Verizon rolled out a new unlimited data offering for prepaid customers on Tuesday with an asking price of $80 a month.
The deal includes unlimited data, talk, and text across the United States, unlimited text to more than 200 international destinations, and unlimited talk to Mexico and Canada. And the fact that it’s prepaid means no messing about with a long-term contract or credit check.
Small print? You’ll only get video streams of up to a paltry 480p, and mobile hot spot and tethering aren’t included either. In addition, Verizon points out that it “may prioritize your data behind other customers during times/places of network congestion,” so it might be best to prep yourself with a few meditative techniques to prevent a meltdown should your superfast smartphone occasionally slow to a crawl.
Verizon’s latest offering joins its assortment of other prepaid plans, namely its 2GB deal that launched in February for $40 a month, 5GB for $50 a month, and 10GB for $70 a month. The carrier also offers a $30 basic phone plan with unlimited talk and text.
Commenting on the new deal, Tami Erwin, Verizon’s executive VP of operations said, “In just months, Verizon has transformed its prepaid offerings to make it easier and more affordable for customers to get access to the best network at a great value, no matter how much data they need.”
Erwin added, “This plan is all about giving our prepaid customers more choice. With data plans from as little as 2 GB to unlimited data, we’ve got a plan that fits your needs.” Or so she hopes.
Verizon’s latest prepaid plan aims to boost its customer base following a lackluster first quarter that saw the carrier lose 307,000 subscribers. It stemmed the losses midway through the quarter by introducing a postpaid unlimited plan in February, a move that prompted a flurry of activity among rivals that saw them refine their own unlimited data offerings in a bid to compete.
Considering Verizon added 640,000 subscribers during the same quarter a year earlier, and seeing how its postpaid plan reduced subscriber losses midway through its latest quarter, the motivation behind the launch of this latest unlimited plan is clear to see.
