iPad 2 Verizon 3G - stopping and restarting service?

You have to cancel your account during the month in order to not be charged for the next month. Here is a link to an article that describes the process. The relevant steps are in the section beginning "Additional Information." Be sure to click on the "Delete Account Later" option. Otherwise, your service is cancelled immediately. With the "Delete Account Later" option, the service and charges are stopped at the end of your month. After your service has been cancelled, you need to reset, as described in the instructions (steps 6-9). Then when you want to initiate service again, you go through the initiation process anew. It is not the simple on-and-off process that I was expecting from an Apple-linked service. But it has worked okay for me. (Actually, I've evolved toward just leaving the service on. I don't have a smart phone, and having the iPad cellular service always available (e.g., for the map while on trips) has been an occasional convenience worth the $20 per month for me.) Let me know if any of this is unclear and I'll try to clarify.

To cancel:

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4572?viewlocale=en_US

To activate

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4571?viewlocale=en_US

I'm glad you reminded me of that limitation; I had forgotten about it. And it doesn't seem to be written anywhere, at least not that I've seen. Back in August 2011 a Verizon customer service rep (by phone) told me about that limitation except that she said it was 5 months (which seems an odd duration). I think I've gone as long as 4 months without a problem, but I'm not certain about that duration. I can imagine that this is something that Verizon might change. I suggest calling the Verison support call center and insist on speaking with someone trained in the iPad service (back in August I finally got to talk with one such person, and it helped). And then ask to speak with a supervisor and see if you get the same response.

It really is a shame that the process of activating and deactivating the Verizon cellular account on the iPad is so murky and clumsy. I hope Verizon and Apple will develop a simpler and more elegant process. Having said this, however, I should also say that I have been very pleased with the service once I learned how to activate and deactivate it.