Verizon rolls limited 300MB, $20 phone data plan
updated 06:30 pm EDT, Fri August 12, 2011
Plan targets voice users in mid-Atlantic region
Verizon has launched a regional promotion that tries to entice existing or prospective wireless customers to experiment with data. The program, available in DC, Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina, lets current or new customers add 300MB of data monthly to their voice plan. The limited offer is priced at $20 monthly and automatically charges $20 more for each instance subscribers run over 300MB.
The company characterized it as an upsell. It's for "moving from a basic phone to a smartphone but were hesitant because of cost," said Mike Maiorana, Verizon's president for the region in the official statement.
The plan is intended for any Verizon customer with a 3G or 4G phone but who just uses a small amount of data. Verizon claims the 300MB equates to approximately 50 e-mail messages and 50 web views daily, although the cap discourages regular streaming audio and video.
The offer begins August 18 and runs through September 30.
Verizon's plan isn't yet national but is a response to other carriers' budget plans, most of all AT&T. The major challenger has a cheaper, $15 plan but attaches just 200MB for the cost, steering more users towards the more expensive $25, 2GB plan. Verizon is likely hoping to catch lightweight users who want to pay as little as possible but don't fit in AT&T's model. [via Phandroid]
