Sprint Nixing $10 Premium Data Fee??

[HeadlessPonch]

Virgin is on Sprints network. 1200 minutes(anytime), unlimited 3G data and Text = $40. I might as well save $$, since I am not getting decent speeds.

You could also try Straight Talk available at WalMart. It uses Verizon's network. @ $45? I coworker's son is on it and likes it.

Myself, I have a mostly problem free Moment and pretty good data speeds. It certainly doesn't take 2 minutes to open this forum.

 

[novox77]

Upfront disclaimer: I don't work for Sprint.


Sprint never claimed that the $10 fee is a 4G fee. They've consistently said it's a "premium data" fee. While that term is vague, this is what it means: not all phones use data bandwidth equally. Smartphones like the Evo and Epic have operating systems that allow a user to very easily access data. Compare the Evo/Epic to a phone that can only check email and do basic web surfing. No GPS. No video streaming. No Multitasking.

The features in modern smartphones use up 80% more data than feature phones. Yet smartphone market penetration is only about 20% at the moment and growing fast. That means that pretty soon, all networks are going to come to a crawl without infrastructure improvement/upgrades. And that costs money. So Sprint is basically saying that you have a phone that contributes to the logjam. They are going to tax you more. Paying for premium data therefore does not guarantee you faster data speeds. You are paying for your potential data usage that's creating a burden on their infrastructure.

Sprint's not stupid. They know that raising prices makes for unhappy consumers. But they rather have people unhappy about this $10 than have their entire customer base unhappy that calls get dropped (like AT&T and iphone users), and data is at a slow crawl.

 

[RiverOfIce]

Speedtest to DC RIGHT NOW = 0.26Mbps down and 0.18MBps up. Thats 1/8 of what my coworkers get. (Edit 9:09am - 771Kbps/513Kbps, why so inconsistant)

Why in the world are you still here? Leave, jump ship, run away. Every time we turn around you are talking about the stupid fee, here is a hint, you dont have to pay it, just go to another carrier. 16 of your last 25 posts has been on the "fee".

I understand that you are upset, but your only choice is another carrier. I would suggest Verizon, you pay more, but it would really help you out.

There is no reason to remain if you are just going to get bad service.

Let your money tell sprint where to stick it.

 

[tqlla]

Well, you know what's best for you. What I was getting at is that before Sprint put the $10 smartphone fee out there (which one wouldn't be paying yet until contract renewal unless one already had an EVO or Epic) you seemed to be ok with what you had. Now that they've imposed the fee, even though you aren't paying extra, you aren't happy, and are reporting poor performance. So, if you were willing to pay more than $40 a month before, why keep crappy service and pay $40 a month when you can pay close to what you were paying to begin with and have better service with tmo or vzw? I am just not understanding your reasoning, that's all. I understand you don't expect steak from a hamburger joint and vice-versa. However, if you wanted steak, could afford steak, and were paying for steak but then they started serving you hamburgers for the steak prices, why would you settle for a cheap hamburger elsewhere when, since you are going elsewhere anyway, you could just go and get the steak?

I am upset because Sprint has made A LOT of signifigant changes over the last 8 months(since I joined)

I dont know why I have to keep listing them. Apparantly, you believe that Sprint is fully Justified:
1) Charging a Premium Data fee on 4G Phones, after the CEO was quoted as saying 4G costs less, and is something that Sprint could offer at no cost to their customers
2) Dumping Discounts on additional lines
3) Spreading the Premium Data fee to all users
4) Taking away my Premier Annual upgrade before I ever got the chance to use it.

I have had enough with their changes. What was once a "Simple plan" is now a maze of fees. I can see whats next. YOU should be able to see it too. A 4G fee will be here.

I can get unlimited Sprint 3G Data and Texts +300 minutes from Virgin, and only Pay $25. If Data costs Sprint soooo much money, how is it that Virgin can lease lines from Sprint and charge us much less than Sprint Charges us.

 

[tqlla]

Why in the world are you still here? Leave, jump ship, run away. Every time we turn around you are talking about the stupid fee, here is a hint, you dont have to pay it, just go to another carrier. 16 of your last 25 posts has been on the "fee".

I understand that you are upset, but your only choice is another carrier. I would suggest Verizon, you pay more, but it would really help you out.

There is no reason to remain if you are just going to get bad service.

Let your money tell sprint where to stick it.

Why are you still here? 34 of your last 42 posts have been about my posts.

I dont understand why people here act like there is no ETF and people can just leave without penalty. I will be gone when my contract is up. Unless you want to paypal me the ETF.

 

[CarrieK]

I dont understand why people here act like there is no ETF and people can just leave without penalty. I will be gone when my contract is up. Unless you want to paypal me the ETF.

Apparently you dont even take the time to read my "Last 25 posts" because I have a lot of complaints, and its more than just the fee.

Methinks someone bought steak on a hamburger budget

 

[tqlla]

Methinks someone bought steak on a hamburger budget

Me wonders why you are on Sprint when you have a money tree.

 

[CarrieK]

Me wonders why you are on Sprint when you have a money tree.

Lol, I don't have to downgrade to 300 minutes and no roaming because I didn't do research on the front end. My bill isn't any more than it was before the fees and yours isn't either. You just can't affotd what you signed up for which is ok but you shouldn't blame Sprint for that. Take all that money you'll save, pay the etf and go with the plan you can afford with Virgin or Boost or whoever. Guarantee you won't be happy with that either. Good luck.