Sprint considering a move to tiered data plans

[yankees45us]

Originally Posted by fivestargentleman

Yep!!

Sprint has always had the 5gb cap on aircards. It's in their agreement. It's just now they actually tell you instead of waiting for you to read the fine print in your agreement. Cell phones don't have a 5gb cap. Yet!

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[themuffinman]

Originally Posted by yankees45us

That's probably true. The data plans on 3g will probably go to tiered plans so as to force people who want unlimited to get 4g and pay the premium charge. That shouldn't be too bad I guess. It will just suck if they made 4g a tiered service.

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Thats actually a pretty good strategy, makes a lot of sense. Good old fashion bait and switch.

Originally Posted by MrDSL

So people who bought a service as UNLIMITED and they actually use it as that are 'abusers'?

Interesting!!

I agree with you but Chris has some good points too with the whole buffet line example. Promotions and plans are always subject to change. As of right now sprint advertises unlimited and thats what we are getting but if the average data usage triples or quadriples then that will force any business to rethink their strategy. Like the buffet line example, lets say customers been averaging 3 plates per visit and now they are averaging 6 plates per visit, the costs have now doubled but I am still charging the same price. Any business will change rethink their strategy after that. Its like the autobahn in germany, even though there isn't a speed limit that doesn't mean you can drive with reckless abandon which could affect other people around you just trying to make it home.

Originally Posted by chris1683

I think it is really a double edged sword here with Sprint.

Point one:
I think what some people are getting at here is that let's say you go to an "all you can eat" buffet and you sit down to eat. The restaurant is assuming that the average person will eat 2-3 plates of food. Then an unaverage person walks in and eats 25 plates of food. Now the people who wanted a plate or two can't get it because there is none left because the hog before them took it all. Now think of it in terms of bandwith.

Point two:
Sprint clearly advertised the Evo as able to be the sole internet "Hotspot" for any wireless device in your house which wants to use internet. Granted you pay a hefty 30.00/month for this service but then what? Is Sprint saying that the plan, plus the 10.00 surcharge, plus the 30.00 add on is not enough for them? For those on the Simply Everything Plan that is $139.00 before taxes.

Point three:
Yes, Sprint is the first to offer 4G. I, like many other do no live in a 4G area for me, paying 10.00 per month gets me nothing extra than what I had with my TP2 but we will not get into that topic here. If Sprint wants to charge more for their "premium data" with our Evo's and Epic's then we should automatically have NO cap if they decided to invoke a data cap.

Point four:
A business is a business and people always need to remember that their ultimate goal is so make money and not to make you happy. If Sprint wants to roll the dice and start sticking it to all of their customers with more and more fees or caps, then they relinquish anything that made them "special" or "better" than their competitors making it more enticing for customers to switch to other carriers. Let's remember that before the Evo came out, Sprint's big hype phones were the Touch Pro II and the Palm Pre. Not too exciting when other carriers were miles ahead. I think they have gotten a little too head strong since releasing the Evo.

Excellent post, I don't think I could have said any better myself.

[GirlGoneGeek]

thread of same topic created a few hours before this one in carrier discussion. merging the two.

[chris1683]

Thought you guys might like this:

Pulled from the Virgin Mobile "Unlimited" plan details:
http://www.virginmobileusa.com/cell-phone-plans/beyond-talk-plans.jsp

Virgin Mobile service is subject to Terms of Service.
Virgin Mobile service is solely for personal use. Unlimited does not mean unreasonable use.
Beyond Talk Plan additional minutes are 10¢ each. State and local sales taxes and fees may apply.
Beyond talk plans for BlackBerry® require the purchase of a Virgin Mobile BlackBerry® Smartphone. Access to corporate email is not included or available. BlackBerry® Smartphones not available in all stores.
Trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Pricing and service details subject to change.



Here is one from Sprint for their data usage:
http://shop.sprint.com/en/legal/legal_terms_privacy_popup.shtml

Specific Terms & Restrictions On Using Data Services
In addition to the rules for using all of our other Services, unless we identify the Service or Device you have selected as specifically intended for that purpose (for example, wireless routers, Data Link, etc.), you can't use our data Services: (1) with server devices or host computer applications, or other systems that drive continuous heavy traffic or data sessions; (2) as a substitute or backup for private lines or frame relay connections; or (3) for any other unintended use as we determine in our sole discretion. We reserve the right to limit, suspend or constrain any heavy, continuous data usage that adversely impacts our network performance or hinders access to our network. If your Services include web or data access, you also can't use your Device as a modem for computers or other equipment, unless we identify the Service or Device you have selected as specifically intended for that purpose (for example, with "phone as modem" plans, Sprint Mobile Broadband card plans, wireless router plans, etc.).

