Marcelo Claure, Town Hall Meetings, New Family Share Pack Plan, Unlimited Individual Plan, Discussion Thread

[IamMrFamous07]

I think in-market roaming is a bit rediculous. They need to reassess where they truly need it and do away with most in market roaming. The network has matured enough that I have not seen 1x roaming in quite a long time.

 

It's fair to say that 1x800 has covered that footprint well if not better than Verizon's voice. Data might still be usable in some parts. But honestly don't think it's worth the insane cost.

I agree. I remember being on extended 1x a lot...especially during NV days but since that I can't think of the last time I was roaming on VZW....

[RedSpark]

It's great to see how Son is expressing faith in Sprint's turnaround. See his statements in these news articles:

 

http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/517a0974-cfdc-11e5-92a1-c5e23ef99c77.html#axzz3zmvFy6Zi

 

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-02-10/softbank-earnings-drop-as-son-struggles-to-turn-around-sprint

[RedSpark]

Some additional info from the Earnings Results Briefing for Q3/FY2015 (SoftBank Group Corp.)

 

Link: http://www.softbank.jp/en/corp/irinfo/presentations/

 

See the Presentation Material (PDF)

 

Webcast

 

It's clear that Sprint has turned the corner and is improving quarter after quarter.

[WiWavelength]

I think in-market roaming is a bit rediculous. They need to reassess where they truly need it and do away with most in market roaming. The network has matured enough that I have not seen 1x roaming in quite a long time.

 

It's fair to say that 1x800 has covered that footprint well if not better than Verizon's voice. Data might still be usable in some parts. But honestly don't think it's worth the insane cost.

 

That does not make sense.  If people are not using in market roaming -- because the low band additions to Network Vision have put Sprint on par with or ahead of VZW in areas of overlapping coverage -- then in market roaming is costing Sprint very little.  Why eliminate it?  Operators like T-Mobile eliminate or limit in market roaming precisely because they could use it but do not want to pay for it.

 

AJ

[nexgencpu]

That does not make sense.  If people are not using in market roaming -- because the low band additions to Network Vision have put Sprint on par with or ahead of VZW in areas of overlapping coverage -- then in market roaming is costing Sprint very little.  Why eliminate it?  Operators like T-Mobile eliminate or limit in market roaming precisely because they could use it but do not want to pay for it.

 

AJ

A couple things, my assumption was even if they don't use any or little in market roaming they would still get hit with a bill just by nature of it being available whether used of not.

 

Also, I'm sure there are plenty of instances where the device gets stuck on 1x roaming because it lost signal and ended up on Verizon 1x during band scan and users are oblivious to it, and start burning through their roaming limit even though native Sprint coverage exist.

 

But regardless, why can't they have a limited location roaming agreement so they can ween themselfs off it eventually, rather than a all or nothing approach.

 

I could be totally wrong on this if they don't actually get charged a base fee regardless of amount used.

[RedSpark]

According to a post in /r/Sprint, Sprint's new unlimited plan pricing starting on 2/12/16:

 

 

• 1st Line - $75
• 2nd Line - $45
• 3rd Line - $30
• 4th Line - FREE
• 5th Line (& Each Additional Up to 10 Lines) - $30

(Total MRC for 4 Lines - $150/mo) (Total MRC for 5 Lines - $180/mo)

 

 

 

 

Looks like a solid response to T-Mobile.

 

EDIT: LINKED FIXED

[tybo31316]

According to a post in /r/Sprint, Sprint's new unlimited plan pricing starting on 2/12/16:

 

 

 

Looks like a solid response to T-Mobile.

Wonder if it will be available to current customers.

[AppleFanBoy]

Does Sprint still have employer discounts on their unlimited plans?

 

This FAQ page is unclear in relation to current unlimited plans:

 

http://support.sprint.com/support/article/FAQs_related_to_the_Sprint_Discount_Program/ee37c296-b11c-4614-a714-07c9083dd076

 

Sent from my iPhone 6S Plus using Tapatalk

[Mr.Nuke]

I could be totally wrong on this if they don't actually get charged a base fee regardless of amount used.

We have no evidence either way, but my guess is roaming agreements don't have a base fee. Verizon or whatever carrier wants to make it as easy as possible to roam on their network to generate the consumption based roaming revenue. There is little incentive for them to charge a base fee and potentially turnoff other carriers.

[WiWavelength]

A couple things, my assumption was even if they don't use any or little in market roaming they would still get hit with a bill just by nature of it being available whether used of not.

 

Also, I'm sure there are plenty of instances where the device gets stuck on 1x roaming because it lost signal and ended up on Verizon 1x during band scan and users are oblivious to it, and start burning through their roaming limit even though native Sprint coverage exist.

 

But regardless, why can't they have a limited location roaming agreement so they can ween themselfs off it eventually, rather than a all or nothing approach.

 

I could be totally wrong on this if they don't actually get charged a base fee regardless of amount used.

 

There is no evidence that Sprint pays exorbitant upfront fees for VZW roaming.  But there is evidence that Sprint pays usage based fees for VZW roaming.  Unless someone produces evidence to the contrary, we should not assume otherwise.

 

As for limited location roaming, Sprint already limits roaming by location -- to an extent.  On CDMA2000, that is defined by SID/NID pairings in the PRL.  SID/NID pairings are not granular enough to narrow down in market roaming to just a few selected sites or certain areas of the market.  SID/NID pairings typically cover hundreds of square miles.  Within each SID/NID pairing, roaming is all or nothing.

