Verizon to Offer Family Data Plans: Report

By

Verizon Communications executive said this week Verizon Wireless will roll out family plans for data services in the near future, according to media reports.

Verizon Wireless plans to offer family plans for data services supporting multiple devices including smartphones and tablet computers at some point in the future, Chief Financial Officer Fran Shammo told the Reuters Global Technology Summit.

According to Shammo, Verizon Wireless plans to kick off pricing changes this summer by eliminating smartphone plans that allow unlimited Web access for a flat fee. “It will replace them with tiered pricing that forces heavy data users to pay more for mobile data.

After this change the company will look to soften the blow by offering more options such as family plans for data services,” Reuters reported.

Under current plans, each family member with a smartphone has to pay $30 per month each for data services, and if they own a tablet computer they have to pay a separate data fee.

Shammo said the logical progression for Verizon is to offer so called mega-plans to families with multiple devices.

“I think it's safe to assume that at some point you are going to have mega-plans (for data) and people are going to share that mega-plan based on the number of devices within their family. That's just a logical progression,” he told Reuters, without providing specifics on when such a plan would become available.

In related news, Verizon Wireless said its wireless network would be available to nine additional metropolitan areas May 19, as well as expand its 4G LTE network in Atlanta, Chicago, Denver, New Orleans and Philadelphia.

The wireless leader announced Thursday the 4G LTE network is now available in Mobile and Montgomery Ala.; Greater Fairfield and New Haven, Conn.; Gainesville, Pensacola and Tallahassee, Fla.; Fayetteville-Lumberton, N.C.; and Bryan-College Station and Temple-Killeen, Texas.


Erin Harrison is Executive Editor, Strategic Initiatives, for TMC, where she oversees the company's strategic editorial initiatives, including the launch of several new print and online initiatives. She plays an active role in the print publications and TechZone360, covering IP communications, information technology and other related topics. To read more of Erin's articles, please visit her columnist page.

Edited by Stefanie Mosca
Get stories like this delivered straight to your inbox. [Free eNews Subscription]

Executive Editor, Strategic Initiatives

SHARE THIS ARTICLE
Related Articles

Enhancing Cybersecurity Measures for Modern Businesses

By: Contributing Writer    7/2/2025

Cyberattacks are rising, and businesses of all sizes feel the pressure. Small companies often think they're too small to be targets. They aren't. Hack…

Read More

Lessons Learned from Enterprise Oracle Cloud Migrations

By: Contributing Writer    7/1/2025

Switching to Oracle Cloud can feel daunting. Security risks, unexpected expenses, and performance troubles often turn what seems like an effortless up…

Read More

Protecting Business Assets with Smarter Security Frameworks

By: Contributing Writer    7/1/2025

Protecting your business is more challenging than ever. Cyber threats are increasing every day. Hackers target small and large businesses alike, searc…

Read More

Emerging Trends in Technology and Their Impact on Future Innovations

By: Contributing Writer    7/1/2025

Technology is changing faster than ever. Business owners often struggle to keep up. What's trending today might be outdated tomorrow. Falling behind c…

Read More

Tech Podcast Award Winners Bring Excitement and Enthusiasm to a Range of Important Tech Topics

By: TMCnet Staff    6/18/2025

Tech Podcast Award winners produce engaging, informative, and often entertaining content, bringing valuable insight from industry front lines to the e…

Read More