A 2013 study on mobile data usage

There is no shortage of tips on how to avoid data overage, but there are a few specific options Verizon Wireless customers can turn to. 

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Over the past few years, Verizon Wireless customer Anthony Wise’s lifestyle has become very mobile. 

“I don’t use my laptop as much anymore since I have my smartphone,” he says.

Wise uses his phone to go online, answer email, stream music and check baseball scores and highlights.  He is not alone in relying so much on his mobile device. Almost two-thirds of cellphone owners use their phones to go online, according to the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project.

Mobile Internet usage, fueled by the growing availability of 4G LTE, mobile hotspots and smartphones, means that the average amount of data Americans use each month is on the rise. In 2013, it nearly doubled – from 690 megabytes to 1.2 gigabytes (GB).

“Today, we are using our phones to do much more than talk,” says Krista Walls, solutions specialist at the Park Meadows Verizon Wireless Smart Store in Lone Tree, Colo. “We are using them to actually power other things.”

For those who partake in a variety of smartphone activities, monitoring data usage is essential. Online, there is no shortage of tips on how to avoid data overage, but there are a few specific options Verizon Wireless customers can turn to.   

Start with a plan. 

Verizon offers a varity of data plans to fit any family size and lifestyle. Those unsure of how much data they need can use one of many data usage tools that Verizon provides to help them decide.

Check status.

My Verizon available online and via a mobile app provides real-time status updates on how much data has been used. The information can be more helpful than third party data usage apps because it is tied directly to a user’s billing cycle.   

Set limits.

 For just $5 a month, the Verizon Wireless FamilyBase service can help families manage their data use. Limits can be set for each person on a MORE Everything Plan and an alert is sent when the allotted amount of data has been used. Customers can enjoy one month of FamilyBase for free under the new MORE Everything plan.

Wise said he likes these options, especially since he has a 12 year old daughter who spends a lot of time online, making it a priority for their family to regularly check data usage. Taking steps to manage data can help families like the Wise’s keep their mobile lifestyle going while staying on budget. 

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