With the pending AT*T/T-Mobile merger threatening to push Verizon Wireless out of the lead in the mobile melee, the company is looking for ways to differentiate itself from its (shrinking number of) competitors. That includes the idea of offering family plans for data that would save families money on smartphone costs.

The way things stand now, a family can get a plan for voice and text usage, but each smartphone or tablet requires a separate data plan. But that could change, says an exec for Big Red.

“We had individual minutes for individual users. Then we eventually got to what we call family share where everyone in the family shares the same minutes,” CFO Fran Shammo tells Reuters. “I think it’s safe to assume that at some point you are going to have mega-plans [for data] and people are going to share that mega-plan based on the number of devices within their family. That’s just a logical progression.”

When this will actually happen still remains to be seen.

Verizon eyes family data plans [Reuters]

Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.