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Sprint: We Don't Throttle Smartphone Users

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We Won't Throttle, We'll Just Terminate

metakong

Jan 6, 2012, 2:56 PM
Is it me and my Verizon bias, or did Sprint basically say that they will "merely" terminate the contract of anyone using unlimited data to the fullest? Is this not MORE severe than throttling or limiting usage? Would you rather be limited on your unlimited plan or removed from it completely?
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edzero

Jan 6, 2012, 3:10 PM
I dont think its even as clear as you make it sound. Its extremely vague.
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Tofuchong

Jan 6, 2012, 3:16 PM
Too vague. You would think that if they would go so far as to terminate service, they would try to make the line between ok data use and excessive very clear cut.
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acdc1a

Jan 6, 2012, 3:24 PM
I can make it pretty clear. If you're using unlimited data on your phone and not though other means it would be virtually impossible to reach the kind of data they consider abuse.

If on the other hand you turn your handset into a mobile hotspot and download DVD quality movies all day, you're likely to lose your service.
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metakong

Jan 6, 2012, 3:27 PM
acdc1a said:
I can make it pretty clear. If you're using unlimited data on your phone and not though other means it would be virtually impossible to reach the kind of data they consider abuse.

If on the other hand you turn your handset into a mobile hotspot and download DVD quality movies all day, you're likely to lose your service.


And, if the above argument is considered, 95% of users use their data only on their phone and will use less than 2GB of data per month, meaning Sprint's unlimited package is unnecessary and practically valueless.
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sp_5015

Jan 6, 2012, 4:37 PM
...says the Verizon troll
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Fredd

Jan 6, 2012, 5:10 PM
Exactly! AT&T studies prior to capping smartphone plan (and my anecdotal observations) support that OVER 95% of users are under the 1GB/month use.

The only Complaint I recall about data usage charges over 2GB cap was from a user who stated "I don't download anything from the internet, I just listen to Pandora radio"!

Yes, they are out there!
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Simply_Eric

Jan 6, 2012, 6:20 PM
Streaming apps such as Netflix will use way more than a gig of data if you do so a couple of times a month. That Sprint customers can use their data to the phones themselves as much as they want without worry is hardly unnecessary or valueless.
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Slammer

Jan 7, 2012, 8:48 AM
I am the biggest fan of unlimited. I like a cushion of knowing that there is nothing blocking my "occasional" web sessions just as I occasionally like going to buffet restaurants.

However, what good is an all-you-can-eat buffet, if one large family is consistantly consuming all of the food at the restaurant for no one else to enjoy?

John B.
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Josh F.

Jan 8, 2012, 2:28 PM
If you gonna put unlimited data out there for consumers then you need to be prepared for people to use and abuse it. Nature of the game. but what people dont realize is with sprint you get unlimited data if your on their network. one that only has 40% coverage, in the other 60% of the country the rest of the time you only get 300 MB of data per month before overages.
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dlmjr

Jan 9, 2012, 12:04 PM
Josh F. said:
If you gonna put unlimited data out there for consumers then you need to be prepared for people to use and abuse it. Nature of the game. but what people dont realize is with sprint you get unlimited data if your on their network. one that only has 40% coverage, in the other 60% of the country the rest of the time you only get 300 MB of data per month before overages.


Can you document that please?
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metakong

Jan 6, 2012, 3:21 PM
Well, I understand what you mean, but it's not all that vague if you work the industry and understand the reason behind the fact that all other carriers place limits on data:

There is not enough infrastructure to support the kind of high end data usage the top 5% go through without reducing the bandwidth of the other 95%, regardless of carrier. Sprint, in particular, doesn't have the infrastructure to support their "unlimited" claim.

If you do as I do and, on any given day, have the potential to download over 20GB worth of video, there isn't a data provider out there that WON'T throttle you, land based ISP's included.

