Verizon Will Start Charging $30 Upgrade Fee From April 22nd

Verizon has announced that it will also start charging a $30 upgrade fee from April 22nd for current customers switching to new mobile phones at subsidized rates with a two-year contract.

Here's an excerpt from Verizon's press release:

On April 22, Verizon Wireless is implementing a $30 upgrade fee for existing customers purchasing new mobile equipment at a discounted price with a two-year contract. This fee will help us continue to provide customers with the level of service and support they have come to expect which includes Wireless Workshops, online educational tools, and consultations with experts who provide advice and guidance on devices that are more sophisticated than ever. 

Verizon joins AT&T and Sprint who have been charging an upgrade fee for quite a while. In fact, Sprint doubled the upgrade fee a month before it started offering Apple's iPhone in September last year and AT&T recently doubled the upgrade fee in February.

It is quite ridiculous that carriers charge customers an upgrade fee when they are actually upgrading to a new two-year contract rather than switching to another carrier. It's sad to see Verizon following AT&T and Sprint's footsteps rather than setting an example as the largest carrier in the US.