If you own a smartphone from Sprint that has the capability to be used as a WiFi mobile hotspot, your unlimited data ride is going to be over very soon. Boy Genius Report has a story that says that starting on October 2, Sprint will force its smartphone customers who use the mobile hotspot feature to accept a 5 GB data cap. This feature will be for both 3G and 4G-WiMax smartphones but will not affect Sprint-sold tablets. Sprint has a $29.99 per month fee for the mobile hotspot feature.
If customers do go above that 5 GB data cap, users won"t see their connection cut off. But they could see their monthly bill payment go way up. According to SprintFeed, Sprint will charge customers 5 cents per MB over the 5 GB data cap. This new change does not affect Sprint"s standard data plan for smartphones; customers will still be able to get unlimited data for one price.
Sprint has been making quite a few changes in its policies over the last few weeks. A few days ago it announced it was canceling its Premiere program that allowed customers to upgrade their smartphone every year. It also raised its upgrade fees and changed its return policy on new phone purchases from 30 days down to just 14 days. All of these changes are coming ahead of what many people will see as Sprint"s big 2011 announcement; that the wireless carrier will begin selling Apple"s iPhone later this fall.