[Updated] Verizon Plans To Eliminate 'Grandfathered' 3G Unlimited Data Plans

[tech_head]

Hmm, so I'm guessng the answer to this question is, "we just don't know" but based on the first comment anyone on Unlimited 3G cannot move to 4G without going to shared data, right? Currently, only 1 of the 5 lines on my family share plan is on a 4G device; the others are on 3G. My main issue is that I got on the stick deal where I get the $20 discount on each line with data, thus $100/MONTH off my bill.
-SNIP-
– The same pricing and policies will be applied to all 3G and 4GLTE smartphones.I guess Verizon can do whatever they want though.

So I had the same issue.
So far the 3G and 4G plans don't look any different in the computer.
If you upgrade now, you probably wouldn't have an issue. I upgraded my daughter from an incredible to a Droid Charge and nothing on the plan changed. Now this was 4 months ago and things do change. I have upgraded devices and nothing has happened. The $20 a month credit per line is awesome and I got on the same promotion and I'm always afraid that some moron will touch my line in the computer and have my promotion and plan blow up. So far so good.

 

[the3dolla]

Yea, I'd love to upgrade everyone to 4G to be safe, but we only have on upgrade left in July 2012; the rest are in 2013. My sisters just upgraded to iPhone 4s, my dad has an X2, my mom has an old Incredible and I have the Maxx. I guess there isn't much I can do, if a 3G to 4G move isn't allowed I'll have to deal with it then, or get some cheap 4G phones and try to get them activated.

 

[VooDooCC]

Was in the only "actual" verizon store in town (we have 2 that are just kiosks with dummy phones) only 1 person out of the 7 or 8 working had even heard of this. He tried saying it's just a rumor and won't happen for months if at all. I said that it was Verizon's CFO that originally said it, he told me not to believe what I read online. :blink:

 

[syndicate0017]

Was in the only "actual" verizon store in town (we have 2 that are just kiosks with dummy phones) only 1 person out of the 7 or 8 working had even heard of this. He tried saying it's just a rumor and won't happen for months if at all. I said that it was Verizon's CFO that originally said it, he told me not to believe what I read online. :blink:

You should have told him you've heard not to believe what you hear in-store.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

 

[droidbionicmaster]

Yea the getting rid of the unlimited 3g is a rumor still so just keeping bugging and asking them.when u feel unsure of something

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Droid Forums

 

[Fuzzball]

You can also change phone from 3G and 4G easily from there too. You can buy your rezound or any 4G Lte phones from Ebay and keep your Unlimited Data. Please ensure that the phone listed as Clean ESN with preferably huge positive feedback seller. Once you get your phone, you can go to store and ask them to give you 4G LTE simcard for the specific phone. You can activate your phone in store or go back home and do it online. Good luck!

So do we know for sure they're going to continue to treat 3G and 4G data same in the future? The wording the CFO used has me concerned. I have a 3G phone now and am willing to pay full price for a 4G phone down the road to retain my Unlimited plans.

For those wondering about my usage, I use about 1GB/mo and the wife is 0.5GB/mo. I anticipate a Family Share Data would save us money for our current usage. My concern is future usage on a 4G phone with a bunch of data using apps and the trend of using more data today than was used a couple of years ago. Carriers and ISPs have been quite slow on raising any data limits over the past few years and the overall data usage has gone up.

 

[cybertec69]

So do we know for sure they're going to continue to treat 3G and 4G data same in the future? The wording the CFO used has me concerned. I have a 3G phone now and am willing to pay full price for a 4G phone down the road to retain my Unlimited plans.

For those wondering about my usage, I use about 1GB/mo and the wife is 0.5GB/mo. I anticipate a Family Share Data would save us money for our current usage. My concern is future usage on a 4G phone with a bunch of data using apps and the trend of using more data today than was used a couple of years ago. Carriers and ISPs have been quite slow on raising any data limits over the past few years and the overall data usage has gone up.

On 4G you will pretty much double to triple your #'s.

Sent from my ADR6425LVW using Droid Forums

 

[kodiak799]

On 4G you will pretty much double to triple your #'s.

Only if you increase your usage patterns - I still average about 1gig a month. Unless you burn thru a ton of Pandora and/or Netflix, 2 gigs is still a heck of a lot of data. Now if you are syncing dropbox constantly, or flashing a bunch of roms, you can burn thru a lot, too, but doing that over-the-air is unnecessary.

Updating apps is starting to be a pretty big data leak, too. But I believe with the new market you can set it to update apps on wifi only.

 

[brad92]

Only if you increase your usage patterns - I still average about 1gig a month. Unless you burn thru a ton of Pandora and/or Netflix, 2 gigs is still a heck of a lot of data. Now if you are syncing dropbox constantly, or flashing a bunch of roms, you can burn thru a lot, too, but doing that over-the-air is unnecessary.

