[Update] Verizon's New Family Data Plans Begin: It's Called the Share Everything Plan

[revelated]

I don't know about that bold part tho as in California there are two Electric companies (AFAIK). Edison and PG&E.

SDG&E
PG&E
Edison

I'm sure there are others. Three energy companies aren't powering all of California. Too lazy to look them up.

But the thing is, PG&E isn't giving electricity to San Diego - there isn't even an option to use another carrier. That's what I mean. Northern California may be different; but then again, Northern California might as well be Arkansas. Central California might as well be New York, so I figure they may have some overlap. Southern California - no.

 

[monkey_man]

SDG&E
PG&E
Edison

I'm sure there are others. Three energy companies aren't powering all of California. Too lazy to look them up.

But the thing is, PG&E isn't giving electricity to San Diego - there isn't even an option to use another carrier. That's what I mean. Northern California may be different; but then again, Northern California might as well be Arkansas. Central California might as well be New York, so I figure they may have some overlap. Southern California - no.

That bold part is happening to me as well :rofl2: I know what you meant about sometimes it just your only option, but just because that happened to specific regions do not mean that the condition you said is mutually exclusive.

 

[jseah]

Here is what I understand from reading lots of news articles, posts on blogs like Droid Life, etc.

1. If you have unlimited data, you can keep unlimited data as long as you pay full retail for a new handset.

2. If you have unlimited data and want a subsidized upgrade, you have to give up unlimited. This means EITHER switch to the Share Everything plan, OR stay on your existing voice plan and add the tiered data feature. The plans as they exist today will remain available (except for unlimited data) for EXISTING subscribers. NEW subscribers MUST sign up for the Share Everything plan.

3. If you have unlimited data on your line in your family share plan, and another line in your in your family share plan wants to use a subsidized upgrade, they can provided they EITHER switch to Share Everything, OR switch to a tiered data feature (if they are currently on unlimited data). If they currently are on a tiered data plan, they can use a subsidized upgrade and nothing changes. The caveat is IF they DO CHOOSE to switch to Share Everything, then that means ALL of the lines in the family share MUST switch to Share Everything.

4. What gets fuzzier is if another line in your existing family share currently does not have a data plan (no smartphone) and switches to a smartphone after 6/28. Extrapolating from the information above (where the existing plans will remain for existing customers), then that means they can use a subsidized upgrade, but would have to add a tiered data plan (i.e. 2GB for $30, etc.). The assumption is that they would not be required to switch to a Share Everything plan. Again, the only customers that are forced to sign up for a Share Everything plan is NEW customers, since that will be the only plan available to them (except for individual lines which has the 700 minute plan as an option).

5. Also fuzzier is what happens if you add a new line to your existing family share plan after 6/28. Since adding a new line is not really joining Verizon as a new customer, then logic tells you that you should be able to add the line and add a tiered data plan, just like you can do today. Again this is because the Share Everything plan is an option to existing customers, not a requirement.

 

[jroc]

^^#3 is what I need to be absolutely sure about...for my peace of mind...hope this is true...

 

[Beka27]

Ok...This is the last time I'm going to respond. You will LOSE unlimited if you upgrade. I just showed you that tiered plans are going bye bye. What else are they going to switch you to besides a share everything plan?

You've been a saint, but when people just want to argue, they just want to argue. Obviously the 100 different articles, forums, websites, etc. haven't been enough to convince him. Best to step away. Let the guy figure it out for himself on June 29th... :icon_ devil:

 

[TheThor]

Here is what I understand from reading lots of news articles, posts on blogs like Droid Life, etc.

1. If you have unlimited data, you can keep unlimited data as long as you pay full retail for a new handset.

2. If you have unlimited data and want a subsidized upgrade, you have to give up unlimited. This means EITHER switch to the Share Everything plan, OR stay on your existing voice plan and add the tiered data feature. The plans as they exist today will remain available (except for unlimited data) for EXISTING subscribers. NEW subscribers MUST sign up for the Share Everything plan.

3. If you have unlimited data on your line in your family share plan, and another line in your in your family share plan wants to use a subsidized upgrade, they can provided they EITHER switch to Share Everything, OR switch to a tiered data feature (if they are currently on unlimited data). If they currently are on a tiered data plan, they can use a subsidized upgrade and nothing changes. The caveat is IF they DO CHOOSE to switch to Share Everything, then that means ALL of the lines in the family share MUST switch to Share Everything.

4. What gets fuzzier is if another line in your existing family share currently does not have a data plan (no smartphone) and switches to a smartphone after 6/28. Extrapolating from the information above (where the existing plans will remain for existing customers), then that means they can use a subsidized upgrade, but would have to add a tiered data plan (i.e. 2GB for $30, etc.). The assumption is that they would not be required to switch to a Share Everything plan. Again, the only customers that are forced to sign up for a Share Everything plan is NEW customers, since that will be the only plan available to them (except for individual lines which has the 700 minute plan as an option).

5. Also fuzzier is what happens if you add a new line to your existing family share plan after 6/28. Since adding a new line is not really joining Verizon as a new customer, then logic tells you that you should be able to add the line and add a tiered data plan, just like you can do today. Again this is because the Share Everything plan is an option to existing customers, not a requirement.

Thanks for bringing that up jseah! I've been reading many articles but I am stuck on #3 as well. I'm on a family plan for a family of four, my dad and i have unlimited data while my mom and brother have dumb phones, but they both want to upgrade to a smartphone preferably the iphone 5 later this year. We don't want to give up our unlimited data, but if they upgrade after the 28th, will that drag everyone into the family share plan forcing us to give up our unlimited data?

