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

[payturr]

Jealous of your contact, but be careful oversharing in the public forums.

He said he only shared with me what the legal department told him he could share. Not gonna disclose his name/title though out of courtesy.

[Deval]

That is a good point. I've been confused by the issue, actually. There are people on two sides of the speed cap idea I hear from online. Those that say it does help with that, and those who say it doesn't. I'm thinking of this mostly has a competitive purpose to Cricket's offering, which in my opinion other than AT&T's Unlimited Data Plan for television subscribers, Cricket has the best deal overall, if people are okay with the 8mbps speed cap. Really though, 8mbps is plenty fast, and at $65 monthly on autopay, is a really great deal.

 

Sprint isn't competing with Cricket, Boost Mobile is. Why not do an apples to apples comparison? By your standards, my Scion isn't as good as a Lexus, but they aren't even in the same class.

[Deval]

Yeah I pretty positive that normal folk (that excludes most people reading this) just want to have FB posts occur quickly - send photos or videos to friends - and stream pandora. If it works they are happy.

 

Maybe I'm wrong.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

You're not wrong buddy, trust me.

[Deval]

Except many towers okay let's not say many.

 

Some towers don't have LTE yet is my point.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

I think every carrier has some towers without LTE. What it comes down to is those who do have it will have an amazing experience, and the rest will be built out as time goes on.

[Deval]

True. This is a reason why these limits are a bad idea for Sprint to implement. There already is enough complaints online against Sprint over the 50% discount mess, with people complaining they were quoted differently than they were billed, etc. When people start noticing their Tidal HiFi usage isn't right over Sprint's Unlimited Freedom plan limitation to 500kbps, they will complain about how they weren't told of the limit an how they wouldn't have switched to Sprint otherwise knowing they'd have to pay more for service that worked with that properly. Same could be said among gamers not told of the limitation.

 

This just makes things confusing to consumers whenever it is they find out about it and then have to calculate their usage. The whole point of Unlimited Data is to remove those complications based on the term "Unlimited", typically meaning "No limits". I'm only supportive of such stipulations where there is a flat across the board policy among all uses, such as Cricket saying "LTE maxed out at 8mbps", since all forms of usage is throttled to that maximum speed. I can understand having different speed tiers too, so long as it covers all forms of usage. 

 

There certainly are people like that and they probably won't notice any difference with the speed limitations. However, there are those that will, and a great many of them will complain about it and leave Sprint. Currently, Sprint needs new customers and they need to keep them. Building a great network will certainly help with that, but first Sprint has to offer great rates that people both understand and know that they will have a level of service that works for all of their usage. Sprint could do this easily by removing the speed limitations. The Unlimited Freedom plan without them is a great deal, no doubt. As the example I used here the other day, Sprint is offering through their Employee Referring Customers plan two lines for $90 monthly, This is the exact great rate I had on T-Mobile. This could be like SERO part two, if Sprint removed the speed limits and advertised this quietly through the internet.

 

When I was on HowardForums back in mid2000s when SERO came around, I had a friend who worked at Sprint who gave me their employee number and gave me permission to give it out for people to join. I got dozens of requests per day back then from people on HF. Those are customers Sprint could gain, even with a reasonable across the board speed cap in place, if indeed it does help the network somehow. Otherwise, drop the speed cap and watch the customers rush to sign up.

 

Seriously man? You're still harping on the fact that the plans are confused. How are they? No one will leave Sprint over something like that, and that's a fact.

[rackhivee]

In order to each the same radius as a B25 site, you need the 8t8r panels.

Yup, the beamforming 8t8r Sprint radios, I think I mentioned that earlier. Speaking if beamforming, I remember when these panels were initially announced a lot of the comments in tech blogs were saying it was just a gimmick and wouldn't really work.

 

Sent from my SM-N930P using Tapatalk

[swintec]

Reddit user confirmed: "RF retune/spectrum swap occurred beginning of the week for Maine. I know of some minor lingering issues that resulted out of it, but this is the first report i have seen of this."

 

 

Just to update, this had gotten fixed for me but came back several times at this point and now has been broken since middle of the night last night.  I had been working with the local ericisson techs who have been great and they and sprint seem to know what the problem is and it gets fixed for some amount of time but then dies again.

 

since the retune, IFHO (inter-frequency handoff) for the 800 on that sector still referenced channel 650 and not 450 after the retune which is causing all kinds of havoc for my device...essentially a denial of service.  i can not even connect to a stronger site until i get well away from the affected sector.  whats strange to me is that they apply a fix that works and it almost seems like it gets over written at the most random times.

 

the ericsson guys asked me to open a network ticket with sprint at this point.  guess i have to do it without calling them though.

[Arysyn]

Seriously man? You're still harping on the fact that the plans are confused. How are they? No one will leave Sprint over something like that, and that's a fact.

