Verizon's Shared Plans Begin June 28

Verizon Wireless today announced their upcoming “Share Everything” plans, which include shared voice minutes, text messages, and data. Coming June 28, the new plans will work with smartphones, tablets, and feature phones, according to news first reported by BGR. According to today’s press release, the new plans will allow up to 10 Verizon Wireless devices to share unlimited voice minutes, unlimited text, video and picture messages, and a single data allowance. Naturally, the devil is in the details. Upfront costs are $40/month for smartphones; $30 for basic phones; $20 for USBs, notebooks, and netbooks; and $10 for tablets. From there, you’ll need to select how much data you’d like to share. These plans begin at $50 for 1GB of data up to $100 for 10GB per month. The more data you buy, the less expensive each gigabyte is. Note: A long-term contract is not required to add devices to a “Share Everything” plan.

Verizon Shared Data Plans

• 1GB; $50 ($50/GB)
• 2GB; $60 ($30/GB)
• 4GB; $70 ($17.50/GB)
• 6GB; $80 ($13.33/GB)
• 8GB; $90 ($11.25/GB)
• 10GB; $100 ($10/GB)

  For example, a household that includes three iPhones and two iPads would pay $140/month for being joined plus another $70/month to share 4GB of data. Meanwhile, a household with one iPhone and two iPads would pay $60 plus an additional $60/month to share 2GB of data. According to Tami Erwin, Verizon’s vice president and chief marketing officer:

“Share Everything Plans are the new standard for wireless service.  They are simple; customers no longer have to think about their voice and message plans, because both are unlimited.  Share Everything Plans are convenient; customers purchase one data plan and they share it with up to 10 mobile devices.  And, they are worry-free; customers can connect their 3G or 4G devices wherever and whenever they want on America’s most reliable network.”

As we reported last month, those Verizon customers with a grandfathered unlimited everything plan would have to forgo those benefits if they were to join a “Share Everything” plan. Plus, were these customers to switch, they couldn't switch back at a later date. For their part, AT&T is also expected to launch shared data plans. Whether Verizon's "Share Everything" plans are right for your household, of course, depends on your situation. We suggest checking to see what your current data needs are and make a choice accordingly. Are you going to switch to a "Share Everything" plan?

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