Asked that very question during the All Things D tech conference Thursday, AT&T Mobility CEO Ralph de la Vega readily—and surprisingly—agreed, then went a step further and revealed (according to All Things D’s transcript of the talk) that “we’re working on one.”

And, as people carry more and more devices “you may want a shared plan,” [de la Vega] said. “We’re working on one.”
How soon?
“It will be soon. I can’t comment on a quarter (when it will launch) but it will be soon.”

The idea of a shared data plan is similar to one floated by Verizon Wireless execs last month—except Verizon seems to be mulling a plan that would allow subscribers to share data with other family members, rather than among their various devices. (Then again, it’s always possible that Verizon would allow users to share data with both their family and all their 3G- and 4G-enabled gizmos.)

here’s the thing: Allowing us subscribers to use a single bucket of data for our smartphones, tablets, and laptops rather than ponying up separate $25 plans for each data-enabled mobile gadget should be a no-brainer—and besides, the more data their subscribers use, the more wireless carriers stand to profit. Sounds like a win-win to me.

Source: All Things D

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But a Verizon executive just let slip that the carrier is (finally) thinking of adding family data plans to their menu of options. Details are still up in the air—there’s still no word on pricing or exact timing—but Reuters reports that Verizon Wireless may get family-friendly with data after it does away with its $30/month unlimited smartphone plans, which is expected to happen this summer.

The proposed family data plans could be seen as a way to “soften the blow” (as Reuterrs puts it) of replacing Verizon’s popular, unlimited smartphone plans with metered plans, said Verizon CFO Fran Shammo, who added:

“I think it’s safe to assume that at some point you are going to have mega-plans (for data) and people are going to share that mega-plan based on the number of devices within their family. That’s just a logical progression,” he said, but did not provide a time frame for such mega-plans.

Allowing families to share cellular data is, indeed, a “logical” idea, although whether it’s a sensible one depends on the fine print: how much monthly data for how much cash per month, what are the overage charges, and so on.

And what about the other big carriers, like AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile? Well, where one carrier goes, the others typically follow, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see the rest of the Big Four make like Verizon if and when the carrier makes good on its a family data promises.

Source: Reuters

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