Verizon Throttling Quality of Netflix, YouTube Streams With Revamped Data Plans

Verizon is officially unveiling new unlimited data plans that will severely limit video streaming quality, The Verge reports.

The carrier launched its unlimited plan back in February, which started at $80 for one line, but the new plans aren't quite as straightforward. Customers can choose either Go Unlimited (starting at $75 for one line), Beyond Unlimited ($85 for one line) or Business Unlimited, and the Go Unlimited plan will reduce all video streaming to DVD quality. The plans go into effect on Aug. 23.

The initial unlimited plan was a success for Verizon, but the new options are reportedly much more restrictive and full of fine print.

"These plans give you the best unlimited choices, but you also get what only Verizon can give you: the best network, the best rewards program, the best way to manage your plan with the My Verizon app and the best selection of phones and devices," Verizon wrote in a press release.

Verizon's Go Unlimited plan will reduce phone video streaming to 420p and tablet streaming to 720p, while Beyond Unlimited offers users 720p streaming on phones and 1080p on tablets. As its previous unlimited plan offered full HD resolution, users who choose Beyond Unlimited will now be paying more for roughly the same service.

Users who opted into the previous unlimited plan will be able to keep paying the same amount, but Verizon will soon limit their video quality as well, as the carrier stated that "HD video on all legacy plans will also match Beyond Unlimited's HD quality."

"We're doing this to ensure all customers have a great experience on our network since there is no visible difference in quality on a smartphone or tablet when video is shown at higher resolutions (than 720p on phones and 1080p on tablets)," Verizon said.

The change comes after other carriers, including AT&T and T-Mobile, began offering their own versions of unlimited data plans, which include restrictions on video quality or data speeds.

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