Verizon Tiered Data Plan Starts Oct. 28, Runs Through Holidays

Verizon Wireless will offer a 150MB smartphone data plan for $15 per month starting Oct. 28, a source with knowledge of the plans confirmed Monday.

The tiered pricing option is part of a holiday promotion and will continue through December, the source said.

Verizon's $29.99 unlimited monthly data plan will still be available.

News of the new data plans first surfaced Monday morning on Engadget. The blog said users on the $15 data plan will incur $0.01 overage charges for every additional MB consumed. It also said Verizon will ditch its $9.99 25MB option for feature phones but keep the $1.99 "pay as you go" per MB plan.

Last week, Verizon announced that it would start selling the Wi-Fi version of Apple's iPad at its retail locations starting Oct. 28. The tablets will be bundled with the Verizon MiFi 2200 Intelligent Mobile Hotspot in pricing packages that range from $629.99 to $829.99.

Users can purchase 1GB of data for $20, 3GB of data for $35, or 5GB for $50, according to a FAQ about the iPad promotion. Users on the 1GB plan will be charged $20 for each extra gigabyte they consume, while those on the 3GB and 5GB will be charged a $10 overage per gigabyte. Engadget said Tuesday that Verizon will also offer 10GB for $80, also with a $10 overage fee.

For MiFi, FiveSpot, and integrated notebook and netbook modem owners, Verizon will offer 5GB for $50 and 10GB for $80, with $10 overages per gigabyte, Engadget said. USB modem prices will stay the same.

In June, AT&T revamped its data plans and introduced two tiered pricing plans: 200MB for $15 per month and 2GB for $25 per month. Tethering is also available for $20 per month. Existing customers with unlimited data plans, however, can keep them for now.

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I started out covering tech policy in DC for The National Journal, where my beat included state-level tech news and all the congressional hearings and FCC meetings I could handle. I later covered Wall Street trading tech before switching gears to consumer tech. I now lead PCMag's news coverage.

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Getting my start in DC means I still have a soft spot for tech policy; Congressional hearings can sometimes be as entertaining as a Bravo reality show, for better or worse. But PCMag is all about the technology we use every day, as well as keeping an eye out for the trends that will shape the industry in the years ahead (or flop on arrival). I've covered the rise of social media, the iOS vs. Android wars, the cord-cutting revolution that's now left us with hefty streaming bills, and the effort to stuff artificial intelligence into every product you could imagine. This job has taken me to CES in Vegas (one too many times), IFA in Berlin, and MWC in Barcelona. I also drove a Tesla 1,000 miles out west as part of our Best Mobile Networks project. Of late, my focus is on our hard-working team of reporters at PCMag, guiding and editing their robust coverage.

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