In a world where unlimited wireless data plans seem to be going the way of the Bluefin Tuna, it’s curious to see the way that carriers are trying to make money.
In the Wall Street Journal today, Verizon Communications CEO Ivan Seidenberg stated that Verizon’s move to 4G networks will allow the company to create data plans based not just on data usage, but also on download speed.
Nothing is set in stone just yet, but the idea is to give users two options, which Verizon Chief Financial Officer Fran Shammo outlines best:
“If you want to pay for less speed, you’ll pay for less speed and consume more, or you can pay for high speed and consume less.”
In my opinion, it’s a bit of a bummer to draw such a line in the sand, as the type of people that heavily consume data are the same people that would get the biggest benefit from high download speeds. It seems like a way to make the high-speed + high-quota plans a “premium” (read: expensive) service, rather than just the next iteration of the plan you’re already on.
So, if these plans become a reality, which side of the fence would you sit on? The high-speed, or high-usage? Or would you rather be billed on usage alone? Let us know in the comments.
[via Phone Scoop]