Verizon Wireless, or Big Red as we like to call them at IntoMobile Headquarters, has just announced that their breakneck pace to cover the contiguous United States with high speed 4G LTE coverage is running full steam ahead and that on August 18th they’ll be adding 9 new markets: Frederick, MD; Tuscon, AZ; Ft. Collins, CO; Johnstown and Altoona, PA; Omaha and Council Bluffs, NE Bakersfield, Salinas, and Monterey, CA; Provo/Orem, UT; Ithaca, Albany, and Syracuse, NY; and finally Greater Worcester, MA. Folks in these cities can look forward to what PC Mag has deemed “the fastest wireless network in America”, but we’ll be completely honest with you when we say that we’re not big fans of how Verizon charges for data. The whole “you have 2 GB, and then after that you’re done” thing isn’t really nice, especially since they charge you a premium just to be able to turn your smartphone into a mobile hotspot. AT&T operates in much the same way. So what about the other guys?
On one hand you’ve got Sprint, who never ceases to gloat about how their unlimited data really means unlimited data, with no throttling, meaning you’ll get bits sent to your device as fast as Sprint can deliver them. That being said, Sprint’s coverage is spotty at best, and unlike other operators who use GSM technology, you can’t just switch your devices willy nilly. This is where T-Mobile shines; they say “you pick whether you want 2 GB, 5 GB, or 10 GB of data, and we’ll give you that data as fast as your device can process it, but once you go over your limit we’re sticking you on 2G!” While that might sound harsh, we think it’s the best solution out on the market today. Plus they have these new plans that are ridiculously cheap if you join their network and bring your own smartphone.