Sprint to Cut Phone-as-Modem Prices?

By Dieter Bohn
Posted on August 8, 2008 10:14 AM
Filed under Articles, Rumors
Tags: phone as modem sprint tethering
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Looks like Sprint is well on it's way towards following our four step plan to success. Part 4 of that plan:

Don't ever forget: people love you because you have 3G in a lot of places and it's usually cheaper than the competition. Don't raise your prices on data.

Phone News is reporting that they've heard Sprint is planning on dropping their rate for their Phone-as-Modem tethering plan from $40 a month down to $15 per month. There's a caveat, though, it only applies on current plans, not older plans. Phone News speculates (and we agree), that it's a gambit to get more of their customers onto their current plans -- part of Sprint's campaign to “improve the quality of the customer base.”

Lots of folks tether their WinMo phones contrary to Sprint's Terms of Service -- you're supposed to have a PAM plan in order to do it. Would you 'legalize' your tethering now that the PAM plan is going to be much more reasonable?

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Comments (4)

'Legalize' my tethering voluntarily? No.
Pay $15 a month if they blocked it or threatened to cancel my service? Sure.

Lowering the PAM plan to $15 a month is nice, but it'd be even better if they offered real 'unlimited' data for slightly more, rather than the 5GB 'cap' that's in place.

Posted by Kismet | August 8, 2008 11:43 AM

Amen to all of that!

Posted by Dieter Bohn | August 8, 2008 12:22 PM

My Sprint contract has expired and I'm in the decision mode right now. If they offer $15/mo PAM without any tricks other than the 5gig limit (and no nasty overage charges that would come as an expensive surprise), I'm almost sure to stick with Sprint when they release the Touch Pro.

Currently, I don't do illegal PAM, but I've thought about it. I also have use of a Verizon aircard, though, so it's not a big need at the moment...

Posted by Bobbert | August 8, 2008 6:24 PM

Tethering with a WinMob phone can not be detected by Sprint. The 5GB cap is the reason I will NOT move to ANY of Sprint's new plans. There is no added value at all. None! There IS added revenue for Sprint. That is about it.

I think people forget that Sprint used to have an advantage over the other US CDMA carriers. They were CHEAPER and offered UNLIMITED data plans. Now they are the SAME as every other CDMA carrier with their draconian data plans.

I am NOT impressed with Sprint's new plans. They think people have money trees in their back yards. I am still on my $30 SERO plan and I will stay right where I am at. It will be cheaper for me to pay FULL price for the Touch Pro and just do an ESN swap thereby keeping my GOOD and Affordable plan. If the Touch Pro costs $600 full retail then I need to divide that cost by 24 to simulate a new 2 year contract. That is $25/month. Add that to my $30 plan and I am still cheaper than any of the Sprint Everything plans.

One CDMA carrier should come out with a decent plan structure like this for those people who want to buy at full retail and save some money in the long run. It would also benefit those who switch phones frequently.

As for the unofficial tethering, I am not going to pay for the several days out of a year that I may use it. I feel NO remorse.

Posted by moon1234 | August 9, 2008 1:28 AM