Any Updates on Rumored End to Phone Subsidies?

[greencat]

Let's not be too redundant here. The end of the subsidies are a good thing - for consumers and for Sprint's bottom line.

Not for customers who will end up paying more than $200 for a phone...

[Mondays In Flames]

Could you please provide me with all your info? I'd like to supply everything to you for the rest of your life. I could retire on just a few customers like you.

I don't understand what you're asking for.

 

-Luis

[utiz4321]

We've been paying for it for years but Sprint hasn't done crap, which is why they're 3 years behind Tmob, ATT and VZW. Sprint has some of the highest revenue per user in the industry so again, we've been paying for it.

Sprint has some of the highest costs per sub in the industry also. Look if you are not happy with sprint get some one you'll be more happy with. As far as two years going away being opinion you are right but it is an educated opinion based on working in the industry. You pay the phone subsidy back in any case I don't know why you are that concerned.

[Rawvega]

We've been paying for it for years but Sprint hasn't done crap, which is why they're 3 years behind Tmob, ATT and VZW. 

 

So Sprint hasn't done crap for three years? That's pretty ignorant. Perhaps you should get over that.

[Fraydog]

So Sprint hasn't done crap for three years? That's pretty ignorant. Perhaps you should get over that.

Sprint ONLY rebuilt their entire network. /s

 

Seriously, there's still lots of improvement that needs to be made, but to say nothing was done? That's simply not true.

[Ascertion]

Not for customers who will end up paying more than $200 for a phone...

To elaborate, if you're on a legacy plan,then yes. Subsidies are better. Way better. However, for new plans it appears the monthly rates are cheaper if you pay off the phone sooner.

 

Sent from my M8

[greencat]

Sprint ONLY rebuilt their entire network. /s

 

Seriously, there's still lots of improvement that needs to be made, but to say nothing was done? That's simply not true.

For many years from 2000-2011/12 when ATT and VZW were investing BILLIONS on their network SPRINT did NOTHING. I guess if you call skipping the spectrum auctions doing something then yeah Sprint did something. Or maybe you want to brag about their achievements with wimax? While other companies were setting themselves up for success Sprint was doing NOTHING. That is simply true.

 

Edit: I forgot they did buy Nextel. Maybe you'd like to use that as an example...

 

4G data services are more complex. That's a big reason costs go up. These massively redone networks are set so everyone has better coverage and data everywhere. So prices go up. So does quality of service. Sprint is exponentially better than it was and people still rag it. It is what it is.

4G networks are also more efficent so costs to the company are actually less... Be exponentially better than piss poor doesn't take a lot. The reason people rag on it is another topic entirely. And I don't think it has to be what it is, it could be a lot better.

Edited February 7, 2015 by lilotimz

[anthony.spina97]

For many years from 2000-2011/12 when ATT and VZW were investing BILLIONS on their network SPRINT did NOTHING. I guess if you call skipping the spectrum auctions doing something then yeah Sprint did something. Or maybe you want to brag about their achievements with wimax? While other companies were setting themselves up for success Sprint was doing NOTHING. That is simply true.

Oh well, you know, it's a little difficult to spend billions, or as you say it "BILLIONS" on network upgrades when you don't have BILLIONS to spend. And Sprint wasn't doing nothing, they were planning Network Vision, which started deployment in 2012, which took years to plan and finance with the limited amount of resources they had. And AT&T and Verizon weren't exactly investing BILLIONS into their networks, they were either buying up smaller operators or, in Verizons case, setting up the LTEiRA (while also putting some money into their own networs). Verizon and AT&T also have ageing equipment at most of their cell sites because pretty much all they did to make their networks so good was go and slap up a new panel on the most sites and add some high speed backhaul.

 

I have not a clue how you can sit here and try to make accusations like that, on this website of all places. How about you go back to HoFo or Tmo news or wherever you came from.

 

-Anthony

[S4GRU]

For many years from 2000-2011/12 when ATT and VZW were investing BILLIONS on their network SPRINT did NOTHING. I guess if you call skipping the spectrum auctions doing something then yeah Sprint did something. Or maybe you want to brag about their achievements with wimax? While other companies were setting themselves up for success Sprint was doing NOTHING. That is simply true.

 

Edit: I forgot they did buy Nextel. Maybe you'd like to use that as an example...

 

They spent billions and billions on WiMax and Clearwire.  We all know the story.  They didn't do nothing.  It was the wrong move in context with history.  We all know that.  But it wasn't nothing.  Now shut up.  We are all tiring of you.  You're a troll.

[Fraydog]

No name calling, please. This is the warning for this thread.

[jamesinclair]

My latest bill included a note that they're changing the upgrade eligibility for subsidized phones from 20 months to 24 months. Honestly it seems pretty stupid to me, they should have at least changed it back to 22 months. Getting people to renew BEFORE their contract expires is a great way to keep people from jumping ship, and Sprint needs all the help they can get with retention.

 

Think about it like the average customer: currently a customer gets a notice that they can get a new phone. They might look at other carriers, but they'd have to wait four more months or pay an ETF to get a new shiny phone. That's a pretty big incentive to stay. Under the new plan, when a customer is eligible for a new phone they could either stay with Sprint or port to T-Mobile (which they keep seeing all these blogs raving about how great they are) or Verizon (which is offering a $150 credit to port in your number). Suddenly Sprint doesn't seem like such a hot deal.

 

I assume this is for new contracts right?

 

They cant change the terms of an existing one right?

[Scott]

I assume this is for new contracts right?

 

They cant change the terms of an existing one right?

I assume that's the case, but to be clear this isn't really a new change to the policy; it's been around since at least the fall. When I signed my last contract in October 2014, it was already on a 24-month upgrade cycle. So if you've started a new contract in the last few months (if you're still using an S4 that's probably not the case), you're likely on the 24-month upgrade cycle. I remember it being discussed on the forum when the new policy started, but I don't remember exactly when that was (I think it was in September).

[Rocket87]

I assume that's the case, but to be clear this isn't really a new change to the policy; it's been around since at least the fall. When I signed my last contract in October 2014, it was already on a 24-month upgrade cycle. So if you've started a new contract in the last few months (if you're still using an S4 that's probably not the case), you're likely on the 24-month upgrade cycle. I remember it being discussed on the forum when the new policy started, but I don't remember exactly when that was (I think it was in September).

Its started around Sept or oct like you said.