Although Verizon had an outage in Virginia yesterday, the network is going strong. Earnings reports show how important mobile data is for Verizon, with a 25.5% increase in data revenue. Unlimited data, like what is currently offered for Verizon BlackBerry, Android and Droid smartphones, will also be offered for Verizon iPhones.
Verizon spokesman Jeffery Nelson told the New York Times that the network glitch was "isolated and doesn't have further ramifications."
Meanwhile, Verizon COO Lowell McAdam told the Wall Street Journal that Verizon will initially be offering a $30 unlimited data plan for the Verizon iPhone, the same as offered on other smartphones, such as BlackBerry, Android and Droid. During the investor conference yesterday, McAdam said that the unlimited data plan was a temporary offer and Verizon would offer tiered data plans in the future. This will be a selling point for iPhone users with tiered data plans and also for grandfathered unlimited-data iPhone owners at AT&T.
Verizon expects half of its customers will have smartphones next year.
Although Verizon earnings were not as great as in 2009, $26.4 Billion in 2010 and $27 Billion in 2009, data revenues were up 25.5% year-over-year for its 94.4 million Verizon customers.
service revenues, up from 31.8 percent in the fourth quarter 2009.
adjustments, in 4Q 2010; includes 872,000 retail postpaid net customer
additions in the quarter; continued low retail postpaid churn of 1.01
percent.
more than 180 billion text messages. Customers also sent nearly 4.5
billion picture/video messages and completed more than 20 million music
and video downloads from Verizon Wireless.