[Discuss] Verizon wireless "mandatory" dataplan

[Jerry Natowitz]

We are currently one of the few families who have Verizon wireless 
service without a smart phone, or a data plan.  My daughter wants a new 
phone, but the only phones that she will consider are smart phones, 
which require a data plan, usually $30/month or more.  She doesn't want 
the smart phone features, she wants the higher quality keyboard.

She did some research and found that the data plan requirement only 
applies to phones purchased from Verizon or an associated dealership. 
She found a place selling the Palm Pre, which it claims can be used on 
Verizon without a data plan.  I did my research and found people 
claiming that if you buy your own iPhone (but nothing about the Palm) 
and use it on Verizon, you will automatically be charged $30 a month for 
data.

Also, my daughter currently texts, sends and receives photos, and some 
emails all within her unlimited texting allowance.  Some people say that 
smart phones will use the network stack rather than MMS service for 
emails and photo/sound/video.

So my questions are:

1) Does Verizon automatically "upgrade" you to a data plan if you 
register a Palm Pre on its network?

2) Will the Palm Pre use the network stack rather than MMS, causing us 
to pay for network usage even if we don't use the web browser, or an 
email client?
-- 
	Jerry Natowitz
===>    j.natowitz (at) gmail.com