Final thoughts:
All of you jerks who boast about using 50+gb of data per month are going to be the exact cause for Sprint's reasoning if they decide to invoke a data cap. Everyone who pays their premium data fee already plus their plan price should give you guys a big pat on the back for your contiuing efforts to help make us pay more in this already busted ecomony.

[MrDSL]

Originally Posted by themuffinman

Thats actually a pretty good strategy, makes a lot of sense. Good old fashion bait and switch.



I agree with you but Chris has some good points too with the whole buffet line example. Promotions and plans are always subject to change. As of right now sprint advertises unlimited and thats what we are getting but if the average data usage triples or quadriples then that will force any business to rethink their strategy. Like the buffet line example, lets say customers been averaging 3 plates per visit and now they are averaging 6 plates per visit, the costs have now doubled but I am still charging the same price. Any business will change rethink their strategy after that. Its like the autobahn in germany, even though there isn't a speed limit that doesn't mean you can drive with reckless abandon which could affect other people around you just trying to make it home.



Excellent post, I don't think I could have said any better myself.

I don't sign a 2 year contract to eat at a unlimited buffet that says I get unlimited plates of food though.

The Germany analogy is flawed. You can drive whatever speed limit be it 180 or 100 they don't pull you over saying you're going to fast and someone driving crazy endangering other peoples lives isn't even in the same ballpark as using a crap load of data unless using too much data could kill someone.

Sprint should have thought about that before they advertised the phone sharing up to 8 devices at a airport to random people.

I dunno I mean I don't use much data so ill be fine either way as long as I can leave if they change it since that's not what I signed up for.

[themuffinman]

Originally Posted by MrDSL

I don't sign a 2 year contract to eat at a unlimited buffet that says I get unlimited plates of food though.

The Germany analogy is flawed. You can drive whatever speed limit be it 180 or 100 they don't pull you over saying you're going to fast and someone driving crazy endangering other peoples lives isn't even in the same ballpark as using a crap load of data unless using too much data could kill someone.

Sprint should have thought about that before they advertised the phone sharing up to 8 devices at a airport to random people.

I dunno I mean I don't use much data so ill be fine either way as long as I can leave if they change it since that's not what I signed up for.

I actually agree with both sides of the argument and I think great points have been made from either as well but regardless of how flawed my anologies were the main point is even though we are free to do whatever we chose doesn't mean that it wouldn't come with a price eventually. If there were a string of fatal accidents on the autobahn after years of not really having issues, don't you think they will look at implimenting a speed limit? Yes I know human life is in a different ballpart than data services but the point is if there is change for the worse then something will be decided upon to make things better, thats all I was trying to say.

[austin420]

looks like verizon will introduce tiered data before sprint will.
this is from the wall street journal.
Verizon to Change Mobile-Data Plans - WSJ.com

[Mojary]

Originally Posted by austin420

looks like verizon will introduce tiered data before sprint will.
this is from the wall street journal.
Verizon to Change Mobile-Data Plans - WSJ.com

maybe they're trying to get ready for the iphone. trying to get a head start by learning from what iphone users did on the at&t network.

[yankees45us]

Originally Posted by LoungeLizard

Why? They applied the new Corporate Discount policy to existing plans without "grandfathering" anybody in. I wouldn't count on not getting hit with the cap if you are an existing customer.

As far as the cap goes, I think it stinks for us who pay for "premium data". But on the other hand, we have people right here in another thread about this who admit to using 250-300 gb a month. Those are the people who need a cap, or at least common sense. It's a phone.

Agree 100%. These people with more than 15gb data usage are going to force sprint to switch to tiered data.

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[quick99si]

Originally Posted by yankees45us

Agree 100%. These people with more than 15gb data usage are going to force sprint to switch to tiered data.

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Yeah, and your stupidbleep advertisements in your posts will force me to ignore you.