T-Mobile parries Verizon, adds HD video and 10GB mobile tethering to unlimited plan

After years of pushing consumers away from unlimited data plans, then doing away with the service altogether, Verizon last week reintroduced its all-you-can-eat tier, offering single-line subscribers unlimited data, talk, and text for $80 per month.

With 720p video streaming and 10GB of 4G LTE tethering included, Verizon's plan was for heavy data users a better deal than what perennial upstart T-Mobile was offering.

Not to be outdone, Legere took to Twitter today to announce upgrades to T-Mobile's $70 per month One plan. Starting Friday, subscribers of the service will be able to activate HD video and 10GB high-speed Mobile Hotspot data at no extra charge. Previously, HD video was available to users as a $3 per day or $15 per month add-on, while 10GB of tethering data cost an extra $10.

In addition, new and existing T-Mobile customers can get two lines of One service for $100 per month as part of a limited time deal.

As usual, T-Mobile claims the upcoming changes were planned "to celebrate T-Mobile's wins in the OpenSignal report," not as a response to Verizon's unlimited plan reintroduction. Last week, OpenSignal ranked T-Mobile and Verizon "neck and neck" in terms of network speed and reliability, a result T-Mobile and Legere claim spurred Verizon's decision to reinstitute unlimited data.

"I don't blame Verizon for caving. They just lost their network advantage, and they know it ... and more importantly, more and more customers know it. Their back's against the wall," he said.

The latest changes to T-Mobile's constantly evolving One plan come a little over one month after the company announced it would include all taxes and fees into monthly bills without changing plan pricing, passing savings onto subscribers.