It looks like Verizon Wireless is finally gearing up to launch shared data plans for families equipped with smartphones. The last we heard about this was in late February when CFO Fran Shammo said they would arrive in mid-2012. Now, a leaked screenshot of an upcoming data usage calculator for families seems to support that.
The calculator shown in the image above provides the ability to select how much of each activity — whether it’s browsing the web, sending emails, or playing online games — your family does on average. Judging by the meter on the right, it appears Verizon could offer shared plans of up to 30GB to cater to the most extreme of families.
Don’t get your hopes up too high about pricing though. I think it’s safe to say one of the main reasons why carriers have been taking so long to release shared data plans is so they can figure out a way to do so while still remaining profitable. Data puts a heavy load on the networks and carriers certainly aren’t going to encourage using more of it for a lower price. At least the billing will be simplified.
As the world begins to adopt smartphones at such an astonishing rate, it’s important for carriers to realize the natural action to take is offer these shared monthly data plans just like they did for the text messaging boom. It looks like Verizon may have been the first to reach this epiphany. AT&T CEO Ralph de la Vega, on the other hand, last said shared data plans are still a work in progress.