Sprint to increase unlimited rate plan Oct. 16
Sprint is set to increase the prices of its “Unlimited Plan” by $10 effective Oct. 16, though the carrier notes the new price will still undercut similar offerings from rivals.
Sprint said the price increase will see the carrier’s unlimited plan, which includes unlimited voice calling, text messaging and data, move to $70 per month for new customers. Current customers on the $60 per month plan will be able to keep that price “as long as they still meet the plan requirements and are purchasing a phone option and financing option that is compatible with the plan.”
Sprint CEO Marcelo Claure hinted the price increase was tied to costs associated with supporting unlimited data services.
“At Sprint, we give customers what they want – and they want the option of unlimited data,” said Claure in a statement. ”At $70 a month, Sprint still beats the competition. Rather than increase the price without warning, we want to give customers one last chance to take advantage of the $60 rate.”
Sprint noted the new pricing was still $10 cheaper than T-Mobile US’ unlimited rate plan, though T-Mobile US does include other features not included in Sprint’s offer. T-Mobile US in early 2014 increased the price of its unlimited data rate plan by $10 citing a doubling of data usage on its network. Verizon Wireless and AT&T Mobility do not offer rate plans with unlimited data access.
Claure earlier this year told a Kansas City television station that Sprint was looking to raise the price on unlimited data access, noting it would be looking at the changes later in the year. Claure has repeatedly alluded to major network infrastructure upgrades coming to Sprint in the near future. Most of those efforts revolve around the carrier’s deep 2.5 GHz spectrum holdings, which should be able to handle significant data traffic in areas where it’s deployed.
Sprint in 2013 rolled out a set of rate plans that included guarantees of unlimited services for customers beginning at $80 per month. The carrier followed up the promotion with comments from management that it had sufficient capacity on its network to continue supporting unlimited data services for smartphone customers.
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