If you thought that nifty wireless broadband plan you have with Verizon Wireless was truly unlimited, you were wrong. The service has always been capped at 5 GB of data transfer per month, even though Verizon's marketing material said it was unlimited. After taking some heat, Verizon Wireless is making it more clear to customers that there is a limit.

Verizon Wireless believes that 5 GB per month provides for a reasonable amount of web surfing, email checking, and normal file downloads. Activities such as automated data feeds, streaming or downloading audio or video, or web cam use can push data transfers over the 5 GB limit if they are performed 10 hours per day, 7 days per week, according to Verizon's web site.

Users who surpass the 5 GB limit can have their service terminated immediately, as Verizon assumes that the service is being misused. The language stating these terms has always been a part of Verizon's contract, so the actual offer and service are unchanged. Verizon is simply removing the word "unlimited" from its marketing collateral.

By way of comparison, Sprint's wireless data plans are also described as unlimited, and we could not find any language in its terms and conditions that state otherwise.

Both Verizon Wireless and Sprint use CDMA EV-DO wireles WAN technology for their mobile broadband services.