 

If people using Sprint have issues with their data being more limited than they're use to after switching to Sprint, they are going to complain about it. Already, the internet is filled with people complaining about the mess Sprint store employees and customer service representatives made of their 50% off deal. People complain loudly, and quite often of petty things, but they do complain. If they notice their speed being throttled, and they most certainly will, they look into it and find out there are speed limits to their usage when they didn't know about it, they're going to get mad and right at Sprint for it, that is if they aren't told about it in the first place.

 

True regarding some people just dealing with it/being okay with it, but that doesn't mean everyone will, which again seeing how many people complain about Sprint online, its quite a lot. Doesn't mean its always justified, and I'll agree anytime here with people who say that Sprint has received an unfair deal in some ways, though of course not completely unfair on certain subjects. Sprint seems to have done one thing much better lately though, and that is listening to its customers when they complain. Sprint already has changed the HotSpot inclusion in the Unlimited Freedom plans, and I suspect Sprint very well may change some of the speed limits too. Again, time will tell...

[greenbastard]

In order to each the same radius as a B25 site, you need the 8t8r panels.

On the current set up with the devices sprint offers, that's not true. Outside of having line of sight, B41 does not cover the same as B25.

 

Coverage will improve with new 3GPP Rel 14 devices coming out as early as next year. But as of today, I have yet to see Band 41 achieve the same coverage or propagation as Band 25 anywhere in Texas or Louisiana.

[RedSpark]

Just to update, this had gotten fixed for me but came back several times at this point and now has been broken since middle of the night last night.  I had been working with the local ericisson techs who have been great and they and sprint seem to know what the problem is and it gets fixed for some amount of time but then dies again.

 

since the retune, IFHO (inter-frequency handoff) for the 800 on that sector still referenced channel 650 and not 450 after the retune which is causing all kinds of havoc for my device...essentially a denial of service.  i can not even connect to a stronger site until i get well away from the affected sector.  whats strange to me is that they apply a fix that works and it almost seems like it gets over written at the most random times.

 

the ericsson guys asked me to open a network ticket with sprint at this point.  guess i have to do it without calling them though.

 

Given the new terms for the Sprint/Ericsson network managed services relationship going forward, how will Ericsson be involved in these issues going forward?

 

Going forward we’ve decided to renew portions of our managed services work with Ericsson when the current contract reaches its full term in September.

 

Ericsson will provide some multi-vendor services that support the ongoing operations and development of our network, while overall Network Service Assurance will be performed by Sprint. As a result, some Ericsson employees will transition to Sprint, while others will remain with Ericsson.

[Trip]

If they notice their speed being throttled, and they most certainly will

 

No, they won't.  Why do you think they will?

 

The video is capped at 480p.  That is made abundantly clear up front.  I don't think most people will care; I don't even watch video on my phone.

 

Audio is capped at 500 kbps.  Again, made clear, but even if not, 500 kbps is plenty for audio streaming.  In truth, I'm surprised it's that high.  I would have capped at 320 kbps, being generous, and probably gone lower than that.  I don't think anyone riding in a car down the highway, or on a train, or otherwise out and about, will notice the difference between a high bitrate compressed audio stream and a lossless audio stream, no matter how great a pair of headphones they have.  And if you're using it at home?  Well, that's what home Internet is for.  You can stream there to your heart's content without bogging down the wireless network.

 

And the gaming bitrate?  That could be a concern, but again, up front, but I ask again, how many people actually play such games on their devices while on the go?  If you're gaming at home, again, home Internet.

 

The same people who complain about everything will find reasons to complain.  The other 99% of people will not notice or will not care.

 

- Trip

[greenbastard]

Seriously man? You're still harping on the fact that the plans are confused. How are they? No one will leave Sprint over something like that, and that's a fact.

They're pretty straight forward. Anyone that doesn't understand them should just buy voice and text only plans since it doesn't get much easier than that.

[dnicekid]

But not 2 blocks from the tower. If you do you should contact customer service and escalate a trouble ticket, you might have defective equipment in your area.

 

Sent from my SM-N930P using Tapatalk

 

I am trolling because it's 2 blocks from the tower? Smh actually it's less as soon as the leaves fall I would post a picture showing its literally the next street over.. I used 2 blocks to reference distance walking.. From my window in a straight line it's less than that. I have called, used the sprint zone app and nada. When I talk about sprint this is what I mean towers shouldn't go 8 months without optimizing or a tech visiting.... These are part of the problems that keep sprints rep down and many potential new customers away. - they sign up get an experience like this and leave.

 

I have 2 bars am on 800 lte and it's almost as bad as 3G....

