Verizon offers $40 unlimited internet

[Lou Schneider]

Verizon through their Visible subsidiary is offering $40 a month unlimited talk, text and data on a prepaid monthly plan.  Bring your own phone, no contract, no throttling.  And you can use your phone as a hotspot.

https://www.visible.com/

The catch is it's currently only available for iPhone 6 and above, although they're promising Android access "soon".  Maximum data speed on the plan is 5 megabits per second ... not full 4G speed but good enough for streaming video.

The impetus behind this is Verizon is shutting down it's CDMA (3G) network to make room for 5G expansion and they expect it to be fully gone by the end of 2019.  This means only phones able to make Voice Over LTE calls (VoLTE or HD Voice) and jetpack hotspots capable of using 4G LTE will be able to use the Verizon network.

Visible is an attempt to get a head start on the VoLTE conversion by reprogramming phones to make VoLTE calls.  They're running a clever campaign in major cities using "404 Store Not Found" wraps on vacant storefronts to drive people to their website.

https://wgntv.com/2018/11/08/this-secret-verizon-cellphone-plan-is-unlimited-for-40-a-month/

 

[Back2PA]

VERY interesting. I have an iPhone 6 and believe I'm just out of contract. So "Visible" is the same as Verizon? Same coverage, towers, etc?


When 3G goes down I will lose my backup 3G Verizon mifi, so this would be great

 

[SeilerBird]

I had Verizon for a year and their "customer service" was beyond horrid. They would have to pay me $40 a month to use their service.

 

[SpencerPJ]

VERY interesting. I have an iPhone 6 and believe I'm just out of contract. So "Visible" is the same as Verizon? Same coverage, towers, etc?
When 3G goes down I will lose my backup 3G Verizon mifi, so this would be great

I'm not sure, I pulled up their coverage map, and Verizon's coverage map, and northern Indiana has a huge area not covered with Visible.  Verizon is rolling out 5G in Indy area, I'm hoping they will offer a sweet intro package.  Although my ATT is not bad.  I'd like to see some major price wars go on 

 

[Lou Schneider]

VERY interesting. I have an iPhone 6 and believe I'm just out of contract. So "Visible" is the same as Verizon? Same coverage, towers, etc?


When 3G goes down I will lose my backup 3G Verizon mifi, so this would be great

As far as I know it's the same towers, etc.  But probably not their affiliate "roaming" providers, which would explain the large Indiana hole.  And the max speed is limited to 5Mbps.  More than enough for streaming video but not full 4G speed.

Still, if I had a spare iPhone 6 I'd jump on it.

 

[Back2PA]

But probably not their affiliate "roaming" providers, which would explain the large Indiana hole.  And the max speed is limited to 5Mbps.  More than enough for streaming video but not full 4G speed.
Still, if I had a spare iPhone 6 I'd jump on it.

Shoot, one of those "too good to be true" scenarios. My iPhone 6 is my primary phone, and I use Verizon for the coverage. I can live with 5Mbps but doesn't do any good to have unlimited data if you don't have service.

 

[Ernie n Tara]

I'm with Seilerbird. I had a Verizon hot spot (early) and the salesman set the code and didn't tell me what it was. No problem until I went to cancel. Without that PIN you cannot cancel, nor can a "real" Verizon store, nor can the special customer service. You can request a new code, but the access code will be sent to the device ONLY, even though they have no problem sending bills to your email.
It took me two months of going in circles before I finally found a tech who violated their rules by using my password to get into the account and override something to get the PIN and shut it down.

Ernie

 

[LarsMac]

I'm with Seilerbird. I had a Verizon hot spot (early) and the salesman set the code and didn't tell me what it was. No problem until I went to cancel. Without that PIN you cannot cancel, nor can a "real" Verizon store, nor can the special customer service. You can request a new code, but the access code will be sent to the device ONLY, even though they have no problem sending bills to your email.
It took me two months of going in circles before I finally found a tech who violated their rules by using my password to get into the account and override something to get the PIN and shut it down.

