LG Voyager- Do I Need a Data Plan for it?

I'm getting an LG Voyager soon, but I wanted to make sure that Verizon isn't going to force me to buy the 30.00 data package to go along with it. I only want it for the qwerty Keypad and the touch screen. Does any1 know?

The LG Voyager doesn't require a data plan as it is not a data phone. It may require the Vcast pack for $15 though. I have a Blackberry so I'm not real sure.

Hi kmach202,

Before getting to your question, you need to understand that you cannot use any data service over Verizon's wireless network for free. They are going to charge you. It's your choice as to how. If you get an unlimited data plan, then you'll pay a fixed price per month regardless of your usage. If you don't have a data plan, then they will charge you per kilobyte or megabyte of usage. The per/use rate is high. So if you expect to use the data features of the LG Voyager, it will usually be cheaper to include an unlimited data component in your plan.

Now to your question: The answer depends on how you plan to buy the phone. If you buy the LG Voyager at full price without any plan commitment, then Verizon will allow you to use it without a data plan. But beware: If you use the data features of your phone (to surf the internet, download email, games, etc) and you have no data plan, they will charge you for the data usage at a much higher rate as explained above. It will be up to you to avoid those features if you want to avoid paying for data usage. Verizon will not block the capability. So if a friend or family member uses your phone, they could run up a huge bill with data usage even though you don't have a data plan.

However, most people do not pay full price for their phones. The service provider usually offers a big discount if you agree (commit) to a 1-year or 2-year contract. If you accept any of Verizon's discounts on the price of the LG Voyager, you will have to agree to a 1-year or 2-year contract with a plan commitment and they will require you to include a data component. There is no way to avoid this if you buy the phone at a discount.

So your choices are: (1) buy the phone at full price with no plan commitment and avoid a data plan, or (2) buy the phone at a big discount but commit to a 1-year or 2-year contract and you'll be required to include a data component.

By the way, Verizon only allows this exclusion for multimedia phones (the LG Voyager is a multimedia phone). All smart phones and PDA phones (this includes Blackberries) are required to have a data component in your plan even if you pay full price and have no 1-year or 2-year commitment.

Best regards, WiredNot

I was going to answer the OP but this sums it up. Great answer!