Less than 24 hours since Verizon announced $80 unlimited data plans that set the data market on fire, T Mobile on Monday hit back by announcing major improvement in its existing unlimited data plan. This includes offering high-definition streaming and 10 GB of high-speed hotspot usage in its $70 unlimited T-Mobile One plan package.
Previously, these features were offered as 'add ons' and the German carrier charged extra dollars from its customers for offering these add on features. Verizon's
Now their incorporation in the 'One plan' package will bring T Mobile completely in parity with Verizon's newly announced data packages. Verizon's $80 unlimited data plan is inclusive of HD video streaming and LTE hotspot data.
T Mobile's upgraded One plan data packages will be available in the U.S market from coming Friday. The German carrier said that their subscribers will have to activate these new inclusive features manually n the T-Mobile app or website, but did not clarify whether customers are required to do this on daily basis, or whether they will be turned on by default once they are activated.
Additionally, T Mobile's CEO John Legere announced on Twitter that the monthly costs for two lines will be now slashed from $120 to $100. But the monthly rentals for three and four lines will continued to be charged $140 and $160 respectively.
With Verizon and T Mobile going all out to draw customers, it is interesting to see whether AT&T and Sprint will follow the suit. Logically speaking, they should be.
But it must be noted that this is not the first time that Verizon has announced unlimited data plans. It has made such offers in the past before abruptly stopping it in 2011 due to apparent change in their market strategy.
Analysts, however, are not convinced that Verizon's decision to resort back to unlimited data plans will augur well for the industry. They argue that this populist move could further hit the industry's profit margins.