Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile dominate the wireless market in the U.S. There are other players, but even big names like Comcast partly piggyback on the networks owned by the big three carriers.
Each of these three carriers has more than 100 million subscribers, but they take very different approaches.
T-Mobile (TMUS) built its business by branding itself the Un-carrier. The company has essentially flaunted that it's making moves that put its customers first, contrasting that very publicly with how AT&T (T) and Verizon (VZ) have traditionally operated.
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For a decade T-Mobile has been making changes that reverse longstanding industry norms. Since its first Un-carrier move in March 2013, when the company dropped contracts, eliminated device subsidies, and got rid of overage charges for data, T-Mobile has been aggressively making changes designed to target AT&T and Verizon's practices.
That forced changes at both Verizon and AT&T, but neither company seemed to willingly embrace a customer-friendly approach.
Now, a new offer from Verizon makes the company seem as if it has taken some ideas directly from the T-Mobile playbook.
Image source: Shutterstock/TheStreet
Verizon Has a Strong Offer for Consumers
Verizon shared information on its new myPlan, which consumers can buy starting May 18. Essentially, the plan is a full a la carte offer that lets consumers pick the features they want and swap them out more or less as needed.
In joining the new plan, customers have to pick a base service.
"Select from Unlimited Welcome with fast, reliable 5G; or Unlimited Plus with 5G Ultra Wideband, our fastest 5G, 30GB of premium mobile hotspot data, and up to 50% off a watch, tablet, hotspot or Hum plan," the company said in a news release.
The price for that base package is then guaranteed for three years excluding taxes and fees. Fees, it should be noted, do give the company some pricing wiggle room on pricing. Fees are not defined, so the company could follow what cable companies have done in passing on certain costs without technically raising prices.
Once a customer picks a base package, they can then choose from an array of perks, which each cost $10 a month. These perks include (but are not limited to):
- Get everything Apple all in one place. Choose Unlimited Plus with Apple One and you get access to a variety of Apple's premium services.
- If you love a content library chock full of incredible movies, shows and sports, match Unlimited Plus with the Disney Bundle perk that features Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu.5
- If online shopping and saving on entertainment is more your style, pair Unlimited Welcome with a Walmart+ Membership that also includes free delivery from stores and Paramount+.
Verizon is also offering perks like its Travel Pass, which enables service in a variety of countries around the world.
All the perks cost $10 per month each and they can be turned on and off as customers choose.
"MyPlan gives customers the ability to pick and choose the perks they want, save on every one, and change anytime -- that’s real wireless freedom. Plus, savings from amazing partners that provide the best in content, entertainment, and more,” said Verizon Consumer Group CEO Sowmyanarayan Sampath said in the release.
Pricing for a four-line plan starts at $30 per line, which includes an auto-pay discount. Verizon has not shared pricing for a single line or for any plan under four lines.
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