• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

MacKenzie Scott, Melinda French Gates, and Lauren Sánchez Bezos are rewriting the rules of billionaire giving—one quietly, one strategically, one very publicly

2

After donating $48 billion to the Gates Foundation, Warren Buffett is quietly ending one of the biggest philanthropic relationships in history

3

Current price of silver as of Tuesday, July 14, 2026

1

MacKenzie Scott, Melinda French Gates, and Lauren Sánchez Bezos are rewriting the rules of billionaire giving—one quietly, one strategically, one very publicly

2

After donating $48 billion to the Gates Foundation, Warren Buffett is quietly ending one of the biggest philanthropic relationships in history

3

Current price of silver as of Tuesday, July 14, 2026
Tech

Verizon Unbundles Cable for Cord Cutters

By
Aaron Pressman
Aaron Pressman
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Aaron Pressman
Aaron Pressman
Down Arrow Button Icon
January 9, 2020, 12:45 PM ET
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Verizon ripped a page out of T-Mobile’s playbook on Thursday, announcing a slew of changes to its Fios home Internet and TV service that broke from some of the cable industry’s longtime, customer-annoying practices.

In an announcement reminiscent of T-Mobile’s “Uncarrier” plans that shook up wireless, Verizon said it was eliminating multi-year contracts, multi-service bundles, weird added fees at the bottom of bills, and other nickel and diming cable features. Instead, Fios will offer Internet at a couple of speeds, priced at $40 to $80 monthly, and a couple of TV packages, priced from $50 to $90. The channel line ups of the TV packages will be more customizable than in the past, as well.

Most important in this era of cord cutting, customers will be able to buy just Internet service and get the lowest pricing without also having to subscribe to TV service. That could be appealing to the millions of consumers who have dropped cable in favor of Netflix and other online-only alternatives.

But whether the moves will have the same impact on the other big cable players as T-Mobile’s widely copied “Uncarrier” strategy had on the wireless industry is yet to be seen. The initial stock market reaction was muted, with shares of Verizon down 1%, Comcast and Altice about unchanged, and Charter Communications up 1%.

That’s probably because there is one big difference that could greatly limit Verizon’s ability to have the same disruptive impact as T-Mobile. While any consumer in the country can sign up for T-Mobile wireless service, only a small fraction of cable and Internet customers even have Verizon’s service as an option.

Among about 100 million U.S. households that subscribe to home Internet service and 80 million to cable TV, Fios has 6 million Internet and 4 million cable TV customers. And Verizon passes only about 15 million homes that could potentially subscribe to Fios, according to the last time it revealed the number at the end of 2017. Since 2010, when Verizon halted major expansion of the service, the carrier has added only one new city (Boston in 2018).

Another challenge is that Verizon hasn’t eliminated all of the cable industry’s expensive, unwanted features. It will still charge customers extra for equipment, $12 per month for a cable box and $15 per month for a router. To be sure, T-Mobile didn’t eliminate all customer pain points in its first Uncarrier move in 2013, but steadily improved its offerings over subsequent years.

The equation could change significantly as Verizon expands its current, limited 5G home Internet and TV service. Currently available in just a few cities, Verizon is awaiting better gear from hardware makers before expanding much more. The company says it plans for the service to be within reach of 30 million homes within five to seven years.

More must-read stories from Fortune:

—7 companies founded in the last 10 years that you now can’t live without
—Electronic health records are creating a ‘new era’ of health care fraud
—Apple, Amazon, and Google want to create a smart home standard
—What a $1,000 investment in 10 top stocks a decade ago would be worth today
—Amazon is on a collision course with employee activists outraged by the climate crisis
Catch up with Data Sheet, Fortune’s daily digest on the business of tech.

About the Author
By Aaron Pressman
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

New experimental Alzheimer’s drug shows potential after study shows slower cognitive decline
HealthAlzheimer's
New experimental Alzheimer’s drug shows potential after study shows slower cognitive decline
By Lauran NeergaardJuly 14, 2026
8 hours ago
U.S.-Russia space crew arrives at the ISS despite bitter space race past
North AmericaNASA
U.S.-Russia space crew arrives at the ISS despite bitter space race past
By Vladimir Isachenkov and The Associated PressJuly 14, 2026
8 hours ago
NYS Gov. Kathy Hochul standing at a podium
North AmericaData centers
‘New York will lead the way’: NYS Gov. Hochul’s data center moratorium includes a new model for funding AI infrastructure 
By Tatiana SatauaJuly 14, 2026
9 hours ago
A headshot of Dave Bozeman, CEO of C.H. Robinson.
NewslettersEye on AI
The secrets of an unheralded AI success story
By Jeremy KahnJuly 14, 2026
10 hours ago
Phones in hand
CybersecurityPrivacy
A new FCC proposal could spell the end of the burner phone
By Catherina GioinoJuly 14, 2026
11 hours ago
The AI boom drove China’s 27% export jump in June as AI and the Iran war reshape global trade
AsiaChina
The AI boom drove China’s 27% export jump in June as AI and the Iran war reshape global trade
By The Associated Press and Chan Ho-HimJuly 14, 2026
11 hours ago

Most Popular

MacKenzie Scott, Melinda French Gates, and Lauren Sánchez Bezos are rewriting the rules of billionaire giving—one quietly, one strategically, one very publicly
Newsletters
MacKenzie Scott, Melinda French Gates, and Lauren Sánchez Bezos are rewriting the rules of billionaire giving—one quietly, one strategically, one very publicly
By Sydney LakeJuly 14, 2026
13 hours ago
After donating $48 billion to the Gates Foundation, Warren Buffett is quietly ending one of the biggest philanthropic relationships in history
North America
After donating $48 billion to the Gates Foundation, Warren Buffett is quietly ending one of the biggest philanthropic relationships in history
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJuly 14, 2026
12 hours ago
Current price of silver as of Tuesday, July 14, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of silver as of Tuesday, July 14, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJuly 14, 2026
20 hours ago
Current price of gold as of July 14, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of gold as of July 14, 2026
By Danny BakstJuly 14, 2026
17 hours ago
United States' $39 trillion national debt will mean fewer jobs at lower wages for Gen Z, according to think tank
Economy
United States' $39 trillion national debt will mean fewer jobs at lower wages for Gen Z, according to think tank
By Eleanor PringleJuly 14, 2026
18 hours ago
'He found their weakness. It might have been sex. It might be power': Warren Buffett stunned by Epstein pull as he snubs Gates Foundation
Banking
'He found their weakness. It might have been sex. It might be power': Warren Buffett stunned by Epstein pull as he snubs Gates Foundation
By Josh Funk and The Associated PressJuly 14, 2026
14 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.