First it's prepaid smartphone plans. Then it's soccer.

Oh, it's on bitches.

Verizon surprises by offering plans that aren't available anywhere else. Except the rest of the world.

BASKING RIDGE, N.J., Sept. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Verizon Wireless today announced it will be expanding its portfolio of prepaid offerings to include a new 3G Prepaid data package that lets customers access unlimited data on select 3G Smartphones and Multimedia phones for $30 monthly access. Multimedia phone customers also have the option of selecting a new $10 monthly data package for 25 MB per month ($.20/MB overage). These new prepaid data packages will be available in Verizon Wireless Communications Store today and online at www.verizonwireless.com beginning Sept. 28.

3G Smartphones

* BlackBerry® Curve™ 8330
* BlackBerry® Curve™ 8530
* BlackBerry® Storm™ 9530
* BlackBerry® Storm2™ 9550
* BlackBerry® Tour™ 9630
* BlackBerry® Bold™ 9650
* Palm® Pre™ Plus
* Palm Pixi™ Plus
* DROID by Motorola
* Motorola DEVOUR™
* DROID X by Motorola
* DROID 2 by Motorola
* DROID Eris™ by HTC
* DROID Incredible by HTC
* LG Ally™

How can this be? Americans buy our smartphones on credit; a two-year contract, little money down. Subsidized device. Will Verizon stores have teams of specialists there to explain exactly how this works? Will tech bloggers pore over the details to see how Verizon may have skewed this in favor of select smartphones -- or the always-present long-term contract?

I do not know. But it does mark quite a shift. Maybe Americans are ust trying to cut their debt obligations and, even if these new prepaid plans might potentially cost more, consumers are willing to try it to be freed from any lasting debt burdens.

Who knows. Maybe Nokia might actually sell a smartphone or two in this country, now. Although there unlocked SIM and no carrier restriction still smacks of rank communism to most American smartphone buyers. If this puts more smartphones into the hands of more Americans, I'm all for it.