The extra gigabytes will cost you, however, as much as US$150 per month for 20GB of data. These tiers aren't detailed on the carrier's website, but rather offered on an as-needed basis. The plans, first uncovered by CNET, over and above the six choices Verizon lists online include:
- 12GB for $110/month
- 14GB for $120/month
- 16GB for $130/month
- 18GB for $140/month
- 20GB for $150/month
AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) also announced this week that its shared data plans would go into effect on Aug. 23. The carrier offers a 20GB plan for $200 per month, as well as a 15GB plan for $160. (See AT&T Joins Verizon in the Shared Data Pool.)
Why this matters
The wireless operators are trying to keep their plans as simple as possible, while also offering their customers several options in lieu of unlimited plans. 20GB may seem like a lot of data, but Verizon's plans are shared across 10 devices, which makes hitting that cap more likely. It will be a learning process for consumers to strike a balance between the lowest-cost plan to meet their needs but one that won't rack up the overages.
For more
- Can Unlimited Data Survive the Trial of Tiers?
- Pricing Out Verizon's Shared Data Move
- Operators Dress Up Data Caps
- Verizon Wireless Brings Unlimited Users to Tiers
- Balancing Faster 4G Data & Tighter Caps
— Sarah Reedy, Senior Reporter, Light Reading Mobile
I agree with you that tiered pricing -- at least the way it is described here for Verizon -- is not customer-friendly. If you pay for 16GB and use only 15, then you are overpaying. And if you pay for 16 and end up using 17, I would guess there's an overage charge. The thing that makes this really stand out is that there's no apparent per-byte price difference in the tiers. Why use tiering at all if the per-byte cost doesn't change? The logic escapes.