[Arysyn]

These plans aren't profitable Arysyn. $45 basically for service is selling product at a loss, they have so much overhead to cover. Paying site leases, energy, and back haul gets EXPENSIVE. And that's not including the millions that go into R&D, maintenance, and the credit they have to return to accounts where their is service issues. You can't even consider capex at $45 a month. You know how often single line people jump around plan to plan? That's why it's easier to sell 4 lines for $160, it's basically a guarantee they won't easily switch. And even if they do, there's a high chance Sprint will get their 2 year's worth of revenue from them. $45 isn't even FEASIBLE, and imagine what Virgin and Boost would have to sell plans at. They need to turn a profit not post bigger losses. They're on the right path, their plans aren't complex, and nobody is losing sleep over the fact the first like is $60 and the second is $40.

 

I agree its cutting the margins thin with the discounting for the first line with the device consideration. Eventually, the price will need to be increased for sure. My idea however I feel is a good start simply to bring in customers and reduce churn while Sprint builds up on the network.

 

One thing I've noticed here on S4GRU is the discrepancies between markets where some people can feel confident in defending Sprint due to seeing so much progress, where others are becoming skeptical for what they see as a lack in progress in areas that really ought to be developed. I read reports of Sprints financial issues, which if that is causing the holdup, certainly if Sprint could raise prices while holding onto customers, that would be great for some extra cash needed for those areas. However, if Sprint could gain more customers in by selling for a bit less, and I can't be positive of all the number factors here since I don't work for Sprint, but keeping a reasonable value with enough money actually being made while attracting the customers with that value, ought to work.

 

These multi-line plans are designed to keep people around, but if they are in some way dissatisfied with the service, whether the speed limits, the network holes, etc., they aren't necessarily locked in when the competition offers such great switching deals. Sure, its added time and work many people don't want to deal with, but financially its not really a problem if the customers are willing to deal with the inconvenience based on their displeasure. Again, the key is to keep people with Sprint in a good way, which low rates do, even for individual lines. Besides, while prepaid plans are in some ways better for individual lines than postpaid, there are network limitations that don't work well for many people, such as roaming.

 

Anyways, there are different solutions and ways to look for it. I'm just hoping there is a bit more fairness to these Unlimited data plans, similar to how AT&T and Verizon's data plans are, but at a better cost.

[rackhivee]

I am trolling because it's 2 blocks from the tower? Smh actually it's less as soon as the leaves fall I would post a picture showing its literally the next street over.. I used 2 blocks to reference distance walking.. From my window in a straight line it's less than that. I have called, used the sprint zone app and nada. When I talk about sprint this is what I mean towers shouldn't go 8 months without optimizing or a tech visiting.... These are part of the problems that keep sprints rep down and many potential new customers away. - they sign up get an experience like this and leave.

 

I have 2 bars am on 800 lte and it's almost as bad as 3G....

That litteraly dounds like a bad tower compared to 10s of thousands that do work. So you are trolling when you state it so "matter of fact" that the entire network is like that. I cannot empathize with your situation.

 

Sent from my SM-N930P using Tapatalk

[Arysyn]

No, they won't.  Why do you think they will?

 

The video is capped at 480p.  That is made abundantly clear up front.  I don't think most people will care; I don't even watch video on my phone.

 

Audio is capped at 500 kbps.  Again, made clear, but even if not, 500 kbps is plenty for audio streaming.  In truth, I'm surprised it's that high.  I would have capped at 320 kbps, being generous, and probably gone lower than that.  I don't think anyone riding in a car down the highway, or on a train, or otherwise out and about, will notice the difference between a high bitrate compressed audio stream and a lossless audio stream, no matter how great a pair of headphones they have.  And if you're using it at home?  Well, that's what home Internet is for.  You can stream there to your heart's content without bogging down the wireless network.

 

And the gaming bitrate?  That could be a concern, but again, up front, but I ask again, how many people actually play such games on their devices while on the go?  If you're gaming at home, again, home Internet.

 

The same people who complain about everything will find reasons to complain.  The other 99% of people will not notice or will not care.

 

- Trip

 

Trip,

 

Deval at one point mentioned about salespeople not mentioning speed limits to customers in store, which could essentially be the same for online/phone ordering I assume. Based on that, if people sign up not knowing about these limits, and they have difficulty streaming HiFi audio that works over 1mbps, or they are gamers noticing the speed limits, they very likely will complain about it, as they likely aren't use to that wherever carrier they came from.

 

It is very important customers are told upfront about these limits in all forms of shopping. If they choose a plan knowingly, then they have the option to switch or leave. Yet, it likely will first result in them being unhappy and complaining about it in some way, especially if they didn't know about this.

[dnicekid]

That litteraly dounds like a bad tower compared to 10s of thousands that do work. So you are trolling when you state it so "matter of fact" that the entire network is like that. I cannot empathize with your situation.

