Press Release
Source: Sprint
Thursday November 20, 9:00 am ET
OVERLAND PARK, Kan.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--While the federal government scrambles to assist banks and the auto industry, Sprint (NYSE:S [1] - News [2]) is offering wireless customers its own "economic stimulus package." Sprint customers enjoy the best value in wireless service today - for families, that can mean at least $240 and up to $1,000 in annual savings based on comparable rate and service plans offered by Verizon and AT&T.
Families enjoy greater savings, greater freedom
Sprint is giving families an easier way to create savings by switching to Sprint and taking advantage of Sprint's family share plans, which begin at $99.99. At an annual savings of $240 vs. Verizon and AT&T, two customers can share 1,500 minutes (includes free nights starting at 7 p.m. and weekends) and unlimited messaging, including texting, picture sharing and video messaging, for $99.99. Families can also add up to three additional lines - at $9.99 each - to share in the 1,500 minutes and take advantage of unlimited messaging.
Other Sprint family plans offer even greater savings on all the wireless features families need. Sprint's Simply Everything Family plan with unlimited voice, data and messaging for two customers is more than $1,000 less per year than AT&T's similar plan.
Customers are studying their wireless options, now more than ever
"In today's economic climate, consumers are taking a much closer look at their day-to-day spending habits, and wireless service is no exception," said Dan Hesse, CEO of Sprint. "For most Americans, $240 represents a car payment, a week's worth of groceries, or a month's savings for their children's college. Today's customers do their research and make their buying decisions based on value and service.
"Comparing our plans to the competition, consumers will see how Sprint can help families save money in these tough economic times. We aren't talking about nickels and dimes but hundreds and even thousands of dollars."
Sprint Everything Messaging Family*
Includes two lines and 1,500 minutes with:
Unlimited nights
Unlimited weekends
Unlimited mobile-to-mobile
Unlimited texting
Unlimited video messaging
Unlimited picture sharing
* This is a comparison of our basic family messaging plan. Other plans offer additional value.
Verizon
Nationwide
Select Family
SharePlan
Annual
Savings vs.
Verizon
AT&T
FamilyTalk
Talk & Text
Annual
Savings vs.
AT&T
$99.99
per month
$119.99
$240
$119.99
$240
Add line three
$9.99
$ 109.98
Cost per line = $36.66
$129.98
$240
$129.98
$240
Add line four
$9.99
$ 119.97
Cost per line = $29.99
$139.97
$240
$139.97
$240
Add line five
$9.99
$129.96
Cost per line = $25.99
$149.96
$240
$149.96
$240
As well as offering customers a lower price than its competitors, Sprint offers customers the best value in wireless, including:
- Now Network benefits provided by the fastest national push-to-talk network and America's largest, most dependable 3G network.* Sprint has four times the coverage of AT&T's current 3G network.
- An award-winning lineup of cool phones, led by the Samsung Instinct, named by CNET as "Best In Show" at CTIA's spring show.
- The Samsung Rant - offered now at $49.99 - named by LAPTOP Magazine as best cell phone at CTIA's fall show.
- The most devices of any carrier - six - highlighted by Forbes.com in its Top 10 best phones for holiday gift giving.
- The easiest to use technology with One Click, which gives "one click" access to customers' favorite content, including Google, Facebook, MySpace, email, NFL Mobile Live and more.
- Guaranteed friendly service with Ready Now, an exclusive Sprint experience that offers hands-on training and setup for customers at Sprint stores nationwide.
Simply Everything offers savings for unlimited data - more than $480 annual savings vs. AT&T and Verizon on an individual plan
Earlier this year, Sprint revolutionized unlimited pricing in the wireless industry by moving beyond its competitors to deliver more features for a flat rate of $99.99. Sprint's Simply Everything plan provides unlimited nationwide calling, texting, email, Web browsing, GPS Navigation and much more - all for only $99.99. Comparable yearly messaging and data plans on Verizon and AT&T cost the consumer an additional $480 and $540, respectively.
A great example of the value offered by Sprint is the cost savings available with the Samsung Instinct vs. the iPhone. The Instinct is $70 less than the iPhone after mail-in rebate, but that is only the start of the savings. When comparing similar rate plans for both phones, customers who purchase an iPhone will pay approximately $1,200 more for similar services during their two-year contract than customers who purchase an Instinct. Sprint's plans with unlimited data begin at less than $70 per month.
All-inclusive Sprint plans add up to even more savings for cord cutters
"Rather than spending money for extras and add-on services that aren't included, we believe customers prefer to enjoy the peace of mind and savings they find with Sprint's pricing plans," Hesse said. "Many Simply Everything plan customers have realized additional savings by cutting the cord and eliminating their landline completely."
In the current economic climate, consumers have to make smarter decisions around their expenditures. Research from Nielsen shows that the number of households going completely wireless has grown by 2.5 million during the last year to more than 20.5 million households. This trend highlights the importance of choosing the right wireless plan.
Customers can learn more about the value of Sprint's plans by visiting any Sprint store or by going online at www.sprint.com/everything [3]. Existing Sprint customers can switch to any of these plans without a contract extension. They are available on new lines of activation with a two-year agreement per line. Sprint holiday phones and special offers are featured at www.sprint.com/holiday [4].
*Disclaimer: Largest based on square miles. Dependability based on independent, third-party drive-test data on connection success and session reliability for the top 50 most populous markets from March to September 2008. Fastest based on initial call setup time.
About Sprint Nextel
Sprint Nextel offers a comprehensive range of wireless and wireline communications services bringing the freedom of mobility to consumers, businesses and government users. Sprint Nextel is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying innovative technologies, including two wireless networks serving nearly 51 million customers at the end of the third quarter 2008; industry-leading mobile data services; instant national and international push-to-talk capabilities; and a global Tier 1 Internet backbone. For more information, visit www.sprint.com [5].
Contact:
Sprint
Emmy Anderson, 913-707-0618
emmy.anderson@sprint.com [6]
Source: Sprint