 

[TisMyDroid]

Thanks for bringing that up jseah! I've been reading many articles but I am stuck on #3 as well. I'm on a family plan for a family of four, my dad and i have unlimited data while my mom and brother have dumb phones, but they both want to upgrade to a smartphone preferably the iphone 5 later this year. We don't want to give up our unlimited data, but if they upgrade after the 28th, will that drag everyone into the family share plan forcing us to give up our unlimited data?

I would get them smart phones now to get them in tiered data and protect your unlimited data. There are many smart phones for next to nothing right now or if you do not have an available upgrade, put them on an old smart phone that is not being used or find one on craigslist or ebay.

Sent from my DROID RAZR Maxx using Droid Forums

 

[meishkov]

So I have the OG on unlimited, my rents each have a dinc2, so if I upgrade my phone before the 28th I get to keep unlimited? Even tho its 4g? What happens when they decide to upgrade phones? Big red makes this ish so complicated, probably the way they want it to be.

Sent from my OG using DroidForums

 

[cdm369]

Any line upgraded on your account after the 28th will allow Verizon to kick you off unlimited even if its not your line...still your account.

Sent from my HTC REZOUND

 

[TisMyDroid]

So I have the OG on unlimited, my rents each have a dinc2, so if I upgrade my phone before the 28th I get to keep unlimited? Even tho its 4g? What happens when they decide to upgrade phones? Big red makes this ish so complicated, probably the way they want it to be.

Sent from my OG using DroidForums

Yes, whether its 3g or 4g, you can upgrade before the 28 th and you will be grandfathered into your current plans. After the 28th, if you want a new phone you have to buy it full price to stay grandfathered into your plan. You won't be able to get the cheap new every two upgrade deals unless you want to switch to the new family share plan.

Sent from my DROID RAZR Maxx using Droid Forums

 

[kevsgroove]

You know, there's a lot of reason to believe this and I half do, but the other half says that with the exponentially increasing amounts of data we deal with every day, and with the incredibly fast and immediately available functions of these and future phone/PDA devices, there will come a time when the amount of data traversing through the wires or fibers will be less important for the ISPs, and just having the regular monthly incomes of "plans" will be more important. So, a part of me wants to believe it can't go the way of the Dodo Bird, but all you have to do is look at everything else we subscribe to as a service or utility and you quickly realize you're probably right.

Electricity - paid for per Kilowatt Hour
Water - per Hundred or Thousand Gallons
Natural or Propane Gas - per Hundred Cubic Feet
Gasoline - per Gallon
Diesel Fuel - per Gallon
Kerosene - per Gallon
Heating Oil - per Gallon
Sewer (at least for us) per Hundred Gallons of Water used in the home

Really, if you think about it, charging on a per unit of consumption basis is the only FAIR way to do it, since the heavy users pay the price, and the light users pay less.

About the only things I can think of that don't limit you per any amount of use are:

Cable TV - Basic service - unlimited
Cable TV - per Premium Channel or On Demand Movie purchase (exception to the rule)
Landline Telephone - Basic service - unlimited
Landline Telephone - Long Distance or International on a per Minute basis plus surcharges (exception to the rule)

The key would be a reasonable per GB fee. If, for instance Verizon were to charge a $5/gb fee for all smartphones, then light users would probably see a reasonable reduction in fees, while heavy users would pay as they should.

Using proposed access charges at $40/smartphone, my family fees based on the 6gb we used last billing cycle:

$ 80 - 2 smartphones access fees
$ 20 - 4 gb data usage on my line
$ 10 - 2 gb data usage on my daughter's line
$110 - total (before tax and special fees)

For people who use 2gb or less, this would work out quite well. You get away from worrying about sharing data and who's using what. You simply pay for the data used by each individual consumer.

Don't get me wrong, I don't want to see unlimited go the way of the dinosaur, however, at some point it's probably going to happen. There has to be a reasonable per GB fee that will work for the vast majority of users.

 

[rojo7905]

Hmm, Verizon's support twitter feed is saying that after the 28th if you upgrade a line with unlimited data you can keep your old plan, and choose from a tiered data package. also, only the line upgrading will be effected, not all the lines on the family plan... Unless I forgot how to read...

 

[syndicate0017]

Hmm, Verizon's support twitter feed is saying that after the 28th if you upgrade a line with unlimited data you can keep your old plan, and choose from a tiered data package. also, only the line upgrading will be effected, not all the lines on the family plan... Unless I forgot how to read...

That's not what any of the articles said. If that's the case, I'll admit I was incorrect. Every article said tiered plans were gone (and they will be) so it really makes no sense how VZ can switch you to something that won't exist.

**
And would you mind linking the twitter post that says that? I scrolled through 2 hours of tweets and have found nothing.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

 

[me4droid]

So if you can upgrade a line on the existing plan after the 28th, can you upgrade from a dumb to a smart, and pay for tiered data? That's my dilemma. I don't want to upgrade one of my kids to data now, but will in a year or two. I want to keep my current plan. Guess I'll have to suck it up and see what happens. I don't want to lose the unlimited on two other lines on the family plan.

 

[rojo7905]

It's about 3 hours old, in response to a user named Diego or something along those lines. I'm on my phone and don't know how to link a tweet.