“Verizon Wireless, the country’s largest wireless carrier, is confident enough in its network that it will offer unlimited data-use plans when it starts selling the iPhone around the end of this month, a person familiar with the matter said,” Ante and Kane report. “Such plans would provide a key means of distinguishing its service from rival AT&T Inc., which limits how much Internet data such as videos and photos its customers may use each month.”
Ante and Kane report, “AT&T has struggled to overcome complaints about network quality ever since it started exclusively selling the iPhone in the U.S. in 2007. That contributed to a decision last summer to offer new iPhone and other smartphone customers only pricing plans that cap how much data they send and receive… Verizon more than any other U.S. carrier has built its reputation on its network quality, and any stumble in handling iPhone traffic will call into question Verizon’s major selling point. On the other hand, if it does handle the iPhone well, then AT&T will have a harder time arguing it didn’t mismanage its own network.
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: AT&T Mobility. Reaping billions upon billions of iPhone users’ dollars while maintaining a consistent level of suck.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Joe Architect” for the heads up.]
VZW will bait and switch to a metered plan after collecting marketshare, just like ATT.
You can bet your bottom dollar! I’m ready to see if Verizon experiences similar things to AT&T once these phones hit their network. If it does, I wonder how they’ll handle the PR.
I have no issues with ATT. In fact there are plenty of areas in the central Atlantic where the big V has their own issues. There us no perfect carrier.
When ATT thins out, it will only server to increase the bandwidth capacity at ATT which will allow them to once again offer an unlimited plan. I see more competitive pricing soon, benefiting all.
MDN. Sorry your experience with ATT has led to such unveiled animosity. I have had no problem. I left Verizon after 10 years of lock-in accompanied by inadequate and incomplete customer service.
Competition is a good thing. Maybe everyone’s network will become better.
As a stockholder, I hope that the Apple Kool Aid keeps working through the various inevitable VZ-related disappointments!
I think it’s great that Verizon is coming onboard. Providing options for customers is great. Honestly though, my experience with AT&T has been perfectly fine and I don’t understand what all the fuss has been about.
3 years to prepare never hurts either.
IF this is true and IF Verizon can withstand the data onslaught without buckling, then something interesting comes to mind. Some of us will remember how Reagan spent the Communists into bankruptcy. Yes, it hurt our economy, but it brought Russia to its economic knees, and spelled political doom for the totalitarian regime. Likewise, Verizon may be baiting AT&T into a “usage” war. Verizon seems quite confident with their (so far, potential) capabilities that they can wage this battle knowing that at some time, AT&T will falter significantly if they chose to follow. That would lead to an interesting possibility. If AT&T smartly does NOT elect to follow, how could they differentiate themselves from Verizon in a very positive way? Prices with greater subsidies? Additional services (GPS, for example?) This should be VERY interesting.
I also (and have stated many time before) have no troubles with AT&T here in the metro NY area. Sure there is an occasional dropped call, but maybe once per week at most. What I really do appreciate is the speed of the 3G service though, especially when compared to friends, family, etc that have other providers and smartphones.
My feeling is that A) if Verizon gets the iPhone – and that is a big IF then B) it had better be something really fantastic or C) it’s going to suck.
The Verizon CDMA network is good for voice but shitty for data.
I strongly doubt Apple would make a CDMA iPhone given how crappy it is for data, and that it’s a dying technology – Apple likes to be at the forefront, not the back end.
I also strongly doubt Apple would make an iPhone for the “amazing 4G LTE” product that Verizon has released – it’s not true 4G, and deployment is severely limited anyhow – two factors that would make Steve cringe.
I guess we’ll have to see…
Oh, and the grass is always greener – until you have to mow it and water it and rake it – then it’s just the same PITA as what you have now.
At home I recieve one bar of AT&T service. I just stick to my 6mbps Wi-Fi. But cell phone calls at home are just terrible 🙁
But can any of you answer why I just got unlimited data for my iPhone4 without asking? It’s so new to my service that I have yet to pay for it, ’till the 22nd.
I have had AT&T since before they bought cingular and was lucky enough to get the iphone 1st gen, 3g and now 4…
As long as ur not in some small town AT&T is great…. they have a way faster connection than t-mobile which brags about their 4g…. my brother dropped them after 10 years when he saw AT&T was faster….. i believe that once VZ gets all the iPhones their network will indeed have problem even though they already have all these droids
PS. AT&T customer service has always been great with me, they never turned me down
@nobody44
Go grab an AT&T Microcell from your local AT&T Store.
