[NewsPoster]

Verizon on Friday appeared to take a step toward countering T-Mobile's recent headline-grabbing UNcarrier pricing structure. The nation's largest wireless carrier announced that it would be extending the parameters of its Device Payment Plan, allowing customers to spread the cost of a device over the course of a year. The announcement came along with news that the carrier would be lengthening its upgrade timetable from 20 to 24 months.

With more devices being eligible for the Device Payment Plan, customers wanting the latest hardware will be able to divide the costs of that hardware into 12 segments. Verizon told Engadget that the cost of those monthly segments will "sit on top of existing service plans, not inside them - the base service rate won't go down in year two."

Verizon's move comes as the wireless industry may be on the verge of disruption. T-Mobile's UNcarrier announcement grabbed the attention of the media for weeks, and Verizon quickly countered, saying that it could go contract-free if consumers showed interest in such a model.

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I don't think Verizon's plan will compete with T-Mobile plans. The idea is that you pay less - much less for your service and pay full price for your device outside the plan. The savings obviously comes from a lower monthly service plan.

Verizon being a douche bag of a company is not going to lower the service plan rates but ask users to play for the device outside the plan. They SUCK big time.

[efithian]

ATT is obviously waiting in the wings with their halfassed plan. Goodbye Verizon. Goodbye ATT. Hello T-Mobile, the provided that understands.