Verizon revives its unlimited data plan

There will still be 5GB, small, medium and large data plans if you don’t need that much capacity, Verizon says. You can tack on $5 per month for smartwatches and other connected devices, and a $10 per day TravelPass gets you 500MB of daily full-speed data outside of North America.

It seems like an odd move for a provider which has frequently tried its hardest to discourage unlimited data users and shift them to capped plans. However, it’s not hard to see why Verizon would suddenly welcome unfettered access with open arms. It’s facing stiff competition from T-Mobile, which engineered a dramatic comeback in recent years and upped the ante by making unlimited data standard through the One plan. Sprint’s own unlimited data focus hasn’t helped, either. Combine those with disappointing subscriber growth in the fourth quarter and there’s good reason to be concerned. Verizon might not be facing an immediate crisis, but it doesn’t want to drive any more customers to a fast-growing rival.