Data Plan: Definition, Examples & Usage Tips

Meaning 1：data subscription (Data plan)

Data plan 🔊

/ˈdeɪtə plæn/

A service from your mobile provider that gives you a set amount of internet data to use each month for a fixed fee.

Data plan usage app showing remaining data on smartphone

data subscription 🔊

➕

/ˈdeɪtə səbˈskrɪpʃən/

A mobile service agreement that provides a fixed amount of internet data for a recurring monthly fee.

📁 Category：Technological Inventions 🔖 Level：Beginner

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

'Data' from Latin 'datum' (given); 'plan' from Latin 'planus' (flat, diagram).

💡 Mnemonic

Think of a 'data plan' as a 'diet plan' for your phone's internet — you have a fixed monthly allowance.

📖 Example

Before streaming the movie, make sure your data plan has enough data left for the month. 🔊 Before streaming the movie, make sure your data plan has enough data left for the month.

🔗 Collocations

unlimited data plan – A data plan with no cap on usage, allowing unrestricted internet access within the billing cycle.

family data plan – A shared data plan covering multiple family members on a single account.

data plan overage – Additional charges incurred when usage exceeds the monthly data allowance.

🔄 Synonyms

internet package (n.) – A bundle of mobile data services offered by a carrier.

mobile data subscription (n.) – A recurring service that grants access to cellular internet.

cellular data plan (n.) – A plan specifically for data usage on a cell network.

📖 Cultural Story

The term 'data plan' gained popularity in the 2000s with the rise of smartphones, becoming a standard monthly budget for mobile internet usage.