News: Verizon Confirms Unlimited Data to End

In about a year and a month to the day from AT&T taking away unlimited data from smartphone and tablet users, Verizon announced they will be doing the same. In a report by FierceWireless by way of MacRumors, it seems that Thursday will be the day to say goodbye to the buffet.

In its place will be relatively simple pricing, offering slightly different tiered options, compared with AT&T:

Verizon spokeswoman Brenda Raney told FierceWireless that new smartphone customers will choose from one of three options: $30 for 2 GB, $50 for 5 GB or $80 for 10 GB. There will be an overage charge of $10 per GB of data. Verizon will also charge $10 for 75 MB per month for feature phone users. AT&T Mobility charges $15 per month for 200 MB and $25 per month for 2 GB.

If you have unlimited data or upgrade before Thursday, July 7, you’ll be grandfathered in, as with similar data plans on AT&T. If LTE and tethering is your thing, Verizon is also making changes in that area, too:

Verizon also is making pricing changes to its LTE mobile hotspot service, available from smartphones like the HTC ThunderBolt and Samsung Droid Charge. Currently, the LTE mobile hotspot feature is free and unlimited. Raney said that for customers who have been using the LTE mobile hotspot service on their phones, starting July 7, they will be charged $30 per month for unlimited LTE mobile hotspot use. For new customers, the mobile hotspot service will cost $20 for an extra 2 GB of data to be used for mobile hotspot service or any other data service.

Still, carriers haven’t adopted the idea of many customers to buy a bucket of data and use on their phones or tether to tablets, computers, or devices like the iPod touch…maybe some day?