Verizon Doubles Data Allowance for 4G LTE Phones

Verizon is looking to get a temporary edge on rival AT&T by doubling data allowances on 4G LTE smartphones.

The promotion begins Tuesday and continues indefinitely. It applies to all tiered data plans, so subscribers who normally get 2GB for $30 per month will now get 4GB. Customers who get 5GB for $50 will get 10GB, and customers with 10GB plans for $80 will get 20GB.

New customers must request the promo when they sign up. Exisiting customers can call customer service to get the promo, or request it through their My Verizon accounts.

Verizon spokeswoman Brenda Raney says the higher data allotments last for as long as users have their smartphones. She says the promo will eventually end–but that only means subscribers will no longer be able to sign up.

The promo does not apply to mobile hotspot plans for smartphones, which currently cost an extra $20 (on top of the existing tiered plan) and provide users with an extra 2GB of data.

This promo is a way for Verizon to stand out from its rivals AT&T and T-Mobile. AT&T caps data at 2GB per month, while T-Mobile throttles uers who exceed their monthly limits. Sprint still offers unlimited 3G and 4G data on its WiMax network, although the carrier recently discontinued unlimited 4Gdata for hotspots, tablets, and other non-smartphone devices.

Verizon’s holiday 4G LTE smartphone lineup includes the DroidBionic, DroidRAZR, HTCRezound and, most likely, the GalaxyNexus.