Verizon's mobile plans are about to get more expensive - here's what you need to know
Verizon on Wednesday announced numerous changes to its phone plans. Most notably, it's increasing the size of each of its data plans, but at a higher cost.
Previously, things looked like this: Verizon
- S: 2GB/$35 per month
- M: 4GB/$50 per month
- L: 8GB/$70 per month
- XL: 16GB/$90 per month
- XXL: 24GB/$110 per month
Beyond that, Verizon introduced a rollover program dubbed "Carryover Data." Similar to existing offers from T-Mobile and AT&T, this makes it so any data you didn't use for your current month will be usable if you run out the next month. That extra data will only be available for one additional month, though.
The company's also getting slightly more lenient on overage fees. A new "Safety Mode" feature allows you to use mobile data once you hit your allowance - albeit at a throttled speed of 128kbps, which is very slow.
You'll also need to go through the (newly redesigned) My Verizon app to access it, and it'll only be included on the pricier XL and XXL plans by default. Anyone else will have to pay another $5 per month. A "Data Boost" feature lets Safety Mode users buy another GB of LTE data for $15, but at that point, anyone on the lower-tier plans is paying more than the $15/GB overage fee Verizon typically charges for going over.
Finally, the carrier is making it so calling, texting, and data plans will work in Mexico and Canada. Again, only the XL and XXL plans will have that baked in, while others will have to pay $5 per month for unlimited calling, or $2 per month for texting and data.
Current customers will be able to keep their current plans if desired.
A CNET report earlier this week first suggested the new plans, while a Reddit post spotted the potential Safety Mode and international rate changes late last month.
None of the moves here are unprecedented, but they further highlight the increased competition between major mobile carriers in US. While Verizon remains the country's number one carrier in terms of total subscribers (and general coverage), it has been forced to respond to aggressive offers from its rivals - typically initiated by T-Mobile - numerous times over the past three years. Whether or not today's changes are worth paying more for what was already one of the pricier carriers on the market, though, is up to you.
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