Updating apps is starting to be a pretty big data leak, too. But I believe with the new market you can set it to update apps on wifi only.

Its only unnecessary to you. Where I live, there are no phone lines or internet. Hughesnet is a joke. So I can easily go over 10 gigs without tethering

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

 

[kodiak799]

Its only unnecessary to you. Where I live, there are no phone lines or internet. Hughesnet is a joke. So I can easily go over 10 gigs without tethering

That's really not relevant. VZW is not selling you a home broadband replacement. The data is the same on 4G as 3G, their usage is only going to increase if they use their phone more.

 

[mountainbikermark]

So do we know for sure they're going to continue to treat 3G and 4G data same in the future? The wording the CFO used has me concerned. I have a 3G phone now and am willing to pay full price for a 4G phone down the road to retain my Unlimited plans.

For those wondering about my usage, I use about 1GB/mo and the wife is 0.5GB/mo. I anticipate a Family Share Data would save us money for our current usage. My concern is future usage on a 4G phone with a bunch of data using apps and the trend of using more data today than was used a couple of years ago. Carriers and ISPs have been quite slow on raising any data limits over the past few years and the overall data usage has gone up.

I spoke with a rep at Verizon that read me her sheet on the subject and she had no date of the changes or pricing but it did say as long as you don't buy a phone at discount price from Verizon your grandfather will remain in effect. It did specifically state if you buy a phone at full retail or a second hand source (ebay, craiglist, etc) you will remain grandfathered until you buy a phone at discount price. It also stated this applies to 3g and 4g phones.
The wildcard is once our contract ends we are at the mercy of them if we remain month to month because there is no contract in force.
I use no more data with my Rezound than with my Incredible1 simply because of habitual connection to wifi, which is more battery friendly than the 3g in my city and 4g all over the place. Unless the next generation of lte phones does something about being 4g being a battery vampire or one simply loves plugging in often I don't forsee average users data usage increasing a ton from their old to new phones.

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Sent from this Galaxy with Blue Tapatalk and a ZaggFolio

 

[brad92]

That's really not relevant. VZW is not selling you a home broadband replacement. The data is the same on 4G as 3G, their usage is only going to increase if they use their phone more.

I was responding more to your insinuation that people who use over 2 gigs are data hogs.

And either way, if I have 4G signal, I use that over a wifi network period. It doesn't matter if I'm staying somewhere with a wifi network, I use the Verizon network I pay for.


Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

 

[kodiak799]

I don't anticipate VZW doing much to grandfathered plans. A good number will switch to family share plans (or if they have multiple devices) because of the economics. Others will decide they don't use enough data to forego a subsidized phone just to hang on to unlimited. Still others will get roped-in when they unveil VoLTE, especially if they create some value on calling plans there.

That truly won't leave many users grandfathered, perhaps a few million but almost certainly less than 5M. Simply not a big number for VZW to be overly concerned with. They MAY do something about people tethering and abusing unlimited, but I think otherwise they are more than content to just eliminate the subsidy for people that want to keep unlimited (it's like a $15/mo cost savings from VZW perspective).

The hand-wringing over how VZW will stick it to their EXISTING customers next has been going on for at least a few years now. To my knowledge, the ANTICIPATED elimination of the subsidy is the first such action that actually qualifies.

 

[kodiak799]

I was responding more to your insinuation that people who use over 2 gigs are data hogs.

And either way, if I have 4G signal, I use that over a wifi network period. It doesn't matter if I'm staying somewhere with a wifi network, I use the Verizon network I pay for.

I made no such insinuation. I said simply that going from 3G to 4G would not increase usage unless their usage pattern changed. That's a fact.

But to your other point, it takes a fair amount of effort to consumer 2+ gigs of MOBILE data. People who don't have home wifi are shifting or substituting usage and it's really apples to oranges.

 

[tech_head]

I made no such insinuation. I said simply that going from 3G to 4G would not increase usage unless their usage pattern changed. That's a fact.

But to your other point, it takes a fair amount of effort to consumer 2+ gigs of MOBILE data. People who don't have home wifi are shifting or substituting usage and it's really apples to oranges.

So I'm toward the end of my billing cycle.
3 Phones on unlimited all 4G
1. Razr Maxx -> 2.97 GB
2. Droid Bionic -> 3.2 GB
3. Droid Charge -> 1.8GB

I never use WIFI. Why should I? I pay for unlimited.
I'll watch the occasional movie and if Verizon would quit trying to update VZNav and all their other crap.
Actually it can change your usage even if you stream from the same place.
HBO Go and other test the connection and they will stream at a higher nitrate/quality to the device.
You don't have to do anything out of the normal and your data usage increases.