Reports: Verizon Wireless Close to Limited-Data Plans, À La AT&T

Verizon Wireless appears to be on the verge of following in AT&Ts limited wireless-data footsteps.

Multiple media outlets are reporting that Verizon will impose tiered data pricing on July 29. AT&T already has done so it charges $25 for 2GB of data transfer and $15 for 200MB per month. Theres no word on how much Verizon might charge for its mobile data access.

As long-term evolution technology is launched over the next year or two, its assumed the big carriers will start to abandon unlimited data plans, which they say are not sustainable if they want to make more money. Of course, any talk of this meets right away with criticism from wireless subscribers who have become accustomed to an all-you-can-eat buffet of data. Thats in part because many AT&T users are finding 2GB to be too much capacity and 200MB to be too little. In other words, the providers decisions wont make anyone happy but the move toward tiered pricing should come as no surprise.

Throughout AT&Ts move to put a ceiling on customers data access, other carriers have watched the brouhaha and responded. Overseas, British provider O2 followed AT&Ts lead, while here in the United States, Sprint Nextel CEO Dan Hesse returned to the TV airwaves to insist his company has no reason to cap users data access.