Verizon Wireless has unveiled its expected "Share Everything" family plan for phone calls, data, and text messages, bringing a significant change in the way consumers pay for wireless services. The company's new plans allow for unlimited phone calls and text messages, as well as a pool of data that can be shared by up to 10 Verizon Wireless devices.
The plans will launch later this month, on June 28, with prices ranging between $50 and $100, on top of separate monthly access charges for each particular device. The same date also marks the end of unlimited data for many consumers looking to change their phone. The family data plan is designed to allow multiple users or devices to draw from a common bucket of data, and the concept has been seen as a potential catalyst to boost sales of connected devices. Verizon hopes that in time consumers will want to connect a wider range of products to the cellular network.
Moreover, the industry hopes that the concept of a shared data plan will boost sales of tablets in particular. Through this plan, Verizon Wireless hopes to lure more consumers, who might be more interested in using a cellular-connected tablet if they have the ability to draw from a common pool of data instead of having a separate plan and bill. "These plans offer the simplicity and value that customers feel are important," Verizon Wireless Chief Marketing Officer Tami Erwin told CNET.
Costs
A $50 monthly shared data plan offers 1GB of data, a $60 plan comes with 2GB, $70 gets you 4GB, $80 offers 6GB, $90 offers 8GB, and a $100 monthly plan comes with 10GB of data to be shared between devices. When approaching the data limit, customers will receive an alert and will have the option to get 2GB of additional data for $10. Meanwhile, customers who go over the limit without opting for the $10 additional data are charged $15 for 1GB of extra data.
There are also charges related to each device, in addition to the plan itself. The monthly charges are $40 for each smartphone, $30 for each regular phone, $20 for a hotspot, USB modem, notebook or netbook, and $10 for a tablet. Family members who share such a data plan can calculate their data consumption with various tools, including the data calculator Verizon provides on its Web site and the My Verizon app for smartphones and tablets.
