Will people on Verizon's legacy/grandfathered unlimited data plan still get unlimited data under 5G?
fredtheocelot
Enthusiast - Level 3

Will people on Verizon's legacy/grandfathered unlimited data plan still get unlimited data under 5G? I have a legacy/grandfathered plan and want to know if I can keep my plan. Also, will 5G have any additional fees?

23 Replies
dizzy442
Enthusiast - Level 3
First, you will need to have 5G in your area. Then you will need to purchase a 5G capable phone. Additionally, you will have to change the plan since 5G is only available on the BeyondUnlimited and AboveUnlimited plan.
boringusername
Master - Level 1

Only Beyond and Above will be eligable for 5G. And really at that point why would you want to keep an old grandfathered plan anyways which is likely more expensive? Also 5G will be $10 a month extra

renenoda
Newbie

@boringusername wrote:

Only Beyond and Above will be eligable for 5G. And really at that point why would you want to keep an old grandfathered plan anyways which is likely more expensive? Also 5G will be $10 a month extra


 

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Benitez147
Contributor - Level 1

@boringusername wrote:

Only Beyond and Above will be eligable for 5G. And really at that point why would you want to keep an old grandfathered plan anyways which is likely more expensive? Also 5G will be $10 a month extra


That really terrible for me also. I aldo have the grandfathered unlimited data also. 

The plan is actually way cheaper for me than the beyond or above "unlimited" data. I currently pay $106.45 for two lines on the 550 nationwide loyalty plan (retired plan) which is $49.99, but I have a %22 employer discount and brings down the cost to $38.99 a month. That is the same price of my true unlimited data without it being throttled. I do not want to get messed up over in the new Verizon unlimited data plans, I'll be the one to mess over Verizon with my unlimited which I certainly use a lot of GB's with my MiFi unlimited data. I guess I'll have to wait until Verizon just allows the old Nationwide plans to use 5G which will happen eventually I think. Remember when the old unlimited plans couldn't do the device payment plan and then we can. 

Enjoy getting messed up over by Verizon.

glitchedpixel
Specialist - Level 1

@Benitez147 wrote:

@boringusername wrote:

Only Beyond and Above will be eligable for 5G. And really at that point why would you want to keep an old grandfathered plan anyways which is likely more expensive? Also 5G will be $10 a month extra


That really terrible for me also. I aldo have the grandfathered unlimited data also. 

The plan is actually way cheaper for me than the beyond or above "unlimited" data. I currently pay $106.45 for two lines on the 550 nationwide loyalty plan (retired plan) which is $49.99, but I have a %22 employer discount and brings down the cost to $38.99 a month. That is the same price of my true unlimited data without it being throttled. I do not want to get messed up over in the new Verizon unlimited data plans, I'll be the one to mess over Verizon with my unlimited which I certainly use a lot of GB's with my MiFi unlimited data. I guess I'll have to wait until Verizon just allows the old Nationwide plans to use 5G which will happen eventually I think. Remember when the old unlimited plans couldn't do the device payment plan and then we can. 

Enjoy getting messed up over by Verizon.


If you believe Verizon is going to add perks to your plan like 5G, I have a bridge to sell you.

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Benitez147
Contributor - Level 1

@glitchedpixel wrote:

@Benitez147 wrote:

@boringusername wrote:

Only Beyond and Above will be eligable for 5G. And really at that point why would you want to keep an old grandfathered plan anyways which is likely more expensive? Also 5G will be $10 a month extra


That really terrible for me also. I aldo have the grandfathered unlimited data also. 

The plan is actually way cheaper for me than the beyond or above "unlimited" data. I currently pay $106.45 for two lines on the 550 nationwide loyalty plan (retired plan) which is $49.99, but I have a %22 employer discount and brings down the cost to $38.99 a month. That is the same price of my true unlimited data without it being throttled. I do not want to get messed up over in the new Verizon unlimited data plans, I'll be the one to mess over Verizon with my unlimited which I certainly use a lot of GB's with my MiFi unlimited data. I guess I'll have to wait until Verizon just allows the old Nationwide plans to use 5G which will happen eventually I think. Remember when the old unlimited plans couldn't do the device payment plan and then we can. 

