Database Users

Did you hear about Sprint going to Throttle Data on EVO4g this summer?

I jsut read about this on engadget app. They said there was a clause in the new EVO4g contract stating that Sprint, at any time, may throttle data usuage. Meaning that they are going to cut it back or limit it somehow. That sounds like they following the AT&T route, to me.
I don't own an Evo yet, but my father has one. I was thinkn about switching back to Sprint. I haven't been with them in almmost 10yrs. They didn't have any unlimited plan back then. Anyways, lol, Sprint has good deals and unlimited plans now. I'm soo stuck on what I want to do. Either wait for Dell Streak on my current carrier, AT&T, or jump ship to Sprint and get the new EVO. My father loves the fact of being able to video chat thru Fring, which I put him on to. . Lol. He said it wrks great. So I'm at a crossroads of what I want to get. Then now sprint talkin bout cutting back data. Damn. I need unlimited, like I have now. I stay with carrier, I'm grandfathered in, as far as unlimited data goes. Even if I upgrade to the dell streak. I'm worried now that sprint gonna end their unlimited data. So I guess I better hurry in decide b4 the transition takes effect.
Juss some info, in case y'all haven't heard yet. If this is a repeat thread, Mods can delete, PLZ .
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Sent from my AOSP on XDANDROID MSM

demandarin said:
I jsut read about this on engadget app. They said there was a clause in the new EVO4g contract stating that Sprint, at any time, may throttle data usuage. Meaning that they are going to cut it back or limit it somehow. That sounds like they following the AT&T route, to me.
I don't own an Evo yet, but my father has one. I was thinkn about switching back to Sprint. I haven't been with them in almmost 10yrs. They didn't have any unlimited plan back then. Anyways, lol, Sprint has good deals and unlimited plans now. I'm soo stuck on what I want to do. Either wait for Dell Streak on my current carrier, AT&T, or jump ship to Sprint and get the new EVO. My father loves the fact of being able to video chat thru Fring, which I put him on to. . Lol. He said it wrks great. So I'm at a crossroads of what I want to get. Then now sprint talkin bout cutting back data. Damn. I need unlimited, like I have now. I stay with carrier, I'm grandfathered in, as far as unlimited data goes. Even if I upgrade to the dell streak. I'm worried now that sprint gonna end their unlimited data. So I guess I better hurry in decide b4 the transition takes effect.
Juss some info, in case y'all haven't heard yet. If this is a repeat thread, Mods can delete, PLZ .
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Sent from my AOSP on XDANDROID MSM
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That is all rumor, the picture isnt even the entire article. The terms and conditions already have data throttling in it, it says anything over 5GB would be throttled on any mifi/modem/phone as modem plans. NOTHING about the EVO 4g being throttled, other than the Engadget article gear twards it.
According to the Terms and Conditions online they already have it in there that they can limit any phone as modem data > 5GB a month. It also says that they CAN AND WILL change any plan data/service/ anything at any time, but scrolling down further says that if any change adversely affects you, you may call in and cancel without ETF's within 30 days of notice.

Right now, you really can't beat the EVO in terms of features.
As far as cost goes, I would say it is on par with most of the other carriers, give or take 10 dollars/mo.
I guess it really boils down to how good of service you are getting.
I just switched over from Tmo after 10 years, I think they were resting on their laurels. I don't have one bad thing to say about Tmo though. But I really had to have the EVO and it was worth the $10 dollars a month "Premium". After all is said and done, its about the same price as my G1 in terms of contract costs.
One bonus is that I will probably be able to drop my Brighthouse cable in a few month when 4G hits this area. I know there is rumors about a Cap, but I was told it was unlimited and that was the whole point of the extra 10 dollars month.
My Tmo plan was $89.99 for Unlimited Everything and My current Sprint Plan is $69.99 + $10 Premium (Only 450 Minutes to Landlines). Its a little awkward, but realistically, it works out for me. And If I find the real need for more landlines minutes, then it will just put me back on par with Tmo.
I just hope their service has improved from times past. I know Sprint and Nextel get no love around these parts (Tampa, FL).

