Heads up Verizon shared data family plan is coming on June 28

For those who ask "Can I keep my unlimited data plan after June 28th 2012", this is the answer: YES, you pay FULL PRICE for the phone and you CAN KEEP your unlimited data plan, no matter what phone you are currently using, no matter if its 3G going to 4G or 4G going to 3G, period!

ALL Verizon smartphone plan will have UNLIMITED talk and text.
http://money.cnn.com/2012/06/12/t...ce=cnn_bin

As part of its revised pricing structure, Verizon (VZ, Fortune 500) gave tiered voice and texting plans the boot. All smartphone plans now have unlimited voice and texts. That makes the monthly data allotment (and the number of connected devices) the only measure that customers can control to raise or lower their monthly bill.



Alternatives

Sprint has unlimited data. For Sprint, need to remember the Voice coverage is as good as Verizon since Sprint Voice can roam into the Verizon network.
^^ Not true, Spring has unlimited data, on THIER NETWORK ONLY Voice coverage is almost as good as Verizon's (consumer reports, and national testing), Sprint voice does roam on Verizon's network but they do cap your roaming. You also still can pay for roam depending on your plan, and also may get kicked by them for too much roam. Per Sprint: "Sprint reserves the right, without notice, to deny, terminate, modify, disconnect or suspend service if off-network usage in a month exceeds: (1) voice: 800 min. or a majority of minutes; or (2) data: 300 megabytes or a majority of kilobytes. "

As for perpaid, here is a good website about good prepaid data plan.
http://www.prepaidphonenews.com/2...plans.html

For most people with Verizon postpaid plan, some are paying 20% extra for tax and fee. But for prepaid, most people don't have to pay those extra fee and tax. Actually if you buy discount refill card, you pay LESS than the prepaid price.

The one that SDers mention the most are
Straight Talk SIM $45 Unlimited Plan (use AT&T or T-Mobile network)
[B]Or Page Plus (uses only Verizons network)
http://slickdeals.net/f/3898068-S...mited-Plan
Looks like there is one lower end Straight Talk Android smartphone Samsung Galaxy Proclaim that run on Verizon network.
http://www.phonenews.com/samsung-...ent-20264/
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Straigh...e/20933054
http://www.shopstraighttalk.com/b...d=15771226

T-Mobile.com Prepaid $30/month, unlimited data (up to 5GB 4G) unlimited text, 100 Mins
http://slickdeals.net/f/3377172-T...ation-Only

T-MOBILE VALUE PLAN. Post paid, Free Nights&Weekends, Free to other t-mobile. Corp, military discount can be applied.
http://slickdeals.net/f/4793292-t...r-t-mobile

T-Mobile UNLIMITED MINUTES WITH DATA VALUE PLAN:
5 lines for $100: (2 unlimited talk/text/data with 2GB at 4G) + (3 lines unlimited text, 500 minutes each)
5 lines for $110: (2 unlimited talk/text/data with 2GB at 4G) + (1 line unlimited text, 2GB at 4G, 500 minutes each) + (2 lines unlimited text, 500 minutes each)

T-Mobile 1000 SHARED MINUTES WITH DATA VALUE PLAN:
5 lines for $80: (5 lines sharing 1000 minutes, unlimited text, 2 lines with 2GB at 4G each)

T-Mobile MINUTES VALUE PLAN, NO DATA:
5 lines for $60: (5 lines sharing 1000 minutes, unlimited text, no data)
5 lines for $80: (2 lines unlimited talk/text, no data) + (3 lines unlimited text, 500 minutes each, no data)

Virgin Mobile IPhone$30/month (or $35 for other phones) Unlimited Data and Text, 300min Voice (use Sprint network only and no roaming)
http://slickdeals.net/f/4710622-V...0min-Voice




Different Scenarios
1. One smartphone with unlimited data and wanting to add another that's eligible for upgrade with unlimited data from a different account. - Upgrade the phone now on the old account (you can preorder Samsung Galaxy 4G and it works), then request the line to be released to the new account. Upgrade will have cleared, unlimited data kept, and you're locked in to the CURRENT (pre-6-28-12) family plan, not the new one. This has been confirmed with VZW agent, in writing.

06/15/2012
I have complaint about the new pricing to VZ by email 2 days ago, and a CSR called me back today and told me that the pricing is for NEW customers only. And that if I were to upgrade after the 28th (getting new smartphones from old dumb phone), as a current VZ customer, data would cost me $30/line/month (old pricing).