Sprint debuts 'Unlimited Guarantee,' promises to lock in plan rates for life
Coming one day after Japan's SoftBank closed a $21.6 billion to takeover Sprint, the U.S. carrier announced a new "Unlimited Guarantee" that allows existing or new subscribers to lock in current unlimited talk, text and data plan prices for the life of an account.
The guarantee, which applies to the Unlimited, My WaySM plan or My All-inSM plan, was announced on the company's website on Thursday and is scheduled to go into effect on July 12.
?The Sprint Unlimited Guarantee allows our customers to lock-in unlimited talk, text and data not for just the next two years, but for life," said Sprint CEO Dan Hesse. "Sprint customers won?t have to worry about their wireless bill or managing their family?s wireless usage."
Plans start at $80 per month, and customers can mix smartphones with feature phones, choose various data tiers and add up to ten lines on one account. According to Sprint, the Unlimited, My Way plan offers a $20 per month savings when compared to a comparable Verizon plan with 2GB of capped data.
The new guarantee comes one day after Japanese wireless carrier and Internet services giant SoftBank bought a 78 percent stake in Sprint for a reported $21.6 billion.
Sprint's move makes switching away from Verizon and AT&T more attractive, despite lacking the robust high speed data backbone of the two top telecoms. The nation's third-largest carrier by subscribership is continually extending its own 4G LTE network, however, and recently turned on service in 22 new areas.
The guarantee, which applies to the Unlimited, My WaySM plan or My All-inSM plan, was announced on the company's website on Thursday and is scheduled to go into effect on July 12.
?The Sprint Unlimited Guarantee allows our customers to lock-in unlimited talk, text and data not for just the next two years, but for life," said Sprint CEO Dan Hesse. "Sprint customers won?t have to worry about their wireless bill or managing their family?s wireless usage."
Plans start at $80 per month, and customers can mix smartphones with feature phones, choose various data tiers and add up to ten lines on one account. According to Sprint, the Unlimited, My Way plan offers a $20 per month savings when compared to a comparable Verizon plan with 2GB of capped data.
The new guarantee comes one day after Japanese wireless carrier and Internet services giant SoftBank bought a 78 percent stake in Sprint for a reported $21.6 billion.
Sprint's move makes switching away from Verizon and AT&T more attractive, despite lacking the robust high speed data backbone of the two top telecoms. The nation's third-largest carrier by subscribership is continually extending its own 4G LTE network, however, and recently turned on service in 22 new areas.
Comments
No thanks, but I am not buying into this Orwellian doublespeak. When the market gets tough(er) and Sprint's feeling the pinch, their well-heeled attorneys will point out some exception buried deep within the Terms of Service that will allow them to opt out and not have to honor this plan.
Sprint, with all due respect, go F yourselves.
I don't think that the customers are locked in for life. I think this is more about sprint promising not to raise prices for as long as you keep the line open.
that's a pretty cynical comment and jaded outlook ... at&t bought my account 14 years ago from pacbell wireless/cingular/et. al. and they've been nothing but angels ... they've never effed me o ... hey, wait a minute ...
at&t and sprint, with all due respect, go F yourselves.
the first question i always ask about for-life deals like this is: who's life? mine or yours?
(years ago i bought a for-life license from tune-up media ... then they decided it was for the life of my computer.)
Apple has a 35%-45% profit margin?
Hah! That pennies of ours!"
After two lawyerly looking assistants quickly approached Mr Hess and whispered something to him, he refused to comment further.
Is the contract written in blood?
F sprint, verizon and ATT....
Quote:
Originally Posted by iaeen
I don't think that the customers are locked in for life. I think this is more about sprint promising not to raise prices for as long as you keep the line open.
Uh, I've had the same rate ATT plan on my iPhone since my first iPhone 3G in 2008. You know, the unlimited Data Plan one for about $85/mo.? And right now i'm off contract. My better half has the original iPhone Gen 1 plan and she was able to grandfather in her voice plan from her previous Razor phone. She only pays around $65/mo. and we're both on iPhone 4's now and off contract. Our next phones will probably be off contract purchases too. I think the only thing she lost in the switch to the iPhone 4 was her standard 250 texts that was originally on her plan. Her plan also was with a corporate discount rate too. And she hasn't worked for that company in nearly 4 years. ATT never asked her for proof of employment when she switched.
