When Verizon started offering Apple's iPhone on its network in early 2011, it offered customers unlimited data
plans. But in less than 6 months, it followed AT&T's footsteps to kill the unlimited data plans and moved to tiered data plans.
It however allowed customers to
grandfather their unlimited data plans when they wanted to upgrade to
the new iPhone on a fresh two-year contract.
That's going to come to an end soon, as Fierce Wireless reports
that Verizon is planning to end the grandfathered unlimited data plans
when they want to switch to 4G LTE, leaving them with no option but to
switch to their shared data plans.
As these 3G
unlimited data plan customers migrate to 4G LTE, they will have to
purchase the company's data-share plan (which Verizon plans to launch in
mid-summer) and move off the $30 per month unlimited data plan.
"Everyone will be on data share," Shammo said.
Apple's next generation iPhone coming later this year, is widely speculated to support 4G LTE networks, so this will be applicable to iPhone customers.
Sprint has said that it will continue to offer unlimited data plans even if the next iPhone supports 4G LTE,
which is one of Sprint's differentiator. AT&T is yet to make any
statement regarding this issue. But we won't be surprised if AT&T
also decides to end the grandfathered unlimited data plans based on
AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson's comment few weeks back. In the
on-stage interview at the Milken Institute’s Global
Conference, Stephenson said that his only regret was to offer unlimited data plans to iPhone users when it was launched.
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