Enjoy getting messed up over by Verizon.


If you believe Verizon is going to add perks to your plan like 5G, I have a bridge to sell you.


Where is that bridge? I would love to buy it. I didn't say it is going to happen anytime soon, but it will happen  eventually once 5G is all settled and not new.

For years people said they were never going to allow grandfathered unlimited data users to use the device payment plans and then Verizon allowed us to do it. 

I don't need 5G, I have unthrottled speeds at 4G and that is enough to stream my fire stick, iPad and phones. 4G isn't going anywhere anytime soon and 4G speeds are good enough for me. 

One big plus about the nationwide plan is that I'll be able to activate a 4G basic phone for $9.99 without a data plan while those new mix and match and "unlimited" data plans force those 4G basic phones to have a data plan which is more money a month.

Sl1796
Enthusiast - Level 1

Actually for me my grandfathered plan is cheaper than switching 

Benitez147
Contributor - Level 1

@Sl1796 wrote:

Actually for me my grandfathered plan is cheaper than switching 


Nice, what is the name of your plan and the cost?

I have the nationwide loyalty 550 minutes ($49.99. With a 22% corporate discount, it comes down to $38.99) along with a 500 messages (unlimited to Verizon) comes out to $10.00 and unlimited data comes out to $38.99 a month. 

Keep in mind that this is truly 4G and these plans are not subjected to throttling as those new "unlimited" plans. Total bill comes out to $107.25 after taxes for 2 lines.

dillusiv
Enthusiast - Level 1

Im on the grandfathered plan and notice that VZW has throttled my connection, I'm using the "NEHE" app to check YT, Hulu, and see a significant difference. 

17Mb/s vs. 5.3 Mb/s

How do we know VZW isn't throttling our grandfathered plan?  if its true they still throttle then I'm getting ripped off and secondly theres no point in staying on the grandfathered plan might as well move to 5G (which is throttled anyways)

Note /w NEHE: Skype, Whatsapp, etc... aren't throttled, it seems selective.

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mama23dogs
Legend

@dillusiv wrote:

Im on the grandfathered plan and notice that VZW has throttled my connection, I'm using the "NEHE" app to check YT, Hulu, and see a significant difference. 

You mean “Wehe”?    I’ve tested it, and it’s a junk app and a flawed theory behind it.    All else being equal, is service throttled?  Key word ‘EQUAL’  which it’s not.  

17Mb/s vs. 5.3 Mb/s

How do we know VZW isn't throttling our grandfathered plan?  if its true they still throttle then I'm getting ripped off and secondly theres no point in staying on the grandfathered plan might as well move to 5G (which is throttled anyways)

You mean other than this has nothing to do with this thread?   The OPs question was will legacy unlimited users be allowed to use 5g service.  Answer: NO.   To use a 5g device and service, you have to move to a current plan.  

Note /w NEHE: Skype, Whatsapp, etc... aren't throttled, it seems selective.


Again, I’ve tested the app, it’s garbage and they couldn’t prove any throttle.  The developer asked me to test it on At&t.  The developer was testing on a plan that was stated to include ‘stream saver’.   Stream saver reduces video to 480p.  

    

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Weth
Legend

Even with grandfathered original unlimited plan, video is throttled to 720p, which is why you see the speed difference for video sites.  

 

Customers on 2017 Unlimited and Legacy Unlimited Data Plans:

You will be able to keep your current unlimited plans. For those who enrolled in Verizon’s 2017 unlimited plan starting in February, video speed throttles now apply: 720p on smartphones, 1080p on all other devices. You will get a free upgrade to 15GB of mobile hotspot usage, up from 10GB.

For customers on Verizon’s original unlimited plan discontinued several years ago, nothing changes except the introduction of video speed throttles: 720p on smartphones, 1080p on all other devices.

 

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Benitez147
Contributor - Level 1

@Weth wrote:

Even with grandfathered original unlimited plan, video is throttled to 720p, which is why you see the speed difference for video sites.  

