Verizon previously only required data plans on
>its LG enV TOUCH and Samsung Rogue feature phones.

What if one already has a Samsung Alias 2 and does not use the data
feature? Does this mean they will start charging a data plan for it?