In a world where mobile providers are axing or throttling their unlimited data plans left and right, Sprint is jumping into the fray, boldly offering two plans for the iPhone that come with unlimited data. The cheaper plan of the two, at $69.99, comes with 450 minutes, unlimited data and unlimited mobile to mobile. Upgrade to the $99.99 plan and you get unlimited data and unlimited calling in general. Not a particularly bad deal.
Now, it’s worth noting that while those are the costs of the plans, smartphone users have to pay a $10 charge on top for the luxury of having a smartphone. Sprint is now the only one offering unlimited plans for the iPhone specificially, so this will likely (hopefully for them) create an influx of customers. Whether or not their network can handle all the traffic is yet to be seen.
In a statement to AllThingsD, Sprint spokeswoman Michelle Leff Mermelstein had this to say about the state of the network:
“We have every confidence in the ability of our 3G network to handle the influx of devices we expect to get. It certainly hasn’t been an issue to date.”
“To date” is the important part, but hopefully this offer will prove that unlimited data plans are still a viable business strategy in this day and age where smartphones have become the rule instead of the exception. For the moment, there’s no mention of the iPhone on the Sprint webpage, but they must be pretty stoked about the kind of business this move might bring in and just waiting to make a flashy announcement. We’ll have to wait and see if this will allow them to skyrocket into the big leagues.
(via AllThingsD)
- Verizon got rid of its unlimited plans
- AT&T throttled bandwidth for its unlimited plans (for which the iPhone doesn’t apply)
- If you’re on T-Mobile, you can use the Smozzy app to surf the web via SMS
Published: Oct 6, 2011 11:22 am