[telecom] A Cheat Sheet for Verizon's New Shared-Data Plans

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A Cheat Sheet for Verizon's New Shared-Data Plans

By Anton Troianovski June 12, 2012

Verizon Wireless has just rolled out a complex set of new plans that give users unlimited voice and texts and allows them to share a pot of data among multiple devices.

The obvious question: Should you switch? The answer: Only if you're already paying too much.

The new plans - which new customers will have to buy after they go into effect June 28 - are cheaper for smartphone subscribers who use unlimited voice and text but little data, but more expensive for subscribers who spend most of their time using data-heavy services.

The data plans begin at $50 a month for 1 gigabyte of data and range up to 10 gigabytes for $100 a month. You also pay a monthly device fee of $40 for each smartphone, $30 for each basic phone, $20 for each laptop and $10 for each tablet.

The many variables at work make it impossible to say flatly whether the new plans are more or less expensive, but looking at a few options for individuals and families show the dynamics at work.

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