 

Customers on 2017 Unlimited and Legacy Unlimited Data Plans:

You will be able to keep your current unlimited plans. For those who enrolled in Verizon’s 2017 unlimited plan starting in February, video speed throttles now apply: 720p on smartphones, 1080p on all other devices. You will get a free upgrade to 15GB of mobile hotspot usage, up from 10GB.

For customers on Verizon’s original unlimited plan discontinued several years ago, nothing changes except the introduction of video speed throttles: 720p on smartphones, 1080p on all other devices.

 


 

920B5692-D8EC-4E44-A68A-A422B3355725.pngYes, I know all of that. Even if the picture is 720p, it will still look clean without much notice because the screen is so small. The picture above is a screen shot of my phone. 1080P on YouTube with my Verizon unlimited data on a MiFi device. 

Verizon, can you hear me now? Ha ha ha.

 

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mama23dogs
Legend

If you buy a 5g phone, you’ll be forced off the legacy plan.  

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Bridgedw32
Enthusiast - Level 2

So i have been on the unlimited plan for years , and when i bought my nationwide talk and text we only had 3 g in our area, so when the 4 g rolled out i didnt expect my phone to work with it , but it automatically connected to it , so i am assuming the 5g will be the same, as long as the phone is 5g capable . Im still going to buy the 5g pixel 4 xl when it comes out and if it only connects to the existing 4g network fine by me . I'm not going to  let them tell me I have to have a 5 g plan because that wasnt the case 10 years ago.  

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mama23dogs
Legend

@Bridgedw32 wrote:

So i have been on the unlimited plan for years , and when i bought my nationwide talk and text we only had 3 g in our area, so when the 4 g rolled out i didnt expect my phone to work with it , but it automatically connected to it , so i am assuming the 5g will be the same, as long as the phone is 5g capable . Im still going to buy the 5g pixel 4 xl when it comes out and if it only connects to the existing 4g network fine by me . I'm not going to  let them tell me I have to have a 5 g plan because that wasnt the case 10 years ago.  


If you had been reading, if you buy and activate a 5G phone, you will be put on a compatible data plan.  

 

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Benitez147
Contributor - Level 1

@Bridgedw32 wrote:

So i have been on the unlimited plan for years , and when i bought my nationwide talk and text we only had 3 g in our area, so when the 4 g rolled out i didnt expect my phone to work with it , but it automatically connected to it , so i am assuming the 5g will be the same, as long as the phone is 5g capable . Im still going to buy the 5g pixel 4 xl when it comes out and if it only connects to the existing 4g network fine by me . I'm not going to  let them tell me I have to have a 5 g plan because that wasnt the case 10 years ago.  


If you are going to be doing that, I would offer  you to do a couple of recommendations:

 

1. DO NOT BUY the phone from a 3rd party seller: Apple, Best buy, Target, authorized Verizon retailer store. Buy the phone directly from a Verizon Customer service representative. You can do this by calling *611 or call 1(800) 922-0204. They can add the phone to your account while you have them on the phone and before they submit your order, you can tell them to make sure your old Nationwide plan is still on your account with the grandfathered unlimited data. If you go through a 3rd party store, they won't have the verizon code internally to keep your old plan on file and might accidentaly remove it from your account.

 

2. You will know if your grandfathered unlimited data was changed when the NEW PHONE SHIPS. When your phone ships, check your verizon account to make sure your unlimited data has not changed.

 

3. When your phone arrives to your house or you pick it up in store, DO NOT TURN ON THE PHONE! Take the sim card out from the new phone and enter your old sim card in the new phone. If the phone turns on and your unlimited plan is still there. You still have the old unlimited data on your new phone.

 

Remember that not many people have reported back on doing this method yet as 5G is still new and from what I have read only these new "unlimited" plans have to be enrolled to get access. Which is why I am waiting to see if your method works. If you do go through this, please report back so I can see if it worked as I am waiting myself to upgrade to 5G.

 

***Also remember that the unthrottled speed is guaranteed for the 700 Mhz spectrum C block open access spectrum. I don't think these guarantees are for 5G as I mentioned earlier that many of us old unlimited data users have not reported back on trying to upgrade.

