Is the “unlimited” data usage plan for the Droid actually capped?  No.

A while back, there was an uproar in the tech community about the true nature of Verizon Wireless’s mobile broadband data plans. The plans had been advertised as “unlimited,” but customers began to report that usage in excess of 5 GB resulted in repercussions from Big Red. Eventually, Verizon capitulated, in a way, and began advertising its top-tier mobile broadband plan as a “5 GB” plan instead of an “unlimited” plan.

I’ve had a Verizon mobile broadband PC card since early July, and I can verify that the 5 GB cap and $0.05/MB overage charges are very real.

My data plan usage, as seen on the Verizon web site. Compare my mobile broadband card (top) with my Droid (bottom) and notice the different cap limits. Specifically, note that the upper limit for the Droid is "unlimited."

Last Friday, I pulled the trigger on a Droid, which requires the Verizon “Email and Web for Smartphone” service ($30/mo) in addition to a normal voice plan. Curiously, the allowed data usage was described as “unlimited.”

My Droid service summary from the VZW web site

Try as I might, I could not find any mention on Verizon’s site or in my contract, anywhere, of an upper limit on the data usage for my Droid. Nothing in the Acceptable Usage Policy.  Nothing in the Web & Email for Smartphones plan description.  Nothing in the Data Terms and Conditions.

There seems to be some belief that a cap exists regardless, but if it does, I couldn’t find it.   The closest thing seems to be a phrase in the AUP about “excessive consumption of network or system resources whether intentional or unintentional,” but the context of that restriction (as indicated by the example given in the relevant paragraph) appears to be malicious activity like DoS attacks.

Still, I wanted validation of my beliefs in writing from Verizon. I emailed customer service, and a few hours later, I received this response from “Lynn”:

Direct from VZW: Droid data is truly unlimited.

The only reasonable conclusion: there are no bandwidth restrictions for the Droid.

Based on my (completely legitimate) usage over the past couple of days, I’m on track to use about 7.4 GB this month with my Droid.  (Granted, most of that is from Pandora streaming, but “streaming of audio” is explicitly allowed as a “permitted use” in the data plan description.)

I guess we’ll find out if Verizon stays true to their word.