I jsut read about this on engadget app. They said there was a clause in the new EVO4g contract stating that Sprint, at any time, may throttle data us
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That is all rumor, the picture isnt even the entire article. The terms and conditions already have data throttling in it, it says anything over 5GB would be throttled on any mifi/modem/phone as modem plans. NOTHING about the EVO 4g being throttled, other than the Engadget article gear twards it.
According to the Terms and Conditions online they already have it in there that they can limit any phone as modem data > 5GB a month. It also says that they CAN AND WILL change any plan data/service/ anything at any time, but scrolling down further says that if any change adversely affects you, you may call in and cancel without ETF's within 30 days of notice.
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Thnkx for clearing that up. Now I know the details. I have a feelin ima be jumping ship soon. Iphone4 is cool but not cooler thn Evo. ;-) I now need 4 in. Or betta..lmao.
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Sent from my AOSP on XDANDROID MSM

Brutal-Force said:
I just hope their service has improved from times past. I know Sprint and Nextel get no love around these parts (Tampa, FL).
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I'm in Tampa and I am mostly in the Brandon, Plant City, and Temple terrace areas and I can tell you I am loving sprint. I switched from TMO with my Nexus One. I had decent 3g with TMO but not everywhere and when I did have 3g average was getting 500 - 600kbps on average and never above 1100kbps. Well since switching to sprint not once have I dropped 3g and I average 800 to 1100kbps and occasionally I will hit 2200 - 2400kbps. From my experience Sprint 3g is a lot faster than TMO and much better signal in the area.

Throttling is better than overage charging. I'd be really surprised if their limit is the same as AT&T's before overages (2GB). I'm holding out hope that they'll stick to 5GB.
Also, I bet the throttling cap is either higher on 4G or non-existent.

I applaud carriers that protect their non-abusive customers from the abusive ones that download torrent's/youtube/pandora 24-7.
I couldn't imagine how bad the network might get if Sprint did not do this and everyone could then replace their home WiFi internet with the mobile hotspot feature. 5gb is more than enough for any customer out there. The one's that cry "but...but...but... we signed up for unlimited! Waaahhh!!!" are the ones abusing the system.

ap3604 said:
I applaud carriers that protect their non-abusive customers from the abusive ones that download torrent's/youtube/pandora 24-7.
I couldn't imagine how bad the network might get if Sprint did not do this and everyone could then replace their home WiFi internet with the mobile hotspot feature. 5gb is more than enough for any customer out there. The one's that cry "but...but...but... we signed up for unlimited! Waaahhh!!!" are the ones abusing the system.
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i totally agree with you!

jrdejavux said:
i totally agree with you!
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But I did sign up for unlimited... Though I do agree with sprints throttling, only if it starts at 5gb+ for 3g and they remove the overage charges for 5gb+

mrono said:
But I did sign up for unlimited... Though I do agree with sprints throttling, only if it starts at 5gb+ for 3g and they remove the overage charges for 5gb+
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Engadget updated the article and its only regarding business accounts where the businesses want to slow down excessive use on their employees

jrdejavux said:
ap3604 said:
I applaud carriers that protect their non-abusive customers from the abusive ones that download torrent's/youtube/pandora 24-7.
I couldn't imagine how bad the network might get if Sprint did not do this and everyone could then replace their home WiFi internet with the mobile hotspot feature. 5gb is more than enough for any customer out there. The one's that cry "but...but...but... we signed up for unlimited! Waaahhh!!!" are the ones abusing the system.
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i totally agree with you!
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It's true what they say... great mind's think alike

robstunner said:
Engadget updated the article and its only regarding business accounts where the businesses want to slow down excessive use on their employees
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God I hate Engadget

They had better have a ....accurate display for the data measurer. Maybe new phones will having a shocking synaptic feedback. .. the more data, the more voltage..

willy900wonka said:
They had better have a ....accurate display for the data measurer. Maybe new phones will having a shocking synaptic feedback. .. the more data, the more voltage..
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But think of the battery life! i don't want to it already hurts so bad, and it'll hurt 2x if i got shocked and because of that battery life took a dive

Yep re-read their article about it. I hands down owned them in their speculation and they then updated their article. Engadget blows.

rutter9 said:
Yep re-read their article about it. I hands down owned them in their speculation and they then updated their article. Engadget blows.
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remind me to not trust anything engadget says anymore, they have had more and more false posts lately

All Engadget did was post a REAL picture with REAL clauses from the Sprint service agreement. All the hoopla was caused by tools who think with their emotions instead of their brains. *cough*

