Sprint is pushing some buttons in the mobile phone pricing space by adding mobile broadband to its one-price Simply Everything plan. Of course, those who want mobile broadband, which consists of an air card for a laptop or computer, will have to kick in an additional $50.99 on top of the $99 monthly fee they're already paying for unlimited voice, Sprint TV, SMS, GPS and other amenities.
Whether this is a good idea for consumers or just a way to add some more money to Sprint's flagging coffers by pushing the perceived value of air cards depends on the way you jigger the money. Sprint figures the plan would save a consumer $599 over packages offered by AT&T and Verizon Wireless, and that should make it attractive for business customers who can't be out of touch for a minute of their lives. Regular consumers don't seem to be the plan's targets.
Perhaps the plan's main targets are the aforementioned Verizon and AT&T which are now facing yet another single price plan from Sprint that they can either match or blow off--at least to prospective customers--as irrelevant. From that perspective, Sprint is at least roiling the wireless waters.
For more:
- see this article
Related stories:
Prediction 7: All-you-can-eat plans will drop in price
Lowenstein: A New Model for Wireless Pricing