Verizon Wireless Readies Kill Switch on Unlimited Data Plans

Verizon Wireless has a plan to get an untold number of customers off unlimited data plans. The carrier won't say how many customers were grandfathered into the unlimited 3G data plans that Verizon stopped offering last July, but millions will likely be affected.

As those customer upgrade to 4G devices, they will have to choose a new shared-data plan and give up their $30 unlimited plans, Verizon Communications CFO Fran Shammo said at the J.P. Morgan Technology, Media and Telecom conference.

The new shared-data plans are expected to rollout in mid-summer, but the carrier hasn't announced pricing details yet. "A lot of our 3G base is on unlimited," Shammo says. "When they migrate off 3G they will have to go to data share. That is beneficial to us."