Sorry...but stupid opinion
You either offer unlimited and honor it or like ATT cap it. It is a rip off when you label it "unlimited" and then throttle it.
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ap3604 said:
I applaud carriers that protect their non-abusive customers from the abusive ones that download torrent's/youtube/pandora 24-7.
I couldn't imagine how bad the network might get if Sprint did not do this and everyone could then replace their home WiFi internet with the mobile hotspot feature. 5gb is more than enough for any customer out there. The one's that cry "but...but...but... we signed up for unlimited! Waaahhh!!!" are the ones abusing the system.
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Personally, I would much prefer to have my data speed throttled (after reaching the 5gb cap) than to be charged extra to go over it. Perhaps have this as a choice, though, for those who need the extra speed? Seems like a much better option to me rather than only having 2GB and getting charged twice as much to go over it (even slightly).

paximos said:
You either offer unlimited and honor it or like ATT cap it. It is a rip off when you label it "unlimited" and then throttle it.
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Um, every cellular carrier in the US caps their data usage. Ever since the inclusion of unlimited data plans, they've all been capped at 5GB/month, up until AT&T decided it would be "smarter" to lower the cap to 2GB (while barely lowering prices - half the usage should be HALF THE PRICE, MORONS).
They use the term "unlimited" as a PR term, not a literal one. When was the last time you hit 5GB on a cell phone? You really have to work at it, or try to replace your home internet service with it. It's practically unlimited, because it's such a hard gate to hit.
It's like Boost Mobile claiming to have unlimited web; sure, it's unlimited, but good luck using it.

Perhaps a legitimate reason for the $10/mo EVO fee

Just a thought I had today, but since the $10 fee did seem to come out of no where, but sometime after they said the 4G would be free at CITA, and since they haven't expressly said it was for the 4G data...
Perhaps, they knew the first batch of phones were going to have the screen problem, as well as other problems, but they found out after they had several thousand/hundred thousand made, thus knowing they were going to have to replace a hell of a lot of phones within a month or two and with this so-called "Prem Data Fee" they could regain some of the money for replacing all the early adopters phones.
I don't have the screen problem...yet, but I'm going to be exchanging mine because the speaker is half blown or something in the earpiece.
Any takers on the idea?

Doubt it, but it's definitely an excuse to pad their pockets a bit more, since Sprint has the lowest margins across all post-paid providers.

I was thinking more along the lines of the stupid amount of data we are going to be using on these phones with 4g. on 3g alone i've used 350mb in 3 1/2 days (i love it) Honestly this 3g is really fast, faster than verizon and t-mobile thus far (speed test prove it). I get better signal is area that my verizon phone does, but that might because its a storm 2 ()

Interesting theory, but I think it's a bit far fetched. I truly think the $10 is for unrestricted data usage, which I am thoroughly enjoying.

I for one hope they plan to use the extra money to strengthen and expand the 4G coverage.

It is a little bit far-fetched, but you never know. Last minuet stuff always happens and companies might make drastic measures to compensate themselves.
It was just a thought, especially since they've never actually said the fee was for the data, it's for the phone experience, which directly links it to the phone, if you go by what they say the fee is for.

why is everybody obsessed with this fee
the reason the fee exists is because the market will bear it.
whether that makes you happy or sad is on you

strung said:
the reason the fee exists is because the market will bear it.
whether that makes you happy or sad is on you
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Strung you are boosting the IQ of the forum with answers like these
Lord knows we need all the help we can get since I'm on here bringing us down

Probably the same ideology as to why AT&T ditched the unlimited data plan right before or when the iPhone 4 was announced.
Sprint needs customers and since the EVO is going to be one major source of income and/or data usage...they probably decided to implement a fee for unlimited 3G/4G data usage while keeping the unlimited plan available. When you think of Sprint, you immediately think "SIMPLY UNLIMITED EVERYTHING!"
What I say or think really doesn't matter...the $10 fee is mandatory so there is no use in trying to fight it or be sneaky about trying to get out of paying it.

I am glad I have this fee and no soft cap. I have used 1GB+ in the last 6 days. I get to laugh at ATTs new customers about their 2GB cap hahahaha.

engagedtosmile said:
I am glad I have this fee and no soft cap. I have used 1GB+ in the last 6 days. I get to laugh at ATTs new customers about their 2GB cap hahahaha.
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But why? According to AT&T, a majority of its customers wouldn't even come close to the 2GB cap and do not need unlimited data

I was always under the assumption for the charge that you can hook the evo up to any computer via usb and use it for internet access.

eck0728 said:
I was thinking more along the lines of the stupid amount of data we are going to be using on these phones with 4g. on 3g alone i've used 350mb in 3 1/2 days (i love it)...QUOTE]
That's exactly what Dan Hesse said the fee was for.
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Well, just an update...
The Sprint store said that my speaker was wacko for sure, and when I checked the other two phones we have tonight, both of their screens are raising up. What find strange is, mine got 10x the usage over the last week than the other two did and mine doesn't have the screen problem...yet.
Anyhow, I guess Sprint will be sending us 3 new phones.

i am rooted using wifi tether and i dont feel the least bit bad for it.. they are going to screw me for an extra 10 bucs a month im going to get my monies worth..... take that sprint.

