Sprint has just released a statement about the explosion of data usage among its users. The coy title also hides the fact that they are now adding a '$10 per month Premium Data add-on charge' to 3G data plans too.
By adding the $10 charge, 3G users will now be paying the same rate that 4G users pay, effectively eliminating the premium data charge that the 4G service was commanding. The good news for current subscribers is that your plan will not increase until you resign a contract, but if you plan to take advantage of a carrier subsidy, you will find an extra $10 missing from your pocket each month.
The move effectively makes buying a 3G phone on Sprint pointless as you will pay the same amount per month as a 4G device. Sprint has always been known for its value when compared to Verizon and AT&T, but with the recent price hike, the value proposition is slowly being diminished.
As of late, Sprint has been working hard to stop the hemorrhaging of users who have been leaving the service in large numbers each quarter. With Verizon announcing that they will be bringing the iPhone in early February, Sprint will need top notch devices to keep more users from heading over to big red to pick up a CDMA iPhone.
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