Sprint Cutting Unlimited 4G Data Plans

CommanderFrank

CommanderFrank

Cat Can't Scratch It
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May 9, 2000
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Sprint joined its competition in capping unlimited data usage on all mobile devices. Sprint however, will continue to provide plans for smartphones. The new charges will go into effect on the subscriber’s next billing cycle.

The change eliminates one of the key differentiators Sprint had used to market its services against larger rivals Verizon Wireless and AT&T.
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Saw that one coming. Maybe they will get rid of their stupid Sprint commercial about their unlimited data now. I am so tired of seeing that one
 
SMH....well, it was bound to happen anyway. At least I still have my grandfathered unlimited data (for $9) from Verizon. I'm buying my phones outright until I die..lol
 
OP is wrong. Its been discussed over and over again for a month now, it's only the mobile broadband that is being cut. Hell, even in the linked articles it clearly states phones are still unlimited. Please stop dramatic.
 
was referring to the title btw, and saying all mobile devices which really are only the usb modems.
 
Well that sucks, but at least they're not capping smart phones just wireless modems and the like.
 
Its only a matter of time before they start capping usage on smartphones as well, probably by the middle of next year when they transition into LTE. :(

If they kill unlimited smartphone data now, they will likely lose many customers. Which would you rather have, capped Wimax with HORRIBLE building penetration or capped LTE from the competition?
 
jahsoul said:
SMH....well, it was bound to happen anyway. At least I still have my grandfathered unlimited data (for $9) from Verizon. I'm buying my phones outright until I die..lol
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I'm also holding onto my Verizon unlimited data plan for as long as I can. Never heard of getting it for only $9! It must be a very old plan, would it even work on 4G smartphones?
 
nerdydesi said:
I'm also holding onto my Verizon unlimited data plan for as long as I can. Never heard of getting it for only $9! It must be a very old plan, would it even work on 4G smartphones?
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It's not an old plan. I just joined Verizon in December. They had a promotion (which was supposedly regional) which gave you 600 (1400 on family plan), unlimited text, unlimited data, and 5 (10 for family plan) Friends and Family for $69 and $139 respectively After looking at my plan detail, I saw that I was given the 1400 minutes and unlimited text for $110 with the $9 line add on, they took $20 off the data so I only pay $9.99 on each line for unlimited data...FTW if you ask me..lol
 
Had to happen, but it seems odd to me that they would run this big ad campaign about how they were the only one left with unlimited data and then get rid of it. Seems like a sleazy tactic to get more people in contract before they ditched it.
 
This is a dumb long-term move. Once they lose the unlimited data plan for smartphones, there is NO incentive to stay with sprint.
 
They still have unlimited for phones which is all I give a shit about, so...
 
jahsoul said:
It's not an old plan. I just joined Verizon in December. They had a promotion (which was supposedly regional) which gave you 600 (1400 on family plan), unlimited text, unlimited data, and 5 (10 for family plan) Friends and Family for $69 and $139 respectively After looking at my plan detail, I saw that I was given the 1400 minutes and unlimited text for $110 with the $9 line add on, they took $20 off the data so I only pay $9.99 on each line for unlimited data...FTW if you ask me..lol
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Damn, you are lucky. I hope that plan comes to my area, probably never will, since I live in a huge metro area. Verizon must be trying to win customers in your area then.
 
I was about to go into nerd rage but then read the article.

Their changes don't affect me at all since all I have is my EVO 4G (rooted on Cyanogen of course)

I still think it's funny after all the puffing they did about being the "only unlimited carrier" they pull this crap? I still don't care at this point, but if they ever want to limit or cap my data on my phone I will be dropping them so fast.

I like the fact I pay 74 dollars (after taxes and fees) for 450 anytime minutes, unlimited text, mobile2mobile, and unlimited data. While 4G is in DFW, TX my particular area does not have it.

Sprint is treading on thin ice.
 
I dont see how anyone can be angry with the ads sprint was/is showing claiming to have an unlimited phone plan as that is what they still have. In the ad that comes to mind it shows a picture of phones racing up a bar graph not modems/netbooks or anything else. I do agree it is not an encouraging sign of possible things to come but for now it seems they are still within the "spirit" of their ad campaign.
 
nerdydesi said:
Damn, you are lucky. I hope that plan comes to my area, probably never will, since I live in a huge metro area. Verizon must be trying to win customers in your area then.
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Verizon runs my city..lol. I live in a semi big city (Montgomery, AL). This is the reason I moved to Verizon in the first place. I saw the thread on Howard Forums and told somebody at work about it. After it worked for him, I went to Verizon that night and signed up for service..lol.
 
