Verizon's 4G pricing shift: Will you pay by download speed?

Verizon Wireless is reportedly looking at new pricing models for its 4G network and one option is to charge based on data speeds.

In a Wall Street Journal interview, Verizon CEO Ivan Seidenberg said that the company's Long-Term Evolution (LTE) network opens up a bevy of pricing options. Verizon hasn't made any formal pricing plans, but options look like this:

• Charge by data speeds.
• Pay based on what you consume, or tiered data pricing.
• Some mix of both formats.

Meanwhile, Verizon didn't completely rule out unlimited plans either. Verizon executives indicated that the company is working to "figure out what the customer thinks is fair, and go from there."

Now it's your turn. What pricing structure makes the most sense for you. Charging by data speeds is common in landlines. Is wireless fundamentally different?

Verizon Wireless CTO: Four transformative 4G trends At the Open Mobile Summit in San Francisco, Verizon Wireless CTO Anthony Melone talks about the launch of the company's new 4G LTE network later this year. He discusses four trends that will occur because of faster speeds and lower latency that 4G offers; they include real time delivery, video collaboration, cloud computing, and enhanced machine-to-machine communications.

Related:

• Verizon Wireless CTO: Four transformative 4G trends
• Verizon reveals 38 U.S. cities that will get 4G LTE by end of 2010