Verizon Wireless to charge $20 for Personal Hotspot feature on iPhone 4

By on Jan 26, 2011 at 8:00 AM
mobile January 26, 2011

Following reports that detail Verizon Wireless’ intentions with iPhone 4 data plans, a company spokesperson has also confirmed Personal Hotspot pricing. Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam told the press that there would be a $30 unlimited data plan available for iPhone 4 purchasers at launch. He also stated that the unlimited plan would only be available for a limited time, and that Verizon would then move to a tiered data plan structure similar to that of AT&T. But what about the much anticipated Personal Hotspot feature that will be ushered in by Verizon Wireless’ iPhone 4? Like AT&T’s iPhone tethering plan, Verizon Wireless will charge $20 per month for the feature. Also like AT&T, Verizon will not afford tethering users unlimited data. Instead, the iPhone’s mobile hotspot feature will come with a separate 2GB bucket. While the limitation is a bit aggravating, it is seen as far more favorable than AT&T’s tethering solution, which pulls data from the same 2GB bucket as the standard iPhone data plan. Moreover, AT&T requires that subscribers with grandfathered unlimited data plans switch to the 2GB capped plan before tethering can be activated on an iPhone.

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  • http://twitter.com/ctt1wbw Wayne Williams

    So not worth it. When there’s a Starbuck’s and a McDonald’s on every street corner with free wifi, why pay for this?

    • http://twitter.com/netposer net poser

      Tried it on my Wife’s Droid X over the summer. Not only does it cost you an extra $20 it won’t work if you are on a call.

      But on a rooted and ROM’d ATT Captivate you get the hotspot feature with simultaneous voice and data!

  • whoareu

    And remember that thats AT&T providing that free wifi, NOT Verizon. AT&T isin’t looking so bad anymore. I’m so glad another carrier is getting this handset to see how AT&T had to suffer to handle this phone. Its like dating a really fat girl that won’t stop eating or complaining, yet everyone has beer goggles on!

    • Anonymous

      Dude that is a hilarious analogy lol…im happy the iPhone is on another company as well, being that in Miami AT&T has better service than VZW (yes believe it or not, its true…I know this cuz my girl has VZW) i have no intention of switching, especially when i have faster than VZW can offer (dont know if LTE > HSPA+ at this time, i wanna see it for myself.) Im not an iPhone user, but i hated the fact that having the iPhone to themselves made AT&T complete assholes. I am hoping now that Apple has shared the wealth it will force AT&T to get their head out their ass.

    • Tim242

      A quick search on BGR will bring you up an article that explains that Android phones use 5 times more data than iphones.

  • Anonymous

    That is complete BS!
    The customer has paid for the data let them use it however they like.
    Imagine if the electricity company said you can pay $50 dollars a month for unlimited electricity to your house, but every device you plug into your house, oh well those will cost you an extra $20 each, it complete an utter BS.

    • http://twitter.com/VDubb722 Vic Webb

      Comments like shows complete lack of understanding how in the hell a business works. Do you honestly believe it would be profitable if Verizon allowed a legal, easy to use unlimited hotspot solution for free on top of their smartphone data plans at $30/m, especially on a 3G network? If Verizon started to do something like that, smartphone data plans would shoot up to $80-$100/m in order to compensate for the abusers and people who will obviously try to use it as a home internet replacement; either that or they will probably severely cap speeds over 2GB.

      It would be nice if Verizon maybe gave about 250MB – 500MB of free hotspot/tethering per month, but $20 for 2GB isn’t too bad (though I would rather opt out for a mobile hotspot at $35/m and not have to worry about calls disrupting my internet).

      • Tim242

        I know on Sprint phones that there is a setting you can change so that calls go to voicemail while data is in use. You have to have your msl. But, not sure if ut works on Verizon phones. They block a lot of the ## codes. However, if you just ignore the call, all should be fine. Calls don’t disconnect the data, they just pause it.

  • Tee

    You know what I’m interested in knowing? None of this new crap that would have zero impact on me if I never had it before… but I’m interested in knowing if they’re still going to charge 2.99 for Visual Voicemail… a service AT&T has given for free on the iPhone…

    I want a complete 1:1 comparison of costs on the same plan…

  • http://twitter.com/BrowncoatRick Browncoat Rick

    It it is times like these I’m so glad I have a rooted Android. Zero bucks for my Personal Hotspot.

    • serpentor

      truuuuu.

      That’s the reason I got the Galaxy tab on tmo. Surprised to find I could do free hotspot – no root required.

    • Anonymous

      Of course a jailbroken iPhone is zero bucks also.

  • Anonymous

    How is this any different than what Verizon has been doing with all their other smartphones that support hotspot?

