Verizon announces Share Everything plan

[HeyCori]

Probably a rip off for most users but this plan would probably save me about 30 bucks a month. I could get by with only 1GB of data. I'm usually on wifi all day (work) and all night (home) and my girl doesn't use much data. Sadly, I'm on AT&T and will continue to pay their rape fees for right now.

Verizon announces data sharing plan Share Everything - Neowin

In May, Verizon Communications CFO Fran Shammo confirmed that Verizon Wireless would start offering a shared data plan to customers with more than one line of service. However, it would also be dumping its unlimited data plan for existing customers who were previously able to keep their unlimited plan under a grandfather clause.

Today, Verizon Wireless announced the official launch of its shared data plans, called Share Everything. As previously announced, current customers on an unlimited data plan will not be able to renew their current contracts to keep that plan unless they either decide not to upgrade their phone or if they pay the full retail price for a new phone.

As you can see from the chart above, the new plans start at $50 a month with 1 GB of data shared with up to 10 devices, with unlimited talk and text. You can go up to 10 GB for $100 a month, again with unlimited talk and text. There's also an extra per line price of $40 a month for smartphones, $30 a month for basic phones, $20 a month for mobile hotspots, notebooks, netbooks, and USB devices and $10 a month for tablets.

The plan also includes a data only plan for mobile hotspots and tablets that start at $30 a month for 4 GB of data up to $60 a month for 10 GB. You can be officially confused when Share Everything launches on Verizon Wireless starting on June 28th.

 

[thed]

I think this will end up costing most people more money. It seems like Verizon carefully structured the new plans to avoid lowering anyone's bills, unless the people on your family plan don't use much data at all.

I spent a little time running the numbers and I can't come up with a scenario in which this will save me any money, and I'm on a family plan. I'm not really a heavy user but I don't feel comfortable limiting myself to 1GB per month. I'm guessing it'll be even worse for individual plans.

 

[scottcraft]

So if I'm reading correctly the price listed is for one phone and another smartphone is an extra $40? Say me and my wife get the 6Gb plan it's $80 plus another $40 for $120 per month. That's not great, but it's not bad either.

 

[HeyCori]

$40 per smartphone.

$40
$40
$80
------
$160

 

[HeyCori]

I looked at how much I would pay for an individual plan and a family plan. I'm not with Verizon now so no sweet grandfathered plans for me.

I would have to pay $90 bucks a month for an individual plan.

Family plan, because she burns through more minutes, we would have to spend $180 a month.

Suddenly the Shared Everything plan doesn't sound too bad at $130 (unless I forgot to factor something in). Granted that's only because we don't use much mobile data thanks to wifi at home/work and offline maps. If we didn't have wifi/offline maps then yeah, this could be a massive rip. As a comparison, we currently pay $174 a month on AT&T. >.<

 

[scottcraft]

I wouldn't be saving any money with the 4 and 6 Gb plans, but they are in the ballpark of what I'm paying now. Of course I have unlimited data on two lines now. I guess if I'm going to stay with Verizon I might as well get ready for the changes.

 

[thed]

I looked at how much I would pay for an individual plan and a family plan. I'm not with Verizon now so no sweet grandfathered plans for me.

I would have to pay $90 bucks a month for an individual plan

Family plan, because she burns through more minutes, we would have to spend $180 a month.

Interesting. 2 people is kind of the "no man's land" between individual and family plans, where one option doesn't really save you any money over the other. Maybe this is good for that situation.

Suddenly the Shared Everything plan doesn't sound too bad at $130 (unless I forgot to factor something in). Granted that's only because we don't use much mobile data thanks to wifi at home/work and offline maps. If we didn't have wifi/offline maps then yeah, this could be a massive rip. As a comparison, we currently pay $174 a month on AT&T. >.<

Does that $174 include taxes and fees? Currently the extra fees and taxes on my family plan total about $22 per month, so don't forget to add that in.

Right now I'm on a family plan. 4 people: 2 smartphones, 2 regular phones. Current bill (minus fees) is $200. With the shared plan, it's $70 (4GB) + $40x2 (smartphones) + $30x2 (reg phones) = $210. I think what really kills it is the regular phones. Those should really be less than $30 a piece.

One of the regular phone people is considering switching to a smartphone. Under our current plan, that would just be adding another $30 data plan so the bill would be $230. With the new shared plan that would be $80 (6GB) + $40x3 (smartphones) + $30 (regular phone) = $230.

Now this would never happen because I could never convince my mother in law to get a smartphone, but if I did, under the current plan that would be $260. Under the shared plan that would be $90 (8GB) + $40x4 = $250, which is actually a savings. So I guess I see how this could save you some money. But it seems like the more regular phones you have on the plan, the more it hurts you, which kind of sucks if you're on a plan with some older folks who have no interest in smartphones.

 

[Mr Bigs]

I think this will end up costing most people more money. It seems like Verizon carefully structured the new plans to avoid lowering anyone's bills, unless the people on your family plan don't use much data at all.

I spent a little time running the numbers and I can't come up with a scenario in which this will save me any money, and I'm on a family plan. I'm not really a heavy user but I don't feel comfortable limiting myself to 1GB per month. I'm guessing it'll be even worse for individual plans.

I agree 100%,this is a racket and won't save you a dime but cost more.

 

[HeyCori]

Does that $174 include taxes and fees? Currently the extra fees and taxes on my family plan total about $22 per month, so don't forget to add that in.

Yeah, that includes the taxes and extra fees. I also get a 15% discount for being a government employee, otherwise I'd be paying closer to $200 a month.

 

[anon(1458)]

Cant stand the shared data. Hate that I left and came back and lost my unlimited data.

 

[inteller]

why didn't you go with The $55 from Page Plus? much better deal.