Verizon Offers a Trade-Off on Data Plans

Verizon Wireless, after saying it would seek to phase out unlimited data for millions of its customers, said there was one surefire way for subscribers to keep their all-you-can-eat plans: Pay full price for their smartphones.

The carrier said that third-generation customers upgrading to the high-speed mobile broadband network known as 4G LTE would soon be required to drop their $30-a-month unlimited data plans, likely forcing them to pay more to stream video, music and download photos. Verizon said the change would coincide with the introduction of plans that allow people to use multiple mobile devices on one of several capped-data plans it will unveil this summer. A Verizon Wireless spokeswoman said customers willing to pay full price for a smartphone—allowing the carrier to avoid the costly subsidies usually associated with a two-year contract—could keep their unlimited data plans when upgrading to the speedier network.