Verizon Offers Prepaid Unlimited Data Plan For $80

The prepaid unlimited data plan that Verizon is offering to subscribers at $80 a month may appear to be a good deal. It would provide prepaid customers unlimited data, text, and talk. But tech websites warn the offer has some strings attached or caveats that work against the subscriber.

9To5Mac points out that the prepaid unlimited data plan offer of Verizon limits video streaming to 480p. It lacks tethering or mobile hotspot features. Subscribers would still be throttled, but Verizon did not provide usage cap specific information. It also excludes unlimited text to more than 200 international destinations and unlimited talk to Canada and Mexico.

However, in exchange for these caveats of the prepaid unlimited data plan offer of Verizon, customers are not tied to a long-term contract and would not be subject to a credit check. Tami Erwin, the executive vice president of operations for Verizon, says the plan “is all about giving our prepaid customers more choices.” The data plans, which begin at 2 GB to unlimited data, would fit the needs of mobile phone users.

BGR notes the press release about the prepaid unlimited data plan offer of Verizon excluded a feature that is listed on the service provider’s prepaid page. The subscriber would be limited to 128 kbps speeds for the rest of the month once the high-speeds data allowance is used.

Since the prepaid unlimited data plan offer of Verizon subjects the user to deprioritization of data by default if the network is congested, it is worse compared to Verizon’s contracted unlimited plan which also costs $80 but includes HD video streaming, 10 GB of LTE speed tethering, and data is deprioritized only after 22 GB of data has been used. T-Mobile has a prepaid offer of its T-Mobile One plan with unlimited data, but it costs $75 only monthly.