I plan on returning my Evo tomorrow. I don't care how much data you use, they shouldn't offer a unlimited data plan if they don't like you using unlimited data. I have filed a complaint through the FCC and encourage everyone here to do so as well. This is deceptive advertising, and an unlawful fee. The name of the fee is "premium data plan" but other than the 6 people that live in a 4g network, it is a "right to own the Evo fee". You DON'T have to pay it, you SHOULDN'T be paying it. I am never passionate about anything ever, but this one really puts me over the edge. http://esupport.fcc.gov/complaints.htm.

Thank goodness I don't pay it... well not really. 10$ off from the IO conference.

bigough13 said:
I plan on returning my Evo tomorrow. I don't care how much data you use, they shouldn't offer a unlimited data plan if they don't like you using unlimited data. I have filed a complaint through the FCC and encourage everyone here to do so as well. This is deceptive advertising, and an unlawful fee. The name of the fee is "premium data plan" but other than the 6 people that live in a 4g network, it is a "right to own the Evo fee". You DON'T have to pay it, you SHOULDN'T be paying it. I am never passionate about anything ever, but this one really puts me over the edge. http://esupport.fcc.gov/complaints.htm.
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Why did you buy a 4g phone if you don't live in a 4g area?

rutter9 said:
Why did you buy a 4g phone if you don't live in a 4g area?
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I got the phone for the hardware, and android. I want to go to T-Mobile for the HD2, but it lacks the 8mp camera, no WiFi tether, and WinMo, yuck. I understand the fee in 4g areas, but they can't justify the fee for any other area. Call/email them, they sound like idiots trying to explain why we're being charged $10. "Rich data experience" (3g network?), "1ghz processor", "YouTube hd", "android operating system" are all the reasons I have gotten. I can provide email proof. The fee is a scam, not premium data.

$10 Extra a month?

Hey there, I just wanted you option on something. This guy post this thread about how it is BS that Sprint charges an extra $10 a month for the phone, about how Sprint is charging for the phone and not the service.
forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=750280
Here is what I think about the $10 extra a month:
Sprint charges $10 a month for 4G.. And if you think about it you are not losing totality. You may not have 4G yet in you area, I know in Felton, Delaware where I live there is not yet 4G. But for every $10 we put in extra every month... It helps them put up more 4G towers. And the more towers the better coverage we will get. I may be wrong, but you need to think about it from more of the positive side. And besides, When you bought the phone you knew there was a $10 a month extra charge. But you still bought it. Anyways. I want to know what you guys think about all of this.

If Sprint takes my 10 bucks/month and builds more 4G coverage, then so be it. Let those who want the service help pay for that service. The extra 10 hurts, I know as a grad student but if that money improves my 4G service then I will be happy.

nukedukem said:
If Sprint takes my 10 bucks/month and builds more 4G coverage, then so be it. Let those who want the service help pay for that service. The extra 10 hurts, I know as a grad student but if that money improves my 4G service then I will be happy.
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Yeah, I just confirmed this with Sprint!

why didnt you just post this in that thread instead of creating a new one asking the same thing thats being discussed ... makes no sense

snapcallem said:
why didnt you just post this in that thread instead of creating a new one asking the same thing thats being discussed ... makes no sense
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Why don't you stop trolling?
Anyway I don't mind the $10/month because I paid way more with at&t. I actually never scanned for 4G and don't plan to but I believe NJ doesn't have it yet
Sent from my Supersonic

gqstatus0685 said:
Why don't you stop trolling?
Anyway I don't mind the $10/month because I paid way more with at&t. I actually never scanned for 4G and don't plan to but I believe NJ doesn't have it yet
Sent from my Supersonic
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trolling? you dont agree its annoying having 8 different threads all asking the same thing ... and he linked the thread in his post

Sprint has said many times over that the $10 is NOT for 4G but rather a surcharge for using the phone itself - in other words: hardware.
Even though I do agree the logical reason is for 4G. I just wished Sprint would come out and say this.

