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Shared Data Plans Likely Coming to Verizon in 2012

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Fierce Wireless reports on comments from Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam in which he acknowledges that the carrier is planning on rolling out shared data plans in 2012.

Depending on how the sharing is implemented, the carrier could allow a single customer with multiple devices such as iPhone and a 3G iPad to draw from a single data monthly allotment rather than requiring separate data plans for each device. Shared data could also show up in family plans, where multiple family members could pull data from a single allotment much as they can today with voice minutes.
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."
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European carriers have led the way in data allotment sharing with iPhone and iPad plans, and Verizon and AT&T had previously disclosed that they too are working on such offerings but had not offered any timeline for introducing such plans.

Article Link: Shared Data Plans Likely Coming to Verizon in 2012
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2011/12/07/shared-data-plans-likely-coming-to-verizon-in-2012/
Good idea. I'd seriously consider switching to Verizon if this became reality.

EDIT: But then, they'll probably charge more right? Will have to crunch some numbers at that time I guess.
 
It will be interesting to see how the pricing structure is for this if it happens.

:apple:
 
With all of our advances and infrastructure improvements, there really is no excuse not to have unlimited data on these Apple devices. Things like shared data are just ploys to keep the sheep moving.

The excuses of how data-intensive our iPhones and the alike have become is hogwash. They act as if they have not been upgrading towers, installing fiber optics around the world, and raising prices.

What a joke.
 
Very much looking forward to this being implemented. I've actually been very happy with AT&T, and would actually like to stay with them to stick with the faster data rates, so I'd like to see this implemented by them.
 
Why do i get the feeling that this won't help consumers and end up being more expensive in the long run?
 
"We have been working on this for a couple of years. Getting to one bill and getting to account-level pricing is our goal."

I don't see how this takes years of planning to figure out. I think more to the point, he means, "We've ignored the ideas for years to lock as many people into contracts as possible before the pressure from foreign companies made us look bad for not offering it. Now that they are making us look like evil money grubbers, we feel it's time to offer this option as soon as we can figure out how to squeeze you as much as we can on a shared plan."

It's a great idea, and I hope everyone follows suit. My sarcasm aside, why can't I just share my data from my iPhone with my iPad period? Same price, same plan... and ding me if I go over.
 
dacapo said:
Good idea. I'd seriously consider switching to Verizon if this became reality.

EDIT: But then, they'll probably charge more right? Will have to crunch some numbers at that time I guess.
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They shouldn't have to charge more unless people's 2GB usage goes from like 100MB to 2GB all the sudden because of data sharing. Realistically, it would be a great way to win customers and for Apple to sell more 3G iPads.
 
Unlimited plans would be a bad deal for me, for sure! I voluntarily bailed on AT&Ts unlimited plan (I was grandfathered in) when I did the math.

But a shared plan that let me use 3G on my iPad, and/or a MiFi, would be great! And it better not cost more: I’m still paying for the same limited amount of data.
 
The main reason I don't have an iPad is that I don't want to have to pay for data twice. I've clung for dear life to my AT&T unlimited iPhone data plan but I would gladly give it up for a limited data plan I can share across multiple devices. iPhone + iPad + MiFi, $25 a month for 2 GB? Yes please!
 
As long as the data cap is reasonable. No way could we share 2GB between 4 iOS devices.

Then again, this is the cellphone companies we're talking about here. :rolleyes:

I doubt AT&T would offer an unlimited shared data plan though. It would have to be a very good deal for me to give up my grandfathered unlimited plan on both my iPhone and iPad.
 
levitynyc said:
Why do i get the feeling that this won't help consumers and end up being more expensive in the long run?
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I can not imagine how this could be more expensive than how they do it now. I can't think of any way to make it more expensive than forcing a minimum price per device, no matter how little you may use on that device.

I can tell you for sure that a hypothetical 4G Macbook Airs won't excite anyone if they don't do this. But I could see paying for a cellular-enabled laptop if I suddenly had a pool of data that all my devices could use.

