Verizon’s New Plan Brings Free International Texting

After T-Mobile’s launch of free global data roaming for international travelers, Verizon Wireless is responding to the UN-carrier initiative with its own domestic spin on things. Through a newly announced limited time promotion, Verizon Wireless is offering its new World Messaging Unlimited add-on that would make allow its U.S. subscribers to have discounted long distance calling on a mobile phone and free unlimited texting from American soil to most of the world.

To sign up, customers will need to add the World Messaging Unlimited feature to their Share Everything plan, and the option costs $5 for each line or number you want to have this feature on.

Essentially, with World Messaging Unlimited, customers would pay just $0.01 per minute for international long distance calls in North America. This means American customers would pay the low rate from calls originating in the U.S. to Mexico or Canada.

Rates from calls in the U.S. to Central America and the Caribbean are jut $0.05 per minute.

The main thing to keep in mind here is that Verizon’s plans are geared for those in the U.S. with friends and family members that they need to communicate with globally; it’s not really targeted at globetrotting travelers.

At this time, users who sign up for the plan are given the first three months free, which amounts to a savings of $15. It’s unclear when this promotional pricing for the World Messaging Unlimited plan will end, according to a report on Engadget, but it’s a nice feature for those who call those in North America as the add-on feature really does lower the rates by quite a bit.

Verizon’s been experimenting more with plan pricing. News of the World Messaging Unlimited plan comes just after Verizon added a lower tier to its Share Everything plan.