As rivals close in, Verizon introduces 'More Everything' plan

Verizon's new plan includes an across-the-board bump in data. 

T-Mobile has its "un-carrier" initiative. AT&T has "Next."

And now Verizon Wireless has a plan called "More Everything." 

In a press release, Verizon reps said the plan, which will be available starting this week for customers in the US, would include unlimited international messaging, 25 GB of cloud storage, and an across-the-board bump in data. (The amount of additional data varies; for instance, if you previously paid $40 a month for 500 MB of data, you will now see your monthly allotment bumped to 1 GB.)  

"Verizon Wireless led the way with the introduction of shared data plans, and MORE Everything is the next leap forward with more storage, more messaging and more choice,  all on a 4G LTE network that is unmatched in coverage and capacity," Ken Dixon, chief marketing officer at Verizon Wireless, said in a statement.

Of course, "More Everything" is about a whole lot more than helping out the consumer. 

It's also about Verizon, still the top carrier in the US, keeping ahead of an increasingly hungry (and clever) pack of competitors. T-Mobile, for instance, added 4.4 million new subscribers in 2013, largely on the strength of its "un-carrier" push. As Roger Cheng of CNET notes, that's clearly made the higher-ups at Verizon more than a little nervous. 

"That Verizon, which has largely stayed above the fray with its claims of network superiority, was motivated to introduce this plan underscores the intensifying competitive environment in the wireless world," Mr. Cheng writes. "The reality is that there are fewer consumers up for grabs, and the carriers are getting more aggressive in picking off subscribers from each other."