For the most recent info, see the 2011 Sprint 4G Plans Review
<< (Page 2 of 5: 2010 Sprint Mobile Broadband Review) >>
Previously, mobile broadband sprint plans came in the variety of a ‘small’ and ‘medium’ (40 Megabytes & 5 Gigabytes). Now you’ve got ‘medium’ and ‘all you can eat’ at certain locations:
| Data | Monthly Cost | Data Included | Overage Charges | Cancellation Fee |
| 3G Plan | $59.99 | 5 GB / 300 MB roaming | $0.05/MB (or $51.20/GB) per GB | $200 |
| 3G / 4G Plan | $59.99 | Unlimited in 4G areas, 5 GB / 300 MB in 3G areas | $0.05/MB (or $51.20/GB) in 3G markets only | $200 |
You’re not reading it wrong and it’s not a typo. Both Sprint plans cost the same amount.
What’s the deal?
Sprint is ramping up advertisements for their 4G WiMAX network that they are building with Clear.
The goal?
Get as many paying customers before competition (i.e. LTE by Verizon & AT&T) comes along at the end of 2010.
Since history tells us again & again & again that users of mobile broadband plans tend to go over their 5 GB cap in Gigabytes and not the Megabytes providers like to quote, I went ahead and converted the overage fees to Gigabytes to get a more accurate picture of how deep your pocket needs to be if you don’t keep track of your data cap.
3G Sprint Mobile Broadband Plan
Sprint’s 5GB plan is the same as it was last year down to the overage charge fees. As I mentioned last year:
While Sprint advertises 5 GB of use, if you live in a remote area or do alot of travelling you’ll want to watch your usage. That’s because you only get about 300 Megabytes/month of off-network roaming. In addition to that, if you go over your monthly limit, you get billed at 5 cents/MB (or $51.20/GB).
How much could you really rack your bill up to?
Picture this.
I use about 50 GB some months. That’s about 45 GB in ‘overage’.
45 GB at $51.20/GB equals $2304.
If I were subject to that kind of overage charge, my bill could easily be a mortgage on a house.
To be fair, Sprint does state that it ‘reserves the right to limit throughput speeds or the amount of data transferred’. All that means is that they’ll severely reduce the speed (to about dialup) of your mobile broadband connection.
On the flip side of the equation there have been cases where customers get charged ridiculous sums of money for mobile broadband plans. One kid’s parents got a bill for $19,370 when he unsuspectingly used his AirCard in Canada. Another family got a bill $4,800 when they took their iPhones on a cruise. To top it off, in another cruise related incident, a man got charged $27,788.93 for watching a Chicago Bears Game on his laptop via mobile broadband.
Again, to be fair, these stories are all coming out of the AT&T camp. While there hasn’t been any Sprint stories, it’s best to watch your usage to avoid becoming the first one.
‘Not sure about this whole Gigabyte (GB), Megabyte (MB), Overage conundrum business? Check out “How Much Is 5 GB & Is It Enough?“.
It’s part of the Mobile Broadband Buyer’s Guide designed to explain everything you need to know before during and after buying mobile broadband.
3G / 4G Sprint Mobile Broadband Plan
Sprint’s 3G/4G plan is the diamond in the rough of mobile broadband.
For the same price that you’d pay with everyone else, you get 5 GB in addition to unlimited mobile broadband in certain areas.
In the same way a cell phone with unlimited minutes can eliminate your home phone altogether, Sprint’s 3G/4G plan can make your cable, DSL or satellite broadband connection obsolete. One internet bill whether you’re at home or on the go.
To be fair, Sprint’s 4G coverage is still limited. As such, you’ll most likely be using the 3G network at some point. When you do, the same restrictions mentioned in the 3G Plan above will still apply.
A Quick Word on Cancelling Sprint
“You may terminate any line of service before its Term ends by calling us, however you will be responsible for an EARLY TERMINATION FEE of up to $200 (“ETF”)
Subscriber Agreements starting after 11/02/08 are subject to Sprint’s prorated policy ($200 through month 5 of term, decreasing $10 a month until $50 minimum applies to remaining terms).”.
Sprint Terms of Service – February 8, 2010
In other words, $200 up until 5 months and then it drops by $10 a month (to a minimum of $50).
There is a cloud with a silver lining here.
“We are committed to making sure you are satisfied with your purchase. If you’re not, simply return your undamaged device and deactivate services within 30 days. We’ll refund your activation fee and waive your early termination fee as long as you return your device.”.
Sprint 30-Day Return Policy – February 8, 2010
In short form, you’ve got 30 days to get Sprint mobile broadband, take ‘em for a spin and see if you like them. If you’re really strapped for cash or just don’t want to pay anything, do it in the first 3 days.
“What If I’m Outside the 30 Day Window?”
Then check out 5 Steps To Get Out Of Any Mobile Broadband Contract. Learn how I only used 2 of the 5 steps to get out of my contract in 13 minutes and 55 seconds.
A Few Lingering Questions…
It’s a no-brainer to get the 4G plan even if it’s not yet in your area. You’ll pay the same amount as the 3G plan but get the benefits of the 4G network where it’s available. Naturally, that begets a couple questions:
- How fast is Sprint’s 3G speed?
- How much faster is Sprint 4G speed?
- Where’s got 3G coverage vs. 4G coverage?
- What kind of broadband cards can I get?
First up, we tackle Sprint mobile broadband 3G / 4G speed.
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