Verizon "Unlimited" Plan Experiences

[WTP-GC]

Since Verizon started offering an "unlimited" plan, it has me wondering whether or not it would be worth making the switch from my more standard "limited" plan. Like the other carriers, you supposedly only have unlimited data at 4G speeds up to a certain amount of data usage (22GB in verizon's plan), and then they reserve the right to throttle you down based on network traffic.

Our current cell phone plan is sufficient for our needs, but we also use a regular hard-wired internet connection at our home. A switch to the unlimited plan would only make economic sense if we cancelled our hard-wired internet connection and used Verizon as our sole provider.

So the question is, does anyone have any actual experience with heavy data usage on the verizon unlimited plan, and what (if any) so-called "throttling" of your speeds have you seen? We watch a lot of Netflix and would hate to lose our ease of video streaming as a result of such a switch, because we would easily exceed 22GB in the first week alone.

[PyrateSilly]

We not only pay for our 2 phones on the original unlimited data plan but we also pay for what was 2 monthly pay as you go phones. One for the youngest son and one for her mom and dad. When Verizon came out with this version of unlimited we moved them over to this and made them a second account under our plan. Did not change our plan at all so we kept our original unlimited.
For her mom and dad I don't think they will reach the limits anytime soon that are set with this plan but it does allow her mom to now do some computer stuff as the campground they are at the wi=fi is not very fast. For the youngest I warned him that he only has so much and when he reaches that limit he will get throttled, he is 30 and understands and I have not heard a peep from him about getting slower speeds. They are both getting more data now than with the original plans we had them on and are happy.

[WTP-GC]

Trackrig wrote:
Recent discussion on Verizon's unlimited plan.

Bill

Thank you for sharing. I just saw it up top, so I'll read through that as well. I did a quick and dirty search before posting the new thread and didn't see the existing one. Apologies for that, as I certainly grow tired or seeing the same topics repeated over and over and over again.

Nevermind, I need to wander over to the general section because I need to start a new post about tires 😉

[sdianel_-acct_c]

we switched and switched back. Sent a message online and they handled it quickly. Not worth the savings in my opinion.

[Trackrig]

Recent discussion on Verizon's unlimited plan.

Bill

[fpoole]

Verizon - Unlimited Plan (UL)

Yep, gotta read the fine print and don't trust what the Customer service reps say. I checked 3 different Chat times to confirm just what the UL plan did for Jet Packs (JP). Each time I was told repeatedly, the JP will be 'Managed' after 22gb, period.

I had the XL 24bg which would then be brought down to 'Throttled' or 'Managed' I didn't know the difference at that time, but it was slower than the old Modem 56k speeds it seemed like. Useless and even hard to check emails.

Managed: Individual Phone lines
Network managed to a lower priority on busy cell towers, usually cities etc. If not busy you'll get the higher 4g speeds after the 22gb used on a phone device by itself, you'll be 'Managed', so it will vary. MiFi/JP is Throttled at 10gb period.

Throttled: JP/MiFi etc data devices.
You will be "Capped" at 3g or lower, haven't seen 3g yet, so not sure what it looks like but it is faster than the "Safety" switch on the older XL 24gb Plan I had before.

Hotspot:
If you use your phone for a "Hot spot" of other devices to connect through your phone, it will be "Throttled". The phone by itself will still be "Managed" after the 22gb limit, not a bad deal for non-city dwellers. I'll use my phone as a 'hotspot' when needed for faster data to use up the 10gb available.

I have phone Samsung 7e and a Jetpack MiFi 6620L used for data which is main concern. Use it for laptop.

Switched to UL a week or so after it came out to let the dust settle and after checking 3 times with CS chat that the JP would be "Managed" at 22gb as would the phone.

The phone by itself is Managed after 22gb. If using phone as a Hot Spot then the limit is 10gb for the hotspot and is "Throttled" to the advertised 3g but in fact it's way slower, no Idea what they are doing. It can be painfully slow at time.

I'm a fulltimer and Data is my big deal. I don't stream, have tried it but not worth it, buffering and res.

Phone I don't use much at all.
I hit my Data limit on the JP within a few days and Windows updates or my arch Nemesis "Garmin" with map updates will chew through that quickly. So I have full 4g for apx 4-5 days depending. Reportedly 3G for the next 25 days, reported speeds are apx 600 kps.

