Verizon Unlimited Data Plans: Carrier Threatens To Disconnect Customers Using More Than 200GB Of Data Per Month

Verizon’s definition of “unlimited” appears to be slightly different than most. The company is reportedly purging customers who subscribe to the unlimited data plan but use more than 200GB per month, according to a report from Ars Technica.

The 200GB limit will hit Verizon customers who have hung onto their unlimited data plan, which the carrier stopped offering in 2011. Subscribers who average more than 200GB of data usage over the course of several months will either be pushed to new contracts with data caps or disconnected entirely.

A Verizon spokesperson told Ars Technica the purge of its top data users will require said customers to move to a new Verizon plan by Feb. 17.

Verizon offers plans that include up to 100GB of data per month, plus an additional 2GB per line on the plan, but the price—$450 per month, plus additional fees—is considerably more costly than the grandfathered unlimited data plans. Users are also subject to having their connection speeds throttled if they exceed their monthly data limit.

Those who choose not to make the leap to one of the company’s plans will have their devices disconnected. Customers who are disconnected will be given 50 days to re-activate their account, which can only be done by signing up for a new plan.

The 200GB limit imposed on unlimited data customers is the latest in the company’s attempt to rein in its biggest data users. During the summer of 2016, the largest mobile carrier in the U.S. purged subscribers who were using more than 500GB of data each month.

Dropping the cap to 200GB marks the company’s continued effort to push its users off the unlimited plan and onto capped offerings.

In 2015, Verizon issued a $20 increase in the monthly cost of its grandfathered unlimited data plan, bumping it from $29.99 to $49.99 per month. Text and talk fees were not included in the price, which bumped the bill of most unlimited subscribers to more than $100 per month.

Verizon also recently increased the “upgrade fee,” or the charge it levies to customers when they decide to purchase a new phone, from $20 to $30. It also officially killed off its two-year contract plans for existing customers.

While Verizon hasn’t offered contracts to new customers since 2015, the change for existing customers will take effect when they go to upgrade to a new device.