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Verizon Data Plans: Don’t Try to Add Mobile Hotspot Online

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Verizon’s new tiered data plans are live, and we are already seeing the effect to adding plan features online at Verizon Wireless. While current customers can keep their unlimited data plans, a quick trip online could easily cut you off from unlimited data forever.

Verizon tiered data mobile hotspot

You cannot add a mobile hotspot online and keep unlimited data on Verizon.

Now that the free Mobile Hotspot promotion has officially ended, users are being directed to add the mobile hotspot plan to their account to keep the feature active. If you go online to try this you’ll quickly find out that the only options include a switch from unlimited data to a tiered 4GB, 7GB or 12GB — with prices between $50 and $100 a month.

Before you click anything, or start crying foul, step away from the web browser and take a deep breath. The online My Verizon account may not allow you to make add the Mobile Hotspot feature to your unlimited data plan, but according to online Verizon customer service agent Zantamarious, you can call customer car and add the wireless tethering feature to your plan and keep unlimited data.

According to the online rep the Unlimited Mobile Hotspot plan will cost $30 a month, compared to $20 a month for 2GB on the new tiered data plans. In our chat, the rep stated that there was no cap on the data usage with this plan, but we think there is some confusion there. We are waiting for confirmation, but before you try to download the OS X Lion installation file over your HTC ThunderBolt Mobile Hotspot  app, you should remember that the old plan included a soft cap of 5GB.

Verizon Wireless Chat Log

Please hold for a Verizon Wireless sales representative to assist you with your order. Thank you for your patience.
You are now chatting with ‘Zantamarious’
Josh: Hello
Josh: I have a question about the new data plans
Zantamarious: Hello. Thank you for visiting our chat service. May I help you with your order today?
Josh: I heard my free hotspot tethering promotion had ended for the Thunderbolt
Josh: if I look online to try and add the hotspot plan I see no option to keep unlimited data and add the hotspot promo
Josh: is that not a possibility?
Zantamarious: You will keep your unlimited data plan however if you want unlimited hotspot it is $30 in which you can add that feature through customer care.
Josh: is customer care by calling in?
Josh: or going in store?
Josh: rather than online?
Zantamarious: Yes calling in at 800-922-0204.
Josh: ok, do you know if that tethering plan has a limit?
Josh: to data amounts used?
Zantamarious: No, it will be unlimited.
Josh: Thanks for your help.

We are waiting for official confirmation from Verizon Wireless PR about the limits and proper way to add the Mobile Hotspot feature to your current plan and keep unlimited data. For now, be sure you don’t take any actions which remove the data package from your Verizon account. In most cases reps will have a hard time adding unlimited data back to your account once it is gone.

UPDATE: A Verizon Spokesperson Confirms you can add unlimited tethering to your unlimited plan,

A 4G smartphone already on unlimited pricing can subscribe to Mobile Hotspot (MHS) for $30 – shared unlimited allowance between on-device & MHS usage

24 Comments

24 Comments

  1. Anonymous

    07/08/2011 at 8:28 pm

    Safest bet is just to have a rooted phone :)

  2. Josh Smith

    07/08/2011 at 8:32 pm

    Until they start flagging rooted wireless tether users….. Hopefully that won’t happen anytime soon.

    • Junk

      07/08/2011 at 9:30 pm

      Then someone will just find a way around that too its ridiculous to charge extra for something you are already paying for… Just like the silly texting plans.. Biggest rip off and nickle and diming ever done on consumers

  3. Nate

    07/08/2011 at 9:08 pm

    You need to scroll down the page to add hotspot and keep your data plan. The hotspot feature is listed under the “Wireless Internet Access” heading, not the “Data Plans” heading.

  4. Xavier Lanier

    07/08/2011 at 11:17 pm

    Just checked two accounts, including my own. There’s currently no way to add unlimited hotspot data for $30/month online. I imagine that Verizon wants to get as many people off of unlimited as possible. I imagine new customers would be pretty peeved if they saw that some customers were eligible for unlimited hotspot data for $59.99 per month. The closest thing to unlimited for new 4G customers is 12GB for $100. 

    • Anonymous

      12/01/2011 at 12:20 pm

      I currently have the unlimited data plan for my HTC Thunderbolt.  When I go to the “Change Features” section of the MyVerizion page I have the option to add unlimited Mobile Hotspot for $24/month (currently on sale from the  regular $30/month fee).

      I think I may do this in order to have data for my Sprint Galaxy Tab, since Sprint does not have an unlimited data plan (despite their many ads saying they do).

  5. Pub Leek6

    07/09/2011 at 2:57 am

    “customer car” add an e.

  6. Eddyg85

    07/10/2011 at 4:33 pm

    I have the Droid charge and I’m still able to access my mobile hotspot. It wasnever cut off….yet. anyone know why that is?