Even the current 2 GB cap is probably fine. I mean, if I'm checking e-mail on a Macbook that means I'm NOT currently checking on my phone. I'd probably use a little more data, but not drastically so.

If someone is currently smart enough to only watch Netflix when they get their iPad on wifi they can probably be smart enough to remember the same rules for their laptop.
 
centauratlas said:
Hopefully it will spur AT&T and Sprint to do it too. Particularly Sprint with their unlimited plan. ;-)
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Sprint already does this for data for phones with the family plan. My wife and I share unlimited data on our phones. But I can't imagine they would expand this to every device. Tablets maybe, but their USB Hotspot plans recently changed their data allowance sizes.
 
Right now on AT&T I pay $55/mo in data plans for 2400MB. A family data plan of 2GB for $50, while seemingly a ripoff compared to that same data on a single phone for $25, would actually still save me money. And let me convert that 4th family member to a smartphone. And still meet our data needs.

Now, I fully realize that I pay $50/mo for way faster and unlimited home internet. So mobile data will always feel like a ripoff. But still, I'd love to have a family plan option. Almost any reasonable data/price ratio would probably work out in my favor compared to what I pay now.
 
If you think that this will be available spanning phones and tablets under and "unlimited" data plan then you are dreaming. You would see either an unlimited plan with an extra per device cost on top or sharing between devices at no cost but on a capped plan only.
 
My wife and I both have unlimited data plans on Verizon for $29.99/each. Neither one of us uses more than 1gb/month. Most months both of us are well under that to the tune of maybe 1gb/month combined. If the price is right this would be a good deal for us as unlimited is wasted on us but there is no price break at Verizon for giving it up.
 
dacapo said:
Good idea. I'd seriously consider switching to Verizon if this became reality.

EDIT: But then, they'll probably charge more right? Will have to crunch some numbers at that time I guess.
Click to expand...

They will figure out a way to stick it to us. Switch to that and give up unlimited data. Bet it will be a tier data plan.
 
Small White Car said:
Even the current 2 GB cap is probably fine. I mean, if I'm checking e-mail on a Macbook that means I'm NOT currently checking on my phone. I'd probably use a little more data, but not drastically so.
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You're automatically assuming people who have MacBooks use it for stuff they can do on iPhones.

Anyway, MacBooks require more data for anything they do. It's why the low end iPhone comes with only 8GB space while low end MacBook Airs come with 64GB (even 64GB is godawful low).
 
JonneyGee said:
The main reason I don't have an iPad is that I don't want to have to pay for data twice. I've clung for dear life to my AT&T unlimited iPhone data plan but I would gladly give it up for a limited data plan I can share across multiple devices. iPhone + iPad + MiFi, $25 a month for 2 GB? Yes please!
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Why would you suddenly have to pay twice if you had got an iPad?
 
We've had this in Canada for awhile. I have a 6GB data plan and I pay an extra $10/month and I have a SIM card in my iPad and it can access the 6GB pool of data my phone has.
 
srxtr said:
You're automatically assuming people who have MacBooks use it for stuff they can do on iPhones.

Anyway, MacBooks require more data for anything they do. It's why the low end iPhone comes with only 8GB space while low end MacBook Airs come with 64GB (even 64GB is godawful low).
Click to expand...

Things like Photostream are already restricted to wifi only. I suspect that if a 3G Mac were to come out you'd suddenly see a proliferation of settings like:

* E-Mail programs that only auto-download attachments on wifi, but makes them optional clicks while on 3G.

* 3rd party flash blockers that can be set to only block flash content on 3G but then allow it while on wifi.

* iTunes settings that let you restrict automatic TV show and podcast downloading to Wifi times only.

* iCloud settings that put off contact and calendar syncing while on 3G.

* Apps (and an OS) that are smart enough to check the connection type first and only check for updates while on wifi.

And so on and so on. In other words, I think future Macs WON'T use much more data than iPads currently do. Then, when back on wifi they'll blossom open and unleash all that stuff they were holding back on all day.
 
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