Verizon Wireless (NYSE:VZ) is offering a cheaper option for customers who want to use a small amount of data on its network. The carrier said for a limited time it will make its low-end Share Everything offering $60 per month ($40 for a smartphone, plus $20 for unlimited voice, texting and 250 MB of data).
The new offering from Verizon is $20 cheaper than the current cheapest smartphone plan, $80 per month for 500 MB of smartphone data. Verizon also said basic phones are eligible for the 250 MB option.
As with Verizon's other Share Everything options, customers can add more devices to the new $60 plan.
In terms of the competition among Tier 1 operators, Verizon's $60/250 MB plan is still fairly expensive, in terms of the amount of data customers get. Under AT&T Mobility's (NYSE:T) new "Mobile Share Value" plans, customers pay $20 per month for unlimited voice, texting and 300 MB of data, and then pay $25 for a no-contract smartphone or $40 per month for a smartphone on a two-year contract.
T-Mobile US (NYSE:TMUS) offers unlimited voice, texting and 500 MB of data for $50 per month under its no-contract Simple Choice plans. That price does not include the cost of a phone though.
Sprint (NYSE:S) recently launched its new Framily plans, which is basically a calling circle that offers greater savings for everyone in the group as more people join. The new plan will be available to new and existing Sprint customers and has a limit of 10 phone numbers per group.
New Sprint customers pay $55 per month per line for unlimited talk, text and 1 GB of data. For each new Sprint customer joining a Framily group, the cost per person will drop $5 per month up to a maximum monthly discount of $30 per line. A group of at least seven people will get unlimited talk, text and 1 GB of data for $25 per month per line, excluding taxes and surcharges. In addition, Framily members can each pay $20 per month per line to buy unlimited data plus get a new phone every year, or they can add 1 GB or 3 GB per month to their plan.
For more:
- see this CNET article
- see this Engadget article
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