Reading The Fine Print On Verizon Wireless' EV-DO

Overhype

from the missing-the-boat? dept

It looks like Verizon Wireless may be taking a lesson from parent Verizon. While Verizon Sr. refuses to offer real naked DSL (despite promises they would), it appears that Verizon Wireless is now trying a similar trick with their high speed EV-DO wireless broadband offering. The press is eating up the fact that Verizon Wireless is lowering the prices of the EV-DO service from $80 to $60. This was rumored all weekend — but it looks like all of these sources missed out on the very important details. If you want the $60/price you have to be a Verizon Wireless voice customer as well. Otherwise it’s back at the $80 price point. So, suddenly, it’s $60/month plus your voice plan (and new phone, if you’re not a current customer). Not quite the deal the press is making it out to be. While they did hide this fact in the fine print of the press release, you’d think that’s still important information for any article about the price drop, and yet, so many articles hype up the price drop as if it were for everyone. Obviously, Verizon Wireless has the right to set whatever pricing they want — but the press is playing into their hands by not reporting on the real details of the offer and making it sound much better than it really is. Meanwhile, if Verizon Wireless is really trying to cut prices to do a landgrab to get users before they face competition, this one big hurdle may hurt them. Plenty of people are probably interested in signing up for wireless broadband, but don’t want to change their phone provider and phone to do so.