 

AJ

[gusherb]

back in the day Chicagoans used to in-market roam on US Cellular, with Verizon as a secondary choice. So roaming on Verizon here was rare up until the USCC shut down, which by then Sprint had improved it's network to a point where we rarely had to in-market roam anyway. Before NV 1.0 was complete USCC may as well have been an extension of Sprint's network with how frequent Sprint phones roamed on them, all you really had to do was walk indoors and voila you'd be on USCC. 

 

I used to assume Sprint roamed on VZW anywhere that no other carrier was available until I traveled through a part of southern CO where the only roaming partner in the PRL was Commnet, and Commnet itself had next to no service. I was screwed with no service for many many miles on that trip. 

[RAvirani]

I agree. I remember being on extended 1x a lot...especially during NV days but since that I can't think of the last time I was roaming on VZW....

I roam on Verizon 1x (and now EVDO) at least once a week. At both of my best friends places there is pretty much no sprint signal and I can name a few other areas I know I always roam.

[mnjeepmale]

According to a post in /r/Sprint, Sprint's new unlimited plan pricing starting on 2/12/16:

 

 

 

Looks like a solid response to T-Mobile.

 

EDIT: LINKED FIXED

Hope this is available for current customers. Be nice to include tethering as well.

[bipbapbam]

Hope this is available for current customers. Be nice to include tethering as well.

It would be nice, but for some reason I doubt it will include tethering. They didn’t include tethering when they matched their unlimited family plan last time. But I hope they prove me wrong this time!

 

I wonder what percentage of unlimited data plan users, that have tethering as part of their plan, actually utilize it.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[ingenium]

It would be nice, but for some reason I doubt it will include tethering. They didn’t include tethering when they matched their unlimited family plan last time. But I hope they prove me wrong this time!

 

I wonder what percentage of unlimited data plan users, that have tethering as part of their plan, actually utilize it.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Most probably don't use it much, but it's nice to have in a pinch. I'm rooted with the tethering hack, and I MIGHT use it once every year or 2. And then it's only because I want to use my laptop real quick instead of trying to do something on my comparatively small phone screen and wifi isn't available. So I've used maybe 100MB of tethering over the course of several years. I keep the hack just for piece of mind. Even including 1GB of tethering would be valuable to me, despite the fact that I would rarely use it. The cost to Sprint would be negligible.

 

Sent from my Nexus 6P

[MacinJosh]

Well, it looks like My Sprint is getting a massive makeover soon. Here is the YouTube preview video of the New My Sprint, coming soon™.

 

[dnicekid]

According to a post in /r/Sprint, Sprint's new unlimited plan pricing starting on 2/12/16:

 

 

 

Looks like a solid response to T-Mobile.

 

EDIT: LINKED FIXED

 

 

 

 

So smart... By the time you avg in 4 phones you're still at the $230 mark. But definitely better for a fan of 4.

 

I would like to see a little bit better of a pricing like $10 lower for each of the first 3, as an add on option $10 for 15g hotspot.

Don't just match the competition go ahead and 1 up them ( make it look like you are)

[EvanA]

50% off extended again

 

http://newsroom.sprint.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=12132

[cyclone]

http://newsroom.sprint.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=12133

 

New pricing has been confirmed

[Overstew]

http://newsroom.sprint.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=12133

 

New pricing has been confirmed

Does anyone know if employer discount will work on this plan?  Seems like a good deal.

[Deval]

I roam on Verizon 1x (and now EVDO) at least once a week. At both of my best friends places there is pretty much no sprint signal and I can name a few other areas I know I always roam.

 

I have some family members who live far enough away from the sites to cause me to roam, but usually am on Wifi Calling as soon as I get in their door.

[Deval]

http://newsroom.sprint.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=12133

 

New pricing has been confirmed

 

Not bad and 3GB of hotspot thrown in.

[red_dog007]

I think in market roaming is fine.  I like the fact that if there is a single even there, I can jump on it if it is CDMA. 

 

In my market I have only experienced this twice.  Underground facility I used to work at that had a multi-carrier DAS that lacked support for Sprint's spectrum.  So I roamed on Cricket.  And then another building I used to work at deep in the building that only had a VZW DAS. 

 

I pay for a service, I don't care as a customer if it comes from Sprint, VZW, USCC, etc.  Just if there is a single out there in the air that I could use, I want to use it.

 

This is one of the reasons why I didn't pick TMo as my carrier when I left VZW.  Lot of places, even in the city where you get zero TMo signal, so that means zero service period.  Then their roaming coverage is full of holes where they could have a roaming partner *cough* AT&T *cough*.  Even though I left VZW for Sprint, my talk/text nationwide coverage was virtually unchanged. :-D

[mnjeepmale]

http://newsroom.sprint.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=12133

 

New pricing has been confirmed

 

My sister's family switched to Sprint about 1 1/2 years ago. 5 lines for 40 Gig a month. But they now pay $15 per line fee on top of everything. Does this new plan have have a fee per line? I don't think it does.

[RedSpark]

My sister's family switched to Sprint about 1 1/2 years ago. 5 lines for 40 Gig a month. But they now pay $15 per line fee on top of everything. Does this new plan have have a fee per line? I don't think it does.

 

Nope.