So Sprint, what's your point?
Some pretty bizarre and hostile comments to some new plans. As far as I know all the old plans will be grandfathered in and no one is forcing you to use this new plan. Everyone knows nothing is forever and if Softbank goes bankrupt or sells Sprint to some new company they could change whatever they like. But I like the idea that they promise you that as long as you keep your number and pay on time you will be guaranteed unlimited data.
It is true Sprint's network currently doesn't have nearly as many towns covered with LTE as Verizon or AT&T. But Sprint also has as much and possibly even more spectrum than AT&T or Verizon thanks to getting the old Nextel 800MHz and now a huge amount of Clearwire 2.5GHz. They have as much spectrum as the big 2 but with only half the customers so they can more easily offer unlimited data.
Their network vision is definitely a work in progress. Hopefully now that the Softbank take over is complete things will progress a little faster. But once they are complete and cover their entire 3G map with LTE and add 800MHz and 2.5GHz to the existing 1.9Ghz network and all towers have been fully converted to multi-modal and the backhaul is also being upgraded on every single tower which is another reason it is taking longer, Sprint could be a very viable company again.
AT&T and Verizon were able to add LTE faster since they are not going multi-modal. They are simply adding LTE on 700MHz if I am not mistaken. But eventually that is going to get saturated as more and more people switch to LTE phones. Then they will have to go back and do what Sprint is doing now and install all new equipment. Sprint will be able to use voice or data on all 3 frequencies depending on location and other factors which is a huge advantage. Network vision is very ambitious and a big gamble since it is taking far longer to upgrade the entire network. But once it is complete it could pay off big.
$110 mo for tethering? :???:
There's always a catch, sure, but MAN!!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by bsenka
$110 mo for tethering?
There's always a catch, sure, but MAN!!!
Not sure I follow you. That is unlimited everything on the phone plus 5GB you can tether to your iPad or computer.
They'll just screw new customers.
There very well could be something like AT&T did where you lose the old terms and conditions when you upgrade to a certain device.
My first impression as I read the story was that it really says - "Oh god, please don't leave in droves"
and just what does "While on the Sprint Network" mean? that there will be outrageous roaming charges when you are not connected to a Sprint cell tower (or using WiFi)?
The prices in that chart don't look to me like there is any huge savings - unless you consistently go over the data limits on the other plans - so I guess they were included not to highlight how much more expensive the competition is but rather what the limitations are on comparably priced plans.
Not sure how good their coverage is etc - right no I have 7 iPhones on my plan with 10GB/month data for roughly $49 per device if I divide the entire bill evenly across all devices - and it has been a long time since I have used more than 5GB in a single month (10GB plan was only about $10 more per month I think). I might be adding at least one more device in the next year - and upgrading at least 4 of the devices to iPhone 5 (or whatever is released in the next couple months).
Quote:
Originally Posted by lilgto64
and just what does "While on the Sprint Network" mean? that there will be outrageous roaming charges when you are not connected to a Sprint cell tower (or using WiFi)?
Roaming is free on Sprint. Most roaming is on Verizon so whenever you don't get Sprint coverage you can still use the entire Verizon footprint which can be handy when you are way out in the boonies with no town for miles which is where Verizon shines. But you are never charged for roaming. If you consistently have excessive roaming of data every month for several months in a row they just cancel your contract without any ETF.
Of course wifi isn't counted, not sure why you would ask that question.
Wow! Great deal....unlimited slow everything for the rest of my life!
That is better than what I thought I was reading, but still a huge rip-off. Unlimited... "plus" is not unlimited.
Sprint might be a player in 6 months to a year with their new funding and huge supply of spectrum.
Today...they still need too much work for me to consider switching back.
When Sprint has 90% LTE market coverage maybe then I will consider changing back to them.
For now, my AT&T HSPA+ is so fast and coverage so huge, there is no way in hell I am leaving AT&T for a half baked competitor...especially a CDMA competitor.
Quote:
Originally Posted by AppleInsider
Plans start at $80 per month
That's... um... pretty expensive.