Leaked image may show Verizon's plans for shared data plans

Rich Fiscus
30 Jan 2012 17:10

Near the end of last year Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam suggested the company was working on simplifying data plans for customers with multiple devices.
Shared data plans seem like an inevitable development in the current environment where a single account may have multiple smartphones and carriers are also hoping to sell hotspot and tablet access. Besides the potential advantage for customers, it also means lower costs for the carrier according to McAdam.
Now Engadget has posted an image reportedly leaked from inside Verizon. It shows what appears to be an upcoming option for an account level data plan in their account management software. They say the image comes from Verizon training material.
_{Image via Engadget}

Of course the bigger question is about price. In theory a shared data plan should be more economical unless every device on your account uses close to its limit on a regular basis. However, when Verizon CFO Francis Shammo commented on the possibility of shared data plans and indicated their goal was to maintain the current price levels.
On the other hand, it may not matter what Verizon wants if consumers start getting bills with a single data charge which dwarfs what they pay for home Internet access.