Verizon has just announced a couple of changes to its network, including a new 500MB plan for $30, the addition of 3G mobile hotspot to Prepaid Unlimited, and Travel Passes for prepaid users that'll make visiting Mexico and Canada a little bit easier. This news comes after last month's addition of 500MB of LTE per day to Go Unlimited customers in the same two countries.

Basically, there are three main updates here. The first is a new $30 plan with unlimited talk, unlimited text, and 500MB of data. Half a gigabyte isn't going to be sufficient for most of us, but for more frugal data-users who still want a reliable network, this isn't an awful plan. And if you want more data, Verizon also offers 3GB for $40, 7GB for $50, and 10GB for $60.

The second is the addition of 3G mobile hotspot to the $75 Prepaid Unlimited plan, which already offered unlimited talk, text, and data (but with 480p streaming). This hotspot is unlimited, but speeds are capped at a measly 600Kbps. Still, it could come in handy if you need to urgently get online via your laptop to write something up.

Lastly, Verizon is bringing its Travel Passes to prepaid customers. $5/day gets you your standard talk, text, and data limits in Mexico and Canada. You'll have to add the plan to your account before you leave the US, but you'll only be charged for the days you actually use the plan.

If you aren't subscribed to Verizon Prepaid and the additions of 3G mobile hotspot to Prepaid Unlimited and Travel Passes have swayed you, Verizon is offering a $50 credit over two months with port-in if you select a plan that costs $50 or more.

Source: Verizon