  7. Eddie Yasi

    07/10/2011 at 9:53 pm

    I called that number that ‘Zantamarious’ mentioned, and they did not see any $30 unlimited mobile hotspot option that they could add for me.  I’m hoping in a day or two they’ve straightened this out so I can add that in, as it would be a pretty good deal.

  8. Antimatterpunk

    07/11/2011 at 4:08 pm

    Is anyone aware as to whether the MHS feature can be “grandfathered” into existing unlimited data plans at any point over the length of the contract, or is this something that needs to happen sooner-rather than-later..?

  9. MikeSoCal949

    07/12/2011 at 12:15 am

    Thank you for this valuable information.  I had to call the 800-256-4646 number twice before I was able to reach someone who could add the $30 unlimited MHS feature.  The first person couldn’t find it, even put me on hold to ask her manager, but no luck.  Second person had to put me on hold, did some digging, and found the magic field/option/whatever, and took care of it for me.  It takes persistence, but eventually you can get it.  Just keep calling back, and be polite!

  10. disgruntled

    08/05/2011 at 8:22 pm

    yeah i had unlimited data plan my phone had issues I sent it back and had to use an older phone…well the customer rep told me I would be safe and able to get my unlimited back when I received my replaced phone but they lied threw their shit eating grin and now my unlimited is gone forever. Verizon is a low down dirty organization.

  11. Anonymous

    08/28/2011 at 5:43 pm

    There is a reason for the non longer unlimited data plan and its because the network is saturated. Some applications are absolutely crazy on the phone and have created the biggest clog on the network. Things like Netflix are killing the verizon mobile network just as an example Youtube is nothing compared to verizon. There is an article out there somewhere which shows that just the initial netflix connection “no movies being streamed yet” is a 35 megabyte connection. The streaming of the movie uses something like 10 times the actual size of the video because of the crazy encryption connections. Many other applications are on the same page and this is one of the reasons.
    Lets just say I am “aware” of the inside issues going on at verizon and this will probably not be permanent but just until they can upgrade the internal 4G network and connection. Its not the backbone suffering as they have Fiber all over the U.S. its the signal towers and processing stations that are being crippled especially with 4G and the use of these thick applications.

  12. Hellokelly36

    11/17/2011 at 6:47 am

    I have a verizon hotspot with an unlimited plan.  The problem is that they slow my service down to a 1970’s computer after I supposedly use 5GB.  It says nothing in the contract that they can slow my service.  Can you give any advice?

    • Heriff

      11/25/2011 at 6:13 pm

      It’s not in your contract, specifically, it’s under “Network Optimization”

    • TheyR_allCrooks

      01/27/2012 at 3:30 pm

      Cable company’s that deliver the Internet access to the mobile providers are restricting the flow of data intentionally. The mobile carriers are trying to take legal action to change this. We end up being the ones who suffer for it.

  13. Anonymous

    12/30/2011 at 5:59 pm

    Don’t mention the word “unlimited” at all. This thing have feature code: #76153

  14. TheyRfreakinCrazy

    01/27/2012 at 3:22 pm

    Using the phone and turning it into a wifi hotspot is a rip off if you are paying for it. I actually will go as far as calling this outright theft. Many smartphones already have the ability to act as a hot spot Verizon has forced phone manufacturers to lock this feature out till you get an app and then they can track your use thru the app and charge you for it. Don’t believe me? Ask a tmobile customer who has a 3G slide… It comes ready with the ability to be a wifi hotspot and uses your existing phones data plan.

    • Drobot

      01/28/2012 at 7:55 pm

      If you’re not a dumbass, and you have the capacity to use your phone to do a google search, you could root your phone and use a wifi tether app that does the same thing as the phone you’re speaking of.
      Im sure you know somebody who can do it for you if you don’t want to take the extra time to figure it out like the cool kids that have grandfathered unlimited plans and mobile hotspots. Im watching netflix on a roku player and using a deactivated droid 2 to type this using my rooted droid 3’s wifi using a tethering app. Took about 20 min to figure out after I rooted.

  15. J Stewart217

    02/13/2012 at 7:06 am

    This is bull shit! I pay to much money already. Verizon is a scam I can get a prepaid phone and talk,text, surf the net and make the phone a hotspot for half the price im paying now. Im gonna cancle my 3 lines and verizon will never see another dime. They will find any way to make u pay more.. FUCKED UP!

  16. nemesys

    03/18/2012 at 8:05 pm

    Also if you do a search for Android DTR BunkBuster you can find a way to disable the software that Verizon has installed on your phone that slows you down after you have gone over this “soft limit”.  Root required of course. 

  17. Dellering

    04/24/2012 at 3:43 pm

    Is there a mobile phone that can hotspot and talk on the phone at the same time?

  18. root

    07/22/2012 at 5:37 pm

    Why is this a problem? ROOT YOUR DAMN PHONES!!

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