That will fix your cell reception issues at home.
AT&T’s service may “suck”, but Verizon is the most evil of all the carriers. It deliberately cripples phones and nickel and dimes its customers. I have never had problems with AT&T’s customer service.
“..as long as ur not in some small town AT&T is great”\
Yeah–but the problem is much of the U.S. IS in ‘some small town
‘ or rural area. Large metro areas should not be the only place to get coverage just because it’s a big cash grab for providers.
This is where carriers get lazy. If they would provide infrastructure instead of merely providing where service where it is already duplicated, they would spur development of these areas.
I have had AT&T since before they bought cingular and was lucky enough to get the iphone 1st gen, 3g and now 4…
As long as ur not in some small town AT&T is great…. they have a way faster connection than t-mobile which brags about their 4g…. my brother dropped them after 10 years when he saw AT&T was faster….. i believe that once VZ gets all the iPhones their network will indeed have problem even though they already have all these droids
PS. AT&T customer service has always been great with me, they never turned me down
PS 2. i heard that AT&T has even dropped 2 billion dollars on their 4g network…. they are just great about this i think
I have never had an issue with AT&T in SE Michigan. I could not use T-mobile, Verizon or Sprint at my last house – all claimed there was some mythological reception “shadow” around my house that prevented me from using their service. AT&T worked perfectly at that house, and my current house as well.
I don’t see any need or reason for me to switch to Verizon.
MDN shouldn’t you defend ATT as you have done against everything between heaven and earth since the iPhone was launched?
Ohh I forgot. You turn the way the wind blows… Sorry!
Any one willing to be on how long this UNLIMITED data plan will
Hold? 1 month, 2 months? It won’t last long for sure…
MDN,
Give it a rest! Now we all have a choice, and we’ll make up our minds.
Did ATT run over your dog? Or do you just own a buttload of Verizon stock?
Settle down and let the chips fall…..
Since we had Verizon FIOS TV service (a year now) they have twice dropped a couple of channels. So far the channels dropped haven’t been channels we watch regularly but sooner or later they’ll drop something we do want to watch.
My wife use to have Verizon as her cell phone company. It’s as others said, the company nickels and dimes you. In dealing with a couple of minor FIOS issues – I can agree their customer service is worse than AT&T’s customer service. For example, I’ve asked them 3 different times on the phone to please stop sending paper bills and send only electronic bills. Yep, I”m still getting paper bills from them.
As others have stated, AT&T took a chance on Apple. Without AT&T, there may not be an iPhone. On the other hand, Verizon told Apple to go f*ck off. I won’t soon forget that fact. (Although I suppose it helps that I have no major issues AT&T’s service.)
Peace.
Unlimited data, for an unlimited price.
No problem with AT&T either.
At the most, I use 1GB of data per month. Well under the 2GB I’m allotted. Unlimited sounds nice but it is more of a gimmick and I doubt it will cost less than $25 a month.
Competition in this case is good. Perhaps AT&T will keep or attract customers by altering their plans.
Yeah I’m wondering two things.
1. For how much? 30? 40?
2. Will this be one of those, for existing(or new only) customers switching from droid to iPhone?
Verizon is good for one thing, screwing their customers over
Verizon would be the last carrier I’d use, so I’m disappointed to see Apple giving them the iPhone option. I’ve had them before. I’d go to a prepaid service before I’d give Verizon another nickel and dime.
It seems we have a good deal of folks who are backing AT&T. I believe most of the dropped call “issues” and “terrible cell service” stems mainly from media rather than from true experience.
EVERY carrier has it’s dead zones. If signal service and call reliability are your main concern, then go with the carrier that works best at your home, place of business and anywhere else you may frequent. Some of you chose your carrier, AT&T, based on wanting to have the iPhone only. Then when you took it home or tried to use it at work, you didn’t have great coverage. Who’s fault is that? No one told you that you had to have an iPhone.
I love my iPhone 4, as my signal strength is much better than my old 3G. I know that has nothing to do with carrier. It just drives the media point home.
One day, sooner than most of you might think, the carriers will be the same. There is only so much room for towers. Which can change location based on real estate leases. When the towers move, they will effect service for both the good and bad. Also when the number of antennas maxes out, there will be only one option. All carriers to use the same towers and antennas while one will own the system. Just like the utilities do it now. Maybe clear channel or maybe Verizon will be that company. It’s on the horizon!
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