All Things Digital is reporting that both AT&T and Verizon are working on shared data plans for the iPhone and iPad that will work much like how voice minutes currently work in Family plans. Customers will be able to purchase data in bulk that can be used across a variety of devices.
At the D9 conference in May, AT&T Wireless CEO Ralph de la Vega confirmed that shared data plans were upcoming from AT&T. “We’re working on one. It will be soon. I can’t comment on a quarter [when it will arrive], but it will be soon.” Verizon also has said it is working on “family data plans” that will allow share data across smartphones and tablets.
Such pricing models are already available in Europe. For example, Orange in the UK offers a shared data plan for the iPhone 4 and iPad 2 that costs 65 Euros (around $92) for 2 GB of data. Orange in France sells 16 GB of shared data for around $141.
