Similar to many other operators worldwide, Verizon’s networks are suffering from the increased popularity of smart devices and the deluge of data they create. The US telco has limited its customers’ data plans to ease the strain on the network and create a more constant revenue.
In its place, Verizon customers will be offering monthly plans of $30 for 2 gigabytes, $50 for 5 gigabytes and $80 for 10 gigabytes. According to the Washington Post, existing customers won’t be affected by the change and will still be able to receive unlimited access on selected 3G and multimedia phones for $30 a month.
AT&T and T-Mobile have both ended their all-you-can-eat contracts for consumers leaving Sprint Nextel as the only US national carrier still offering such a contract.
According to the FCC, smartphones consume 24 times as much data as traditional mobile phones while tablets are capable of using 122 times the amount of data. The US regulatory body also states that mobile broadband traffic is expected to increase 35 times over the next five years. Evidently, operators can no longer afford to put this kind of strain on their networks.