I also, IMNSHO, believe Verizon is calculating the data flows differently, meaning using it up faster, but that's just my thought no proof

Now, having said all that, because I'm full time and stay out in the boonies for the most part not cities., I have been able to "Low Res" stream a few things with constant buffering. Is it due to location or Throttled, not real sure and who knows what Verizon is doing in the background. As best as I can tell, it's not 3g... not even close.

Bottom line for me, data user, and not that big of one, right now at 28gb used apx half way through billing cycle. I had to change to the UL plan to get the reduced rate and under the guise of the JP being managed not throttled at 22gb. Scammed again. I don't trust Verizon anymore. They just came out with a new "Prepay" plan that is "Gimmicked up" too... 480res apparently, didn't bother to read it as there will be a few "Gotchas" in there.

So, standing by for the next wave of, sigh, 'New Plans' that will eventually appear.

Hope that helps, that's how I understand it all at this point, frustrating to be sure.

[WTP-GC]

DallasSteve wrote:

I think it's false advertising for these companies to say their plans are "Unlimited".

An asterick or a little tiny number goes a long way in the legal world 😉

[DallasSteve]

TechWriter wrote:

aslakson wrote:
We didn't switch to the "Unlimited" - we have a 50gb Verizon wireless plan and would have liked to save the money, but it just wouldn't work for us.

Ditto. We're on the old "New Verizon Plan" which had data plans up to 100GB, but the old XL and larger data plans were quietly retired shortly after the not-really-unlimited Verizon plan hit the streets.

I was considering going Unlimited but decided to wait and see. I've seen. No thanks.

I think it's false advertising for these companies to say their plans are "Unlimited". It's like The Eagles calling themselves The Eagles without Glenn Frey. Where's my attorney?

[WTP-GC]

Halmfamily wrote:
We switched to the unlimited as we do not have internet available at the house. So far no throttling and we've been watching movies every night along with YouTube videos and surfing the web. We are waiting for the wireless router to come off of backorder so we can get a better signal.

You're describing my exact situation (except I haven't switched yet). Also waiting on the router because I was hoping to use it at my office as well, which means I'd need 2 of them.

[TechWriter]

aslakson wrote:
We didn't switch to the "Unlimited" - we have a 50gb Verizon wireless plan and would have liked to save the money, but it just wouldn't work for us.

Ditto. We're on the old "New Verizon Plan" which had data plans up to 100GB, but the old XL and larger data plans were quietly retired shortly after the not-really-unlimited Verizon plan hit the streets.

I was considering going Unlimited but decided to wait and see. I've seen. No thanks.

[Halmfamily]

We switched to the unlimited as we do not have internet available at the house. So far no throttling and we've been watching movies every night along with YouTube videos and surfing the web. We are waiting for the wireless router to come off of backorder so we can get a better signal.

[vermilye]

I'm still on the Verizon replacement plan for original Millicom owners (20GB for $100.07 per month). As long as I can keep usage under 20GB, I'm sticking with the current plan.

I am adding an AT&T Mobley for $20.00 per month for those areas that don't have Verizon coverage and as a alternate when I get close to the Verizon monthly limit.

[jesseannie]

I am not sure if you realize it but the 22g limit is first phones only. We switched to the unlimited plan and our hot spot MIFI data limit was 10 G. We hit that number quickly an were throttled back to 3G.
We immediately switched back to the 16G plan with rollover all at 4G if I go over the 16G it goes to 3G but I haven't used that much. And there are no overage charges.
The Verizon phone rep I talked to when I switched back said the Unlimited plan sucks.
Read the fine print it is not really unlimited.
Jesseannie

[aslakson]

We didn't switch to the "Unlimited" - we have a 50gb Verizon wireless plan and would have liked to save the money, but it just wouldn't work for us. First - the 22gb is spread across all devices on the plan. Once you hit that 22gb limit, all devices are subject to "reprioritsation" - you'll still get 4g, but you'll be kept at the bottom of the list of folks who can get onto a congested tower. That would have been livable.

The killer is that EACH DEVICE (phone, mifi) is limited to just 10gb before being dropped to much lower speeds for the rest of the month. We actually had our primary internet switched to that lower speed for a few minutes to test it. It was unusable. (Can't remember if it was 3g or 2g, but I think 2g.) And there are NO mifi-type devices that are exempt from those rules. As we fulltime and Verizon is our only internet most of the time, the restrictions are impossible for us. Maybe next time the competition forces a plan change, things will change. I'm not holding my breath.

All that said, we don't have any experience with actual use of the plan. Just that one test.

al