 

Good luck! and let's stick it to Verizon for trying to make us upgrade to these new cruddy plans.

jl8472
Newbie

"We get a lot of questions of how these legacy plans will be treated in a 5G world. At present time, Verizon has only extended 5G access to current plans, not legacy plans. It is unknown if the carrier will allow swapping of gUDP and pUDP SIMs into 5G devices once they are available. Verizon is under no obligation to allow grandfathered plans to have 5G access, as their terms of open access will not apply to the spectrum they are using for 5G, like it did under their LTE rollout."

I wondered the same thing about 5G.  Apparently Verizon was obligated to give 4G, they are NOT for 5G.  So us gUDP holdouts might be S.O.L.

 

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Benitez147
Contributor - Level 1

@jl8472 wrote:

"We get a lot of questions of how these legacy plans will be treated in a 5G world. At present time, Verizon has only extended 5G access to current plans, not legacy plans. It is unknown if the carrier will allow swapping of gUDP and pUDP SIMs into 5G devices once they are available. Verizon is under no obligation to allow grandfathered plans to have 5G access, as their terms of open access will not apply to the spectrum they are using for 5G, like it did under their LTE rollout."

I wondered the same thing about 5G.  Apparently Verizon was obligated to give 4G, they are NOT for 5G.  So us gUDP holdouts might be S.O.L.

Where did you get that quote from? I agree with you about us being S.O.L. They were forced to follow stick stipulations when they won the auction against Google for the 700 MHz spectrum. It is better to take a wait game until Verizon finally addresses our gUDP, but worst outcome is that you won't be able to get a 5G device. Fine by me, as more people leave the 4G network and leave to 5G, 4G network will be less congested for us that are on it so I assume we'll get higher speeds. The benefits of keeping gUDP still outweigh the negative benefits:

1. Unlimited GB of tethering

2. Can put SIM card in any 4G device

3. Not subject to deprioritized congestion like these new "unlimited" plans.


 

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Benitez147
Contributor - Level 1

@jl8472 wrote:

"We get a lot of questions of how these legacy plans will be treated in a 5G world. At present time, Verizon has only extended 5G access to current plans, not legacy plans. It is unknown if the carrier will allow swapping of gUDP and pUDP SIMs into 5G devices once they are available. Verizon is under no obligation to allow grandfathered plans to have 5G access, as their terms of open access will not apply to the spectrum they are using for 5G, like it did under their LTE rollout."

I wondered the same thing about 5G.  Apparently Verizon was obligated to give 4G, they are NOT for 5G.  So us gUDP holdouts might be S.O.L.

 


Not sure why my reply got bundled in with the message I was trying to respond to. My original message was:

Where did you get that quote from? I agree with you about us being S.O.L. They were forced to follow stick stipulations when they won the auction against Google for the 700 MHz spectrum. It is better to play a wait game until Verizon finally addresses our gUDP, but worst outcome is that you won't be able to get a 5G device. Fine by me, as more people leave the 4G network and leave to 5G, 4G network will be less congested for us that are on it, so I assume we'll get higher speeds due to freed up bandwidth. The benefits of keeping gUDP still outweigh the negative benefits:

1. Unlimited GB of tethering

2. Can put SIM card in any 4G device

3. Not subject to deprioritization congestion like these new "unlimited" plans.

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fredtheocelot
Enthusiast - Level 3

Thanks @jl8472 that's the clearest explanation I've seen.

"We get a lot of questions of how these legacy plans will be treated in a 5G world. At present time, Verizon has only extended 5G access to current plans, not legacy plans. It is unknown if the carrier will allow swapping of gUDP and pUDP SIMs into 5G devices once they are available. Verizon is under no obligation to allow grandfathered plans to have 5G access, as their terms of open access will not apply to the spectrum they are using for 5G, like it did under their LTE rollout.

This is my gUDP

Nationwide Talk 450 39.99
Email & Web Unlimited 09/16 - 10/15 49.99

Plus taxes fees etc.

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