mcbrided said:
Sprint has said many times over that the $10 is NOT for 4G but rather a surcharge for using the phone itself - in other words: hardware.
Even though I do agree the logical reason is for 4G. I just wished Sprint would come out and say this.
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The problem is they can't say it is for 4G since everybody will not be able to access it.
Hardware is the thing that everybody will use...this way you don't get people complaining about the 4G fee when they don't have 4G. (legally, you are not allowed to charge for a service that is unavailable to a customer.)
Just my .02. This topic never ends...

its a stupid charge no matter how you spin it and when you read this sprint webpage about the limits on 3G despite their plans saying "unlimited" you see why they charge an extra $10. It's not about how much the extra fee is, or being scrooge or any of that, its paying extra for something you should already have.
http://shop.sprint.com/en/stores/popups/4G_coverage_popup.shtml

snapcallem said:
trolling? you dont agree its annoying having 8 different threads all asking the same thing ... and he linked the thread in his post
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Yeah trolling well stop coming in those threads easy
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App

IceCreaMan said:
its a stupid charge no matter how you spin it and when you read this sprint webpage about the limits on 3G despite their plans saying "unlimited" you see why they charge an extra $10. It's not about how much the extra fee is, or being scrooge or any of that, its paying extra for something you should already have.
http://shop.sprint.com/en/stores/popups/4G_coverage_popup.shtml
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That's for the Aircards, Over Drive and MiFi, not for the phone data usage.
Now check your data usage history for the last 6 months and compare them with your current usage (since the evo) and you will provably notice that you are using more data than before, I went from using about 1Gb per month to over 4 Gb this past month. Not sure if this is what Sprint calls Evo features but if the $10 is due to the increase on network load and it is going to give me a better network I'll pay with no problem, not to mention that I am paying $80 less per month for 3 lines than what I was paying with At&t for two lines and getting more.

SAlpIche said:
That's for the Aircards, Over Drive and MiFi, not for the phone data usage.
Now check your data usage history for the last 6 months and compare them with your current usage (since the evo) and you will provably notice that you are using more data than before, I went from using about 1Gb per month to over 4 Gb this past month. Not sure if this is what Sprint calls Evo features but if the $10 is due to the increase on network load and it is going to give me a better network I'll pay with no problem, not to mention that I am paying $80 less per month for 3 lines than what I was paying with At&t for two lines and getting more.
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Thank you for clearing that up. When thread was started about a month ago, dealing with this $10 fee, I mentioned that broadband cards are limited to 5 GB. If you can catch 4G on a broadband card, then it is unlimited. Trust me, I hit the 5 GB cap using a 3G broadband card

SAlpIche said:
That's for the Aircards, Over Drive and MiFi, not for the phone data usage.
Now check your data usage history for the last 6 months and compare them with your current usage (since the evo) and you will provably notice that you are using more data than before, I went from using about 1Gb per month to over 4 Gb this past month. Not sure if this is what Sprint calls Evo features but if the $10 is due to the increase on network load and it is going to give me a better network I'll pay with no problem, not to mention that I am paying $80 less per month for 3 lines than what I was paying with At&t for two lines and getting more.
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i had at&t previous to the evo and my 4g coverage in atlanta is not all that good. For daily use, i only get great 4g coverage at the office but i don't need it there as we have dual DS3's pipes. Its still the same thing as the placebo effect, we assume they will add more 3g/4g towers because we pay an extra $10/m. i don't expect them to add more 4g towers in atlanta before adding even one 4g tower in Orlando, fl. I also need them to add more cell towers so i can have better coverage with just 3g cell service...

Premium Data "4g tax" lawsuit starting

I've never been one to complain about our $10/mo "Premium Data" add on, but apparently there is a class action lawsuit starting regarding it. The below is the text of an email that was sent out regarding it (and the page at http://www.bursor.com/press/101203sprint4g.html)
If You Purchased a Sprint EVO 4G or EPIC 4G Cellphone, You May Be Interested in a Class Action Lawsuit
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A class action lawsuit was filed alleging that Sprint customers that purchased the EVO 4G or EPIC 4G cellphones are being charged a $10 monthly “Premium Data Add-On” fee, despite the fact that these customers had already paid for unlimited data usage under their existing Sprint calling plans.
Law Offices of Scott A. Bursor, www.bursor.com, is investigating claims that these charges may be improper.
If you purchased a Sprint EVO 4G or EPIC 4G cellphone, we would like to hear from you so we can investigate whether you incurred this charge, how many customers have been affected, and whether there may be valid legal claims for a refund. Please contact us by responding to this email or by calling us directly at (646) 504-7781.
About Law Offices of Scott A. Bursor
Scott A. Bursor, has represented plaintiffs in class action lawsuits against Sprint and other wireless carriers since 2002. Many of these cases are discussed in detail at www.bursor.com.
Contact:
Scott A. Bursor
Email: [email protected]
www.bursor.com

