Verizon resurrects unlimited data, because T-Mobile and AT&T aren't f*cking around
Verizon, in the age of streaming video and GIF-filled messaging, is looking to win back customers by offering unlimited data.
The wireless carrier announced Sunday an introductory plan with unlimited data. Available Monday, it charges $80 per month with unlimited data, talk and text on a smartphone or tablet. Verizon charges $45 per line for four lines.
The announcement comes shortly after a study revealed Verizon can no longer call itself the fastest wireless network. T-Mobile is just as good as Verizon, according to the 2017 State of Mobile Networks report from OpenSignal. Those two are followed by AT&T and then Sprint.
In the press release, Verizon described itself as "the best 4G LTE network in the country."
Of course, Verizon's new plan is not completely unlimited. Verizon, after several lawsuits with it and other carriers, notes the potential of throttling. When a plan owner exceeds 22 GB of data on a single line, Verizon will lessen the access to data.
"While we don’t expect to do that very often, network management is a crucial tool that benefits all Verizon customers," Verizon wrote in the press release.
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Verizon previously offered an unlimited plan, but it discontinued it along with other wireless carriers. However, in recent months, other carriers have been bringing it back. For example, AT&T offers an unlimited data plan for cellphones, if customers also get DirecTV or AT&T's home TV service, U-verse.
“We’ve built our network so we can manage all the activity customers undertake. Everything we’ve done is to provide the best experience on the best network – and we’ve built it for the future, not just for today,” Ronan Dunne, president of Verizon’s wireless division, said in a statement. “We also fundamentally want you to have more choice. We’re not limiting you to a single plan."
Kerry Flynn is a business reporter for Mashable covering the tech industry. She previously reported on social media companies, mobile apps and startups for International Business Times. She has also written for The Huffington Post, Forbes and Money magazine. Kerry studied environmental science and economics at Harvard College, where she led The Harvard Crimson's metro news and design teams and played mellophone in the Band. When not listening to startup pitches, she runs half-marathons, plays with puppies and pretends to like craft beer.
