In a Wall Street Journal report published early this morning, Verizon COO Lowell McAdam confirmed that when the iPhone 4 launches on Verizon’s network early next month, customers will be offered the same $30 data plan they offer for other smartphones.
Though AT&T stopped offering unlimited data plans last summer ahead of the iPhone 4 launch, the carrier allowed existing customers already using the unlimited $30 per month data plan to keep using it. Many of those current AT&T customers may decide they have no reason to stick with AT&T anymore if Verizon will offer them the same unlimited data plan for the same price as a new customer.
The CDMA iPhone 4 is expected to launch on Verizon’s network February 10th, with preorders for existing Verizon customers to begin February 3rd. Read more
AT&T increases data cap for tethering customers to 4GB
In a move that is almost certainly a response to Verizon’s data plan offerings for the iPhone, AT&T announced that as of February 13th, it would begin including an extra 2GB of data allowance per month for users who pay for the optional $20 tethering plan on top of the $25 DataPro 2GB plan.
The change allows tethering plan customers to use a total of 4GB per month regardless of which device uses that data.
Previously, AT&T’s data tethering “plan” was really more of a fee to un-cripple the tethering feature most smart phones already have, as AT&T refused to offer any additional data allowance to users paying a premium for the feature.
If you’re an AT&T iPhone owner, you’ve probably noticed that the Internet Tethering area of Settings just tells you to contact AT&T if you aren’t paying for the tethering plan. Read more