Here’s Your Cheat Sheet for Verizon’s New 5G Data Plans
5G continues to roll out slowly around the world as more companies announce plans to launch 5G networks in 2019. The latest of these is Verizon, which detailed its upcoming 5G services, which will launch on April 11th.
Since 5G is a complex technology and companies like to exaggerate its potential, the early days of 5G tariff plans and 5G devices will be confusing. Verizon’s initial 5G deployment is no exception, so here’s a quick guide detailing Verizon’s plans, pricing, supported phones and markets, and comparing 5G deployments to the competition.
Where does Verizon’s 5G service start first?
Verizon’s 5G service launches on April 11 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Chicago, Illinois, but only at specific locations in each city. Further support will be provided in 30 more cities during 2019.
This is admittedly quite limited initial availability when compared to other US carriers. T-Mobile plans to launch in three cities and Sprint in nine. AT&T has so far launched 5G mobile services and hotspots in 12 cities and plans to add more by the end of 2019, although 5G phones will not be available through AT&T until the end of the year.
The good news, however, is that Verizon is building its 5G network from the ground up to meet the 3GPP 5G NR specification – essentially legitimate 5G. T-Mobile, on the other hand, is using its LTE network to roll out “low-band” 5G services in cities as it builds its 5G network. To learn more about the differences in these 5G varieties, check out our article explaining 5G .
Verizon Rates and Pricing
For $ 10 per month in addition to their existing data plan, Verizon customers can get unlimited access to their 5G network (if any) without de-prioritization, which means there are no speed limits or data thresholds (although Verizon may change this as 5G rolls out to more cities). This 5G access fee will be waived for the first three months, but once the fee becomes applicable, here are the new pricing for Verizon’s plans:
- Go Unlimited plan, $ 85 / month: Includes unlimited 5G and LTE data, but LTE data for mobile devices and hotspots is subject to throttling.
- Beyond Unlimited plan, $ 95 / month: Unlimited 5G and LTE data (LTE data is subject to throttling beyond 22GB mobile data thresholds and 15GB hotspot data thresholds)
- Above Unlimited plan, $ 105 per month: Unlimited 5G and LTE data (LTE data can be capped above 75GB on mobile and 20GB via hotspot)
Compared to T-Mobile, which previously promised not to raise prices for 5G access, Verizon’s 5G premium is a bummer. However, this award promises unlimited access to 5G, which T-Mobile does not explicitly state.
Supported Phones
Verizon will support the Moto Z3 at launch, but requires users to purchase the $ 50 Verizon exclusive 5G Moto Mod for a limited time (otherwise the 5G mod costs $ 350 elsewhere).
The LG V50 ThinQ and Samsung Galaxy S10 5G will also be 5G ready when they launch in 2019. This is good news for Verizon customers interested in these devices, but as we mentioned earlier, there is some uncertainty about the performance of these devices. the first wave of 5G smartphones, so it’s worth postponing buying any of these phones until some hands-on testing is done (if their 5G capabilities mean a lot to you).