 

Sent from my SM-N930P using Tapatalk

I am not asking for your empathy strictly stating facts of issues within sprints network. You somehow came to the conclusion that I am a troll..... I don't recall asking for that either.....

[rackhivee]

I am not asking for your empathy strictly stating facts of issues within sprints network. You somehow came to the conclusion that I am a troll..... I don't recall asking for that either.....

You really do come across as a frustrated customer complaining about the network.

 

Sent from my SM-N930P using Tapatalk

[Trip]

Trip,

 

Deval at one point mentioned about salespeople not mentioning speed limits to customers in store, which could essentially be the same for online/phone ordering I assume. Based on that, if people sign up not knowing about these limits, and they have difficulty streaming HiFi audio that works over 1mbps, or they are gamers noticing the speed limits, they very likely will complain about it, as they likely aren't use to that wherever carrier they came from.

 

It is very important customers are told upfront about these limits in all forms of shopping. If they choose a plan knowingly, then they have the option to switch or leave. Yet, it likely will first result in them being unhappy and complaining about it in some way, especially if they didn't know about this.

 

I can't speak to in-store or phone, but I'm looking at Sprint.com and right on the home page, it says:

 

"Enjoy unlimited mobile-optimized streaming videos, gaming and music. And, unlimited 4G LTE data for most everything else."

 

Immediately below the "Learn more" button in rather large fine print:

 

"Mobile optimized: video streams at up to 480p+ resolution, music at up to 500kbps, streaming cloud gaming at up to 2mbps. Premium resolution: video streams at up to 1080p+, music at up to 1.5mbps, gaming streams at up to 8mbps. Data deprioritization applies during times of congestion. All while on the Sprint Network."

 

I'm not sure how much clearer Sprint can make it.

 

- Trip

[dnicekid]

You really do come across as a frustrated customer complaining about the network.

 

Sent from my SM-N930P using Tapatalk

 

 

I am a frustrated customer. Stating that this is unacceptable for the amount of time that has gone by. It's not just me it happens all over, the point is sprint should focus much more on just getting the network working. This all came from the announcement of 3xca. While I am happy they are getting it going why don't they put more people on towers getting them up to par?

[rackhivee]

I am a frustrated customer. Stating that this is unacceptable for the amount of time that has gone by. It's not just me it happens all over, the point is sprint should focus much more on just getting the network working. This all came from the announcement of 3xca. While I am happy they are getting it going why don't they put more people on towers getting them up to par?

Lack of funding. It'd be great if they could get then entire network up to the same level, but then we wouldn't all be gathered here because that would just mean it's not a struggling company. Sounds to get the network team involved to fix something you really need to be insistent. I had a fraudulent line added to my account yesterday, took a customer service rep asking his super what to do about it to get me to the fraud department after like 2 hours of contacting customer service. I realize it would have been easier to ask here for advice.

 

Sent from my SM-N930P using Tapatalk

[Paynefanbro]

I am a frustrated customer.

 

 

Let me Google that for you.

 

But on a more serious note, I think we all understand why you're mad and that you have every right to be. But the complaints are getting tiresome. It's gone on for a few pages at this point.

[Deval]

Trip,

 

Deval at one point mentioned about salespeople not mentioning speed limits to customers in store, which could essentially be the same for online/phone ordering I assume. Based on that, if people sign up not knowing about these limits, and they have difficulty streaming HiFi audio that works over 1mbps, or they are gamers noticing the speed limits, they very likely will complain about it, as they likely aren't use to that wherever carrier they came from.

 

It is very important customers are told upfront about these limits in all forms of shopping. If they choose a plan knowingly, then they have the option to switch or leave. Yet, it likely will first result in them being unhappy and complaining about it in some way, especially if they didn't know about this.

 

I will argue that 100% of the customers that walk into Sprint stores today have no care about HiFi audio, and would be perfectly happy with anything above 128kbps.

[dnicekid]

Let me Google that for you.

 

But on a more serious note, I think we all understand why you're mad and that you have every right to be. But the complaints are getting tiresome. It's gone on for a few pages at this point.

 

Gotcha!

 

Sprint recently added a mini macro tower that has now been running for 8+ months! I can't wait till it's optimized! Keep up the good work sprint! Hopefully soon they will continue to build out or optimize in our weak signal areas!!

[avb]

Have the dozens of people that are on Tidal High Fidelity subscription while using the Sprint network made complaints yet regarding the 500Kbps throttled music speeds?

 

On another note it looks like a new Sprint macrotower is being worked on/added that covers my house.  Currently I'm in between 2 towers that are both over 2 miles away and speeds have slowed down over the last year (area has grown with new businesses and apartments) so a new tower less than half a mile away is a welcome addition.