I want an unlimited mobile data provider in my area.

Oh, now there isn't one?

And you can't start a new company either. People will bribe congress and a few experts to say it "interferes with GPS" or something.
 
No grandfather clause?

My wife just got Sprint with a 2 year contract one month agou so she can actually have internet service with tethering. $30 extra for a lousy 5GB? Are you kidding me?

Cell phone companies in America are awful. I can't fathom why anyone bothers with them.
 
Wow, I was about to switch to Sprint because of my new (illegal, and not on my contract) 5GB cap.... they cap me off to 7.5kb/sec NO BULLSHIT. That is worse than 56k, WTF, 100% not fair.

And good luck getting grandfathered.... T-Mobile STILL has me on UNLIMITED (without a *, not UNLIMITED*,, it still says UNLIMITED at my limit on their site) -- yet bam, 5GB and I'm down to 7.5kb/sec.

So, anyways, I was going to join Sprint wireless JUST FOR THE UNLIMITED DATA. Now this totally craps on my parade and I have 0 reason to switch to (more expensive) Sprint.

It's a sad day for wireless broadband in America..... this is not good.
 
Wait, I got confused by this contradictive wording here in the OP:

Sprint joined its competition in capping unlimited data usage on all mobile devices. Sprint however, will continue to provide plans for smartphones.

The 2 red words.... those are the same thing? So the phones are still good? Sweet, because android 2.3+ has instant hotspot WiFi (what I am using now :D ).

Thanks to the people above, the title was a little misleading at first!
 
Yeah that's what happens when you use sensationalistic titles, people assume and are misinformed. Phones are still in the clear for unlimited data. I personally don't mind this since i don't use their mobile broadband anymore and datacap on that would be less bandwidth hogs for smartphone users.
 
Greene420 said:
Wait, I got confused by this contradictive wording here in the OP:

Sprint joined its competition in capping unlimited data usage on all mobile devices. Sprint however, will continue to provide plans for smartphones.

The 2 red words.... those are the same thing? So the phones are still good? Sweet, because android 2.3+ has instant hotspot WiFi (what I am using now :D ).

Thanks to the people above, the title was a little misleading at first!
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wifi tethering is capped now. no hooking your laptop up to your phone and getting unlimited internet.
 
onedestinazn2 said:
OP is wrong. Its been discussed over and over again for a month now, it's only the mobile broadband that is being cut. Hell, even in the linked articles it clearly states phones are still unlimited. Please stop dramatic.
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Yeah, but the beauty of unlimited data is most fully realized on full computers that have power to really use the speed, particularly when it comes LTE, in fact I was going to get a Sprint LTE modem when they came available but there's no point now.
 
heatlesssun said:
Yeah, but the beauty of unlimited data is most fully realized on full computers that have power to really use the speed, particularly when it comes LTE, in fact I was going to get a Sprint LTE modem when they came available but there's no point now.
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Yes you're right i agree, but i've gone well over 5gb plenty of times on my phone whether tethering or not. I'm just trying to clarify it for the majority of current/future sprint smartphone users that really aren't affected by this new change but the confusing title would have them think otherwise.
 
guachi said:
wifi tethering is capped now. no hooking your laptop up to your phone and getting unlimited internet.
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But how can they even tell? Please don't say useragent because I can easily make my PC look like an Android, iphone, anything else,even a ipad browser :D --- so that really wouldn't apply to my tethering :D

Tmob used to send me texts about tethering but I use it 24/7 STILL and they quit sending them now...... but this 7.5kb/sec after 5GB's is horrrrrrrribleeeeeeeeeee and dead slow to almost 56k AOL speeds :eek: :eek: :mad: :mad:
 
Nehtor said:
Saw that one coming. Maybe they will get rid of their stupid Sprint commercial about their unlimited data now. I am so tired of seeing that one
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Even when they were airing it we all knew it was a straight up temporal lie. Sure it was true at that moment but they knew damn well at the time the ad was commissioned and ad space paid for that it was over VERY soon.
 
heatlesssun said:
Yeah, but the beauty of unlimited data is most fully realized on full computers that have power to really use the speed, particularly when it comes LTE, in fact I was going to get a Sprint LTE modem when they came available but there's no point now.
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Lets just be completely clear.

