Winner: Verizon's Share Everything Plan

I've put a LOT of thought into this over the past few weeks.  Here's why choosing a Verizon's Share Everything plan is the best option for each of the 5 of us:

Everyone:

1. Verizon is the best service provider (based on my collective research):
1. Highest voice quality on calls.
2. Best coverage for 4G network in the U.S.
3. Best customer service.
4. Simple Sharing Plan.
2. Family plans always cost less and offers more than individual plans.
3. Here is the cost breakdown:
• Data plan:
• $40 for both Unlimited Text & Voice—EVERYONE, EVERYWHERE, ALL THE TIME!
• 4GB shared data for $80.
• This is where they bilk you if you're not careful!  (e.g. $40 for 1GB, $60 for 2 GB.)
• The more people on the plan, the less expensive it will become. (Assuming we all manage our data appropriately.)
• If we do happen to go over, it's only $15/1 GB we go over our allotted amount, which is still a great deal!
• Additional Costs:
• Add $40 for every smartphone you add to the plan ($6720 for 5 of us on a 2-year contract.)
• One-time $35 Activation fee/phone to plan.  Possibly get that waved at activation.
• Tax at time of purchase. (?)
4. Despite the fact that Mom doesn't even currently use a Smartphone and probably won't be using the data plan for some time, she and Dad have generously agreed to be the "parent account" holder:
1. Out of Mom's love for us, she has agreed to pay the data portion of the plan for ALL OF US:
1. Mom: $80 (4GB data) + $40 (voice + text) = $120/mo.
2. Child accounts: $40!
1. Your friends pay $100 for the same service!
2. Mom is saving you $60/month!
3. In order for this plan to save us all money, we have to be aware of the things that drain data and take personal responsibility to stay under.  These are the two stipulations Mom has in exchange for agreeing to pay for our data:
1. She doesn't want to even have to think about overage charges.
1. Fair way to divide data.  I suggest that, to begin with, everyone be given an equal share of data for their device. After three months, we can look to see what usage trends are and re-evaluate.
2. All of us will be given access to the account details and encouraged to check regularly to self regulate.
3. There are apps we can download to track our data usage.
4. Lastly, we can pay Verizon for a $5/mo. service that restricts device data usage after it's reached a specified limit to ensure we don't go over.   I'll look into all those in detail later.
2. She wants a automatic payments/direct deposit of $40 into her account each month. 

Mom:

1. Verizon's new Share Everything plan is the first time any wireless service provider has offered shared data packages for families.  It was designed for families who want simple, straight-forward plans.  No special customizations; no hidden fees.  It's not cheap, but good service never is.  Verizon offers superior quality and the best rated customer service for times you have questions, or need to make changes to an account.
2. Room to expand—up to 10 devices on the plan. Heather?  Rick? Stef? Scott?
3. Super easy to sign up. I walked through it online.  But I recommend going into a Verizon store to talk with someone in person.  They generally offer to wave the $35 activation fee if you sign up online or go into the store.

Noelle and Phil:

1. The iPhone 4 (8GB) is free with new contracts.
2. Bottom line: You pay as low as $35 to activate a phone and $40/month.
3. There are self-governing apps that help control data usage. Verizon offers this free Usage App that tracks data, voice, and text.  However, I recommend us all purchasing this $1 Data Usage that lets users set monthly limits and then enforces that by displaying easy-to-see widgets and pushing notifications when you've hit certain percentages.)
4. Since you guys say you'll be using the 3G network, you'll not be missing out on the 4G coverage in your area (Bellingham). Sprint claims to have the best 3G service in Bellingham, but Verizon shows perfect coverage too.
5. If you have other devices, you can tether for free.

Stef:

1. Free iPhone 4 (8GB) for joining the account.
2. UNBELIEVABLE monthly subsidization from Mom and Dad, since you would be getting kicked off a "free" service right now.  This should be a no-brainer!
3. Feeling included.  (Don't discount this benefit).
4. Being on a family plan will offer you superior features for approximately the same price as you would pay if you were to go solo on an individual plan somewhere.
5. There's a chance that Mom might be willing to take care of data for the whole family.
6. T-Mobile might be "free" but the reception and coverage are terrible, and they are getting worse. That's why the can afford to continue offering unlimited everything for such a low price.  If you truly value communication, pick a provider that can deliver.

Bryan:

1. Verizon offers the fastest and highest quality coverage in SLC and Provo. (Less dropped calls, higher call quality)
2. If I were to go with an individual plan, AT&T makes the most sense on paper, however, I still wouldn't give up Verizon's superior coverage in Utah!
1. AT&T = $85
1. Voice: 450 minutes for $40
2. Text: 1500 for $15/month (minimum)
3. Data: 3GB for $30 (as opposed to 250MB for $15)
2. Verizon = $90
1. Voice: $40 (Unlimited)
2. Text: included (Unlimited)
3. Data: $50 for 1 GB (I only use 360MB/month historically.)
3. Every Verizon user I talk with in SLC and Provo says they have been very happy with their quality, coverage, and customer service.
4. Verizon offers their iPhone unlocked out of the box for use on networks around the world—ready to travel.

BONUS:

1. Chart comparing iPhone providers. (Sprint vs. AT&T vs. Verizon) 
2. Why is Verizon targeting the family?  Verizon stopped offering unlimited data plans in favor of unlimited voice and text plans (Share Everything Plan).  This way, they can offer those cheap voice and text services for free, essentially, and really milk the heavy-data users.  Families WITHOUT DATA HOGS will save the most money with this plan.  So, just as long as if we don't stream TV shows while outside of WIFI range, this deal makes the most sense for us.
3. I will write a post later reminding myself and everyone else of how to avoid "wasting" data unnecessarily.  For now, get an estimate of how much data you think you'd use.  It needs to be around 800MB/phone for the 5 of us.  If you want to check your current data/voice/text usage to see if this makes sense for you, or here's how you do it for each of the major providers:

• On Verizon, dial #DATA (#3282)
• On AT&T, dial *DATA# (*3282#)
• On Sprint, dial *4 then 4 again for the option to hear all your usage