Sprint to limit data usage on everything plans
When is unlimited not unlimited? Apparently when it comes from Sprint. Though the carrier has been very active about touting its new "simply everything" plan, which includes unlimited mobile Internet and messaging, it plans to place a cap on monthly data usage next month. Sprint will limit its simply everything customers to 5GB of data usage per month, plus 300MB per month for off-network data roaming.
A Sprint representative told BetaNews that the cap is needed to ensure a great customer experience. "The use of voice and data roaming by a small minority of customers is generating a disproportionately large level of operating expense for the company," the representative said. "This limit is well within the range of what a typical customer would normally use each month." I asked Sprint for further comment and I'll let you know what the carrier says.
BetaNews said Sprint began notifying customers in monthly bills that were mailed this week. The change will go into effect 30 days after customers receive the note. Also, the carrier said it will call customers next month to make sure they're aware of the changes.
Kent German is a senior editor for cell phone reviews at CNET. When he's not testing the newest handsets on the market, he's blogging about cell phone news for Crave. In his On Call column, he answers reader questions and gives his take on the rapidly changing mobile industry. E-mail Kent. 
Still, it's sad that Sprint has fallen as well.
-- same limit as Verizon
-- better coverage with Verizon
-- a penalty-free cancellation to leave Sprint
Further, according to Sprint sources, the charge for going over the 5GB limit is $.03/kilobyte. An inadvertant OS update of 500 megs over the limit puts you into debt to Sprint for $15,000.
When I contacted Bob White, Senior VP of Corporate Communications at Sprint about this drastic change, he said he checked my records and found that I would probably not be affected by the change. Well, this is even more reason to go to Verizion, because Sprint has now just confirmed that I can live within Verizon's limit and get more coverage for the same cost.
The ONLY reason I was staying with Sprint was the peace of mind that with unlimited I did not have to worry about inadvertently going into serious debt and that I would have the data throughput when I needed it.
If Sprint would do something innovative like roll over the unused bandwidth for future use, then it they might something going with this limit.
realistiacally for most people 5 gigs is more than enough.
only if you tether it and use it as a modem maybe you will if need more if you use torrent or something like that.
but for just internet surfing its more than enough.
especially on any mobile device. how much can you really do on a small screen. i only use it for quotes and scores.
I use my pda phone for mostly business work and most files are ms office or maybe a video clip here and there but I don't even get close to 500mbs a month and I have unlimited internet/data etc.. I watch sport center and braking news and also use my phone as gps sometimes but 5gbs is alottttt.
Typical users don't opt for the "unlimited" plan!
1) 5GB/mo is an outrageous amount of data, especially for a phone data connection.
2) Having said that, "unlimited" means, in the English language, "without limits", so a 5GB limit is not, by definition, unlimited.
- by rotimiwaddy September 19, 2009 9:13 PM PDT
- Wow. These was a very interesting discussion I just discovered! I'm debating the switch from Verizon to Sprint soon and don't really know what to think at this point! I'm probably still going to go w/ Sprint for their Everything plan cuz it will still save me lots and lots of $$$ overall & the coverage here in the Phoenix are should be fine if not decent to say the least.
- Like this Reply to this comment
-
(21 Comments)