There isnt enough cellular bandwidth to do this. Its a finite resource. Everyone is getting this idea in their head that with a 4G cell plan you can somehow magically cut a dedicated premises internet connection. Its not going ot happen anytime in the near future. Sure some technological survialists will be able to live on OTA only, but for the vast majority of us, we arent geting rid of dedicated home lines anytime soon. Not physically possible
 
Bigbacon said:
how the fuck do you guys use 5gb in a month?
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My wife got Sprint and Hot Spot because she has no access to regular internet where she is. I send her TV shows via drop box and it's easy to do 2GB per day. We could do more, but she only can tether while she is at home.

At first, I was mad at Sprint's change. Then I realized you can get Dropbox for Android. Now she should be able to download all day while at work and then simply copy the files to her PC. At least data is still unlimited on the phone. I expect we can do 100 GB a month easy.
 
guachi said:
My wife got Sprint and Hot Spot because she has no access to regular internet where she is. I send her TV shows via drop box and it's easy to do 2GB per day. We could do more, but she only can tether while she is at home.

At first, I was mad at Sprint's change. Then I realized you can get Dropbox for Android. Now she should be able to download all day while at work and then simply copy the files to her PC. At least data is still unlimited on the phone. I expect we can do 100 GB a month easy.
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cut out middleman - clear still has unlimited -

http://www.clear.com/packages?intcmp=home:t2:packages
 
Spire3660 said:
Lets just be completely clear.

There isnt enough cellular bandwidth to do this. Its a finite resource. Everyone is getting this idea in their head that with a 4G cell plan you can somehow magically cut a dedicated premises internet connection. Its not going ot happen anytime in the near future. Sure some technological survialists will be able to live on OTA only, but for the vast majority of us, we arent geting rid of dedicated home lines anytime soon. Not physically possible
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I've had a Verizon 4G modem since Verizon launched LTE in December of last year so I'm pretty familiar with what its is capable of when there is the bandwidth. I agree with what you're saying, I was just saying that it's a shame that Sprint is capping their plan and that they just lost my 4G modem business.
 
onedestinazn2 said:
Yes you're right i agree, but i've gone well over 5gb plenty of times on my phone whether tethering or not. I'm just trying to clarify it for the majority of current/future sprint smartphone users that really aren't affected by this new change but the confusing title would have them think otherwise.
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I understand and it is an important clarification. But I've almost always gone over 5GB per month with my Verizon LTE modem and a couple of times I've even gone over my 10GB limit when I first got it, though I'm more careful about it now.

It's simply so fast that burning through 10GB in a couple of hours is easily possible and it really is a shame that such a wonderful technology has to be rationed like this. And it's very possible that this limit could hit phones as more and more powerful phones go to LTE when Sprint gets their LTE network running.
 
guachi said:
My wife got Sprint and Hot Spot because she has no access to regular internet where she is. I send her TV shows via drop box and it's easy to do 2GB per day. We could do more, but she only can tether while she is at home.

At first, I was mad at Sprint's change. Then I realized you can get Dropbox for Android. Now she should be able to download all day while at work and then simply copy the files to her PC. At least data is still unlimited on the phone. I expect we can do 100 GB a month easy.
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this is probably why they cap this stuff because people that do use 100gb in a month or gb per day.
 
Lol, it's funny to me that they are doing this after all of their "Unlimited Data Cap" commercials.
 
Bigbacon said:
how the fuck do you guys use 5gb in a month?
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Use your super duper dual core 4G superphone as it is advertised. I used to think the same thing. Ever since Verizon went 4G and I got the Samsung Charge, I use anywhere from 3 to 10 Gb a month on my line alone. No tethering.
 
Bigbacon said:
how the fuck do you guys use 5gb in a month?
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With 4G it's pretty easy even with a phone but if you're using 5GB+ a month you're doing a more with your phone than most. 4G connected to a computer is even worse as you can download games from Steam and at the same time bittorrent and be on Netflix while downloading a DVD image. I tried all this at once just to see how good 4G was when I first got and it amazed at how well it worked, just like using my cable modem, maybe even a bit faster. But with a 10GB cap and $10/GB over than it's not at all cost effective.
 
I have my grandfathered unlimited 3g data card and I hope that its not affected by this. Its my only connection to the internet out where I live and my only other option is satellite internet and thats over 100 dollars a month and I dont feel like paying that much for the internet when I have been paying 50 bucks a month for years. although I am sure that heavy users like me contributed to this decision.
 
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