Ernie

Ditto!
I had Vz for the last two years. Customer service is THE WORST of any mobile service I have used. When you are worse than ATT, that is saying something.

I just picked up a Pixel, and went with Project Fi. Pretty happy, so far. (Well, except for the part about them selling me a Pixel 2 a week before they announced the Pixel 3, but that's a whole other story.)

 

[sightseers]

I had Verizon for a year and their "customer service" was beyond horrid. They would have to pay me $40 a month to use their service.

I remember being so mad a Verizon C/S girl one time I threatened to take my business elsewhere...She didn't even look up from her computer and she said.... "You'll be back".

 

[SeilerBird]

Ditto!
I had Vz for the last two years. Customer service is THE WORST of any mobile service I have used. When you are worse than ATT, that is saying something.

I just picked up a Pixel, and went with Project Fi. Pretty happy, so far. (Well, except for the part about them selling me a Pixel 2 a week before they announced the Pixel 3, but that's a whole other story.)

Fear not, there is nothing new on the Pixel 3. It is essentially identical to the 2.

I just cannot imagine using an iPhone on Verizon network. Talk about a nightmare

 

[Back2PA]

I just cannot imagine using an iPhone on Verizon network. Talk about a nightmare

I don't discount anyone's experiences with Verizon (and knock on wood), but I've been with them for about 7 years along with various family members and am on my third iPhone. I've 'tweaked' the account several times including adding international calling packages and haven't had any issues. I also have a Verizon 3G mifi and have found the unit reliable as a backup (typically running in the 500-700K range) but there are times it's running over 1mb and will support streaming.

 

[SeilerBird]

I don't discount anyone's experiences with Verizon (and knock on wood), but I've been with them for about 7 years along with various family members and am on my third iPhone. I've 'tweaked' the account several times including adding international calling packages and haven't had any issues. I also have a Verizon 3G mifi and have found the unit reliable as a backup (typically running in the 500-700K range) but there are times it's running over 1mb and will support streaming.

I am glad you are happy with them. I have had several huge problems with both companies 'customer service'. They should be called 'customer torture chambers'. I much prefer having to deal with Google's customer service. Google owns the operating system, built the phone and created the Internet service provider. And Google has phenomenal customer service. They actually solve the any problems with very little effort.

 

[LarsMac]

Fear not, there is nothing new on the Pixel 3. It is essentially identical to the 2.

I just cannot imagine using an iPhone on Verizon network. Talk about a nightmare

You're right. It seems that the only difference is software on the camera that causes it to bracket a shot with multiple takes.

Was kind of annoying, I received the camera, and while setting it up, the guy on the line starts a spiel telling all about the brand new P3 and how I could trade in my "Old Pixel 2" for the "New Pixel 3" (which is priced about 300 bucks more than the 2) and receive a $200 Trade-in allowance on the old phone.

I've been with US Sprint, USWest, BellSouth, Cingular Wireless, ATT, and Verizon, and now project Fi, in my 20 some years as a Cell Phone customer, and it occurs to me that most of the stuff works pretty much the same, and if you never have to call C/S it probably doesn't matter who you use.
But, customer loyalty means nothing to them so I plan to sign up for a new provider about every two years depending on who is making the best offer at the time.
 

 

[SeilerBird]

You're right. It seems that the only difference is software on the camera that causes it to bracket a shot with multiple takes.

Was kind of annoying, I received the camera, and while setting it up, the guy on the line starts a spiel telling all about the brand new P3 and how I could trade in my "Old Pixel 2" for the "New Pixel 3" (which is priced about 300 bucks more than the 2) and receive a $200 Trade-in allowance on the old phone.

I've been with US Sprint, USWest, BellSouth, Cingular Wireless, ATT, and Verizon, and now project Fi, in my 20 some years as a Cell Phone customer, and it occurs to me that most of the stuff works pretty much the same, and if you never have to call C/S it probably doesn't matter who you use.
But, customer loyalty means nothing to them so I plan to sign up for a new provider about every two years depending on who is making the best offer at the time.

