Verizon is the latest carrier hopping back on board with unlimited data in a strange way. Its twist is called Safety Mode, and it kicks in after a subscriber’s data bucket has run out by continuing to offer them internet access, but only at very slow speeds limited to 128kbps.
Verizon will soon include unlimited super slow data with all plans
is The Verge’s executive editor. He has covered tech, policy, and online creators for over a decade.
Safety Mode was announced back in July, but as of September 6th, Verizon is making it a core part of every new plan. The feature will be included with all Verizon Plan data plans, whereas at launch, Safety Mode was a $5 per month add-on to most plans. The feature turns off at the end of a subscriber’s billing cycle, when their data bucket resets.
While you’re really not going to want to browse the internet or use apps or do much of anything at 128kbps, it seems fair to say that the feature lives up to its name. Safety Mode means you’ll be able to get a connection when you really need one, even if that connection is something you’ll have to wait on.
It’ll also help subscribers dodge Verizon’s pricey overage fees. Those fees are still around if you want extra LTE data, but you’ll still be paying $15 for every extra gigabyte.
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