Try tethering your Sprint phone, download the top 10 movies of all time, and, based on statements, Sprint will send...
(continues)
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Phineas

Jan 6, 2012, 3:39 PM
So are you saying your the top 1%?
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T Bone

Jan 6, 2012, 7:09 PM
Rooting your phone and using it is a mobile hotspot or to tether, without paying for the privelege....

But the difference between Sprint and other carriers is that if other carriers catch you doing this, they add a tethering and/or mobile hotspot plan to your bill and make you pay for it....they DON'T terminate your service....

The threat to terminate is where Sprint is going over the line....just add the feature and make customers pay for it like other carriers do.
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WiWavelength

Jan 6, 2012, 11:42 PM
T Bone said:
The threat to terminate is where Sprint is going over the line....just add the feature and make customers pay for it like other carriers do.


The problem is not revenue nor profitability; the problem is capacity. Some stats put the top one percent of data subs using fully 50 percent of available data capacity. That level of usage negatively affects the ability of the other 99 percent to use data, and it almost assuredly violates Sprint's terms and conditions (e.g. "Our data services may not be used...for activities adversely affecting the ability of other people or systems to use...Sprint's wireless services...").

Unfortunately, forcing that top one percent to pay more for additional data ...
(continues)
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T Bone

Jan 7, 2012, 12:54 AM
I understand that I'm just saying that forcing customers to pay for their extra usage is a more effective incentive to curb usage than threatening them with termination.....
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WiWavelength

Jan 7, 2012, 2:21 AM
T Bone said:
I understand that I'm just saying that forcing customers to pay for their extra usage is a more effective incentive to curb usage than threatening them with termination.....


A few problems with that approach...

One, no amount of money -- short of thousands of dollars in additional monthly data plan fees per user -- is worth it to supply the one percent. If they really use 50 percent of network data capacity, then they make the Sprint network seem as if it is loaded with roughly twice the number of actual subs.

Two, Sprint wants to mitigate the PR hit of promoting "unlimited" while singling out data abusers. If Sprint throttles or caps, then "unlimited" comes into question. But if Spri...
(continues)
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T Bone

Jan 7, 2012, 8:16 PM
I understand the problem with excessive data use, I'm the guy here who is constantly arguing in favor of tiered data plans after all...

My point is that being a hardass doesn't accomplish much except to alienate current and future customers.
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Daniel4Sprint

Jan 6, 2012, 7:40 PM
ID AGREE WITH PERSON WHO STATED THE ABOVE FACT ON IF YOUR USING PHONE AS A HOTSPOT.
THERE IS A MONTHLY CHARGE FOR TURNING YOUR PHONE INTO A HOTSPOT AND EVEN WITH THAT FEATURE, THERE IS A LIMIT TO THAT.

USERS REALLY DONT GO OVER 2GBS A MONTH, SO ID AGREE THAT SPRINTS UNLIM' DATA IS KINDA POINTLESS, BUT FOR USERS LIKE MYSLEF, WHERE I USE 13GBS EASY A MONTH SPRINT WOULD B GREAT FOR ME.

SO EASY AS THIS ---> DON'T USE YOUR PHONE AS A HOTSPOT CUZ SPRINT FROWNS UPON THAT N WILL SHUT U DOWN, WERE EVEN POSSIBLY SEND A WARNING TEXT LETTING U KNOW NOT TO. BUT DON'T DO LOOPHOLES....

ITS UNLIMITED DATA, NOT HOTSPOT 🙂 😁 😉 😳
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phonetekmek

Jan 7, 2012, 5:42 PM
Sprint has sent out letters to users who are tethering and specifically torrenting. They send a cease and desist letter, then a termination of services letter. The customer is released from their contract with no penalty, and will have a date by which they will need to either port or lose their number. 1 customer had downloaded over 150gb of torrents and continued after getting the letter. Who here blames sprint for terminating this persons service? I'm glad they did. It gives the regular users a higher probability of keeping unlimited data.
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