I have bought a new phone every year for the last ten years and for the last five it has been because the next generation phone was so much better than last years model. However they apparently have hit a wall which is fine with me. A few months ago someone was trying to defend DSLRs saying that no professionals have converted to cell phone photography. I was watching a press conference the other day and I saw a whole bunch of cell phones but not one DSLR.

 

[Back2PA]

The impetus behind this is Verizon is shutting down it's CDMA (3G) network to make room for 5G expansion and they expect it to be fully gone by the end of 2019. 

Lou, there are times in thin coverage areas on Verizon that I only get 3G (where I am now is right for example is on the edge, sometimes 3G, sometimes LTE). Does this mean that when 3G is shut down I will have no coverage in the former 3G areas, or are those areas going to be 'backfilled'? I seem to recall many areas of NV and UT for example where I had no AT&T but I'd look at my phone and 3G Verizon was hanging in there with a bar or two.

 

[BruceinFL]

I looked at the Verizon and Visible coverage maps closely and they appear to be identical (except for the color ).  So what is the difference between the two except for speed and how do they control speed? I thought a signal was a signal?

We have two phones and a tablet. With Vision, can one phone with unlimited data act as a hot spot?

 

[jymbee]

I don't discount anyone's experiences with Verizon (and knock on wood), but I've been with them for about 7 years along with various family members and am on my third iPhone. I've 'tweaked' the account several times including adding international calling packages and haven't had any issues. I also have a Verizon 3G mifi and have found the unit reliable as a backup (typically running in the 500-700K range) but there are times it's running over 1mb and will support streaming.

Of course it shouldn't be so, but my experience dealing with Verizon varies greatly all depending on the particular customer rep you get connected to. For example, we recently purchased a replacement, refurbished phone for my wife. When we went into a Verizon store to get some info about activating, we waited for over 15 minutes before anyone even would talk to us. Then the guy that dealt with us wa so snide and generally unhelpful that we ended up just leaving.

Fast forward a week to a different Verizon store. Met at the door by a nice young woman who immediately took us over the counter where she worked with us for about a half hour to transfer everything to the new phone-- helping to resolve a few quirks along the way and took time to answer all questions as well as offer a few very helpful suggestions about our overall plan (one of which was a discount for Veterans I wasn't aware of). One of the best customer service experiences I've had.

As for phone support, I've had generally good experiences with Verizon's support. The few times when things started to "go bad" on a support call, I just ended the conversation, called back, got a different rep who invariably was more helpful.

 

[LarsMac]

I looked at the Verizon and Visible coverage maps closely and they appear to be identical (except for the color ).  So what is the difference between the two except for speed and how do they control speed? I thought a signal was a signal?

We have two phones and a tablet. With Vision, can one phone with unlimited data act as a hot spot?

Yes one phone can act as a hotspot.
I've been experimenting with a WiFi extender connecting to my Phone set as a hotspot. It seems to work pretty well. I have played online games like League of Legends, Star Wars and such with the grandkids using hotspot.

As for coverage map, there is very little difference between carriers, anymore.

 

[Sultan1966]

In one sentence you say Maximum data speed on the plan is 5 megabits per second but in another you say connection is not throttled. I am confused by this statement.

 

[mel s]

I'm with Seilerbird. I had a Verizon hot spot (early) and the salesman set the code and didn't tell me what it was. No problem until I went to cancel. Without that PIN you cannot cancel, nor can a "real" Verizon store, nor can the special customer service. You can request a new code, but the access code will be sent to the device ONLY, even though they have no problem sending bills to your email.
It took me two months of going in circles before I finally found a tech who violated their rules by using my password to get into the account and override something to get the PIN and shut it down.
Ernie

Ernie
And now "a tech" knows your password?