‘Verizon’ Fights Back T-Mobile, Offers Nearly Unlimited Data Plans

U.S. telecommunications giant Verizon is playing up its data game on the highly-competitive wireless market. Starting Feb. 13, 'Big Red' - as most call it - will offer nearly unlimited data plans starting at $80 before taxes.

According to USA Today, customers who want to take advantage of the Verizon nearly unlimited data offer need only to sign up for AutoPay and paperless billing. Family plans are also available, with $45 per line up to four lines, bringing it to $180 before taxes and other fees.

While the price may seem to steep compared to other networks, as T-Mobile starts its unlimited data plan at $70 and Sprint offers five lines at $90, Verizon promises that their service will be the best experience. It also adds 10GB of data for wireless hotspot use, and can add a tablet for $20 a month or a smartwatch for $5 monthly.

As for the data itself, Verizon customers are given 22GB of data every bill cycle to use freely. After consuming the allotted data, users may experience reduced internet speed during high-traffic intervals. As Forbes reported, other major mobile carriers work on the same principle, albeit with different data caps and limitations.

Verizon was the last of the four major providers to adapt the nearly unlimited data scheme. 'Big Red' previously had an unlimited data promotion back in 2012, before reverting to shared data for family plans. It slowly did a comeback last year, offering to lower speeds to 2G when the allowed data is consumed.  

While still considered the leader in the wireless market, Verizon is only leading by a small margin. Recently, a third-party researcher, Open Signal, reported that Verizon is tied with T-Mobile on 4G LTE speeds, with the former only less than two percent ahead from the latter on availability. Prices are also a big factor, with other providers slashing prices to get more of the market share.