    • http://twitter.com/netposer net poser

      There is no difference other than now it’s SUPER DUPER ’cause it works on the iPhone and requires every tech blog to post about it because now it’s SUPER DUPER IPHONE READY!!!

      Get used to it because it’s going to get worse.

  • Read_This!!!

    Dudes, don’t need to pay if you wait for your iPhone to be upgraded to Froyo or Honeycomb. They have free wifi capability, right?

  • http://twitter.com/Davva360 David Moore

    I wouldn’t pay extra for it because I wouldn’t use it for anything other than allowing my son access to the internet from his ipod touch in the car. Not worth the money for me. I could jailbreak and get mywi for a one off charge of $20 and I haven’t done that so I certainly wouldn’t pay a monthly fee.

    I wonder if the normal jailbreaks will work with Verizon? Anyone know if a carrier specific jailbreak will be required?

  • Steel

    Look. For the last time: You give me unlimited data, I give you $30. That’s the agreement. I’ll go you one better. Just sell me 5gb for $30. No? Okay, tell you what. 3gb of data, to use however I want, $30. No.?

    Ok, then. I’ll just continue to use my mobile hotspot for free on my Android device like I’ve been doing, Verizon.

  • serpentor

    Well, people have used the analogy that Apple is the Ferrari of computers and smartphones, so it’s only fitting users have to pay a premium for everything.

    Sad thing is the carriers will make everyone else suffer as well by imposing the same fees on everyone.

    I hope iPhone never comes to tmo or sprint.

    • Anonymous

      The $20 fee is the exact same for any smartphone on Verizon or AT&T for that matter.

      People who really want it tend to jailbreak/root to get around the extra charge.

  • http://twitter.com/Davva360 David Moore

    How about this. $30 per month unlimited data for smartphone only no hotspot. OR $30 per month with a 3GB data cap, includes hotspot. It would prevent users from using hotspot all the time and hogging the bandwidth but would give those that would like the ability occasionally the option of using it when necessary.

    Or give me the option to purchase hotspot use for $1 a day or something. I believe Sprint has the ability for daily billing for hotspot use. Not sure what it costs but my mate with an Evo 4G has used it one or twice.

  • jameswoods

    that picture is of an att iphone…

  • Bringit

    What?? Verizon is in the business to make money??!! What?? This is a catastrophe!!! A travesty!!! I want it all and I want it now and I want it for free! Capitalism be damned! Give it all to me now!!!

  • Derekatverizon

    So what you’re saying is that the “personal hotspot” will cost the same on the iPhone as is does on AT&T and the same that it does on other Verizon Android capable phones? Just down load easy thether or PDAnet. On a side note; I heard we put a guy on the moon.

  • Anonymous

    Typical. Carriers tend to milk the cool extra features on any phone, especially hot spot built into your phone.

  • Rob

    So, if the phone is a wifi hotspot, does that allow for the ability to facetime anywhere you are??

  • bigheat218

    Does anyone know or have a good guess how long the “unlimited” feature will be available? Is it going to be for the first 30 days of the launch? Also, when using the hotspot feature with my Droid, when i have other people using my hotspot i cannot stand when i get a call because it ruins what everyone is doing, not just me.

  • Anonymous

    Can’t believe I am saying this, VZW is the lesser of two evils.

  • Jake

    Tell us something we didnt already know. Verizon always has charged $20 for mobile hotspot.

  • CJ

    I can’t help but wonder why this is plastered all over the web today as if this is some startling news and iPhone users are being hosed in some way. It’s the same plan as every other phone on Verizon that has hotspot capability.

    • Anonymous

      because it was shown as a new feature to the OS and it was mystery surrounding if and how much Verizon would charge and now that thats been reveled its news.

  • http://www.themacuniverse.com TMU-Kelly

    Pure bs. I love how they tout it as something great and simply don’t tell you they will be charging for it. Typical Verizon, hiding charges wherever they can.

  • Anonymous

    so pretty much this just sums up that the iphone will be just like all the other existing smartphones on verizon. good to know.

  • El Chingon69

    Hahaha!!! To all you who that thought hotspot was gonna be free. Also, u can’t FaceTime on verizon 3G network either. Its gonna suck when u use that hotspot feature and not be able to receive calls on that crappy old network. I would wait for iPhone 5 to come out this summer. Those of u thinking about switching over, don’t do it ur gonna regret it amigos…

  • Tigersingh52

    I use my wifi hotspot on my nokia for free.
    Iphone sucks

  • Jimbo

    Well that sucks for new subscribers.

    It’s why I’m riding on a grandfathered, three year old data plan with AT&T, and I’m not budging/upgrading, officially. I’ll just ride it until infinity, on unlocked, AT&T unbranded, smart phones until they kick me off it.

    Fifteen dollars unlimited data FTW!

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