IMO, The only thing this will do is raise our rates as Sprint has additional costs arguing with this guy.
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA App

True it will increase costs. But I doubt my phone bill will be +$40/mo more after dealing with this guy which is what I'm paying for now due to 3 Evo's and 1 Epic. I totally support +$10/mo for 4g ... if it was optional. I have no need for 4g though and am highly annoyed at paying this tax. All I want is an Android phone with keyboard and the rest of the guys wanted big screens, we've given them hundreds of $'s this year for something we don't use or want.

Old news, but sprint data is cheaper than everyone else anyway.
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA App

thx for the info. calling tomorrow

You are assuming the 10 dollars is for 4G. I've always thought it was for more or less having a next generational phone. Both the evo/epic encourage people to use data in ways none of the other devices do. Because of the specs, everything is faster, web browsing, multtasking, gaming - even if you are on 3G.
Sprint realized that giving an unlimited buffet to a blackberry user is much different than giving an unlimited buffet to someone using these phones.
It would be interesting if sprint ends up having to release some of this data to explain the fee. Those 1tb montly users may come in handy at that time.
Even with the fee, sprint has one of the cheapest and best data plans around.
Trahloc said:
True it will increase costs. But I doubt my phone bill will be +$40/mo more after dealing with this guy which is what I'm paying for now due to 3 Evo's and 1 Epic. I totally support +$10/mo for 4g ... if it was optional. I have no need for 4g though and am highly annoyed at paying this tax. All I want is an Android phone with keyboard and the rest of the guys wanted big screens, we've given them hundreds of $'s this year for something we don't use or want.
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Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA App

Trahloc said:
True it will increase costs. But I doubt my phone bill will be +$40/mo more after dealing with this guy which is what I'm paying for now due to 3 Evo's and 1 Epic. I totally support +$10/mo for 4g ... if it was optional. I have no need for 4g though and am highly annoyed at paying this tax. All I want is an Android phone with keyboard and the rest of the guys wanted big screens, we've given them hundreds of $'s this year for something we don't use or want.
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That boils down to how much data you use..if they go Tiered data like Verizon they could charge you $10 a month per GB per phone...so if you don't use much data thats fine..
In the end each person will get like 5$ settlement and the lawyer will get millions in his own pocket..If only they had a limitation on how much these lawyers can get in 1 law suite >.>
Cause these law suites are a lawyers "All you can eat"...not to mention they will end up fighting it for like 10 years..

Trahloc said:
True it will increase costs. But I doubt my phone bill will be +$40/mo more after dealing with this guy which is what I'm paying for now due to 3 Evo's and 1 Epic. I totally support +$10/mo for 4g ... if it was optional. I have no need for 4g though and am highly annoyed at paying this tax. All I want is an Android phone with keyboard and the rest of the guys wanted big screens, we've given them hundreds of $'s this year for something we don't use or want.
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I live in New Orleans and I think the closest 4G city is 350 miles away (Houston). I too wanted an Android phone with a keyboard that wasn't abandoned by the manufacturer for support.
I think it's the principal of paying for something Sprint isn't giving me an opportunity to utilize that irritates me the most. However, I didn't want to drop Sprint (due to plan costs) and I really wanted the Epic. So I gave in.
diego1985 said:
Old news, but sprint data is cheaper than everyone else anyway.
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That is the kicker, they are the cheapest--even with the 4G charge.
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA App

They now have the samsung transform.
I still see justification for the fee even without the 4G. they are effectively lumping us into a high data tier. In reality, maybe they should just make it actually tiered.
nikon120 said:
I live in New Orleans and I think the closest 4G city is 350 miles away (Houston). I too wanted an Android phone with a keyboard that wasn't abandoned by the manufacturer for support.
I think it's the principal of paying for something Sprint isn't giving me an opportunity to utilize that irritates me the most. However, I didn't want to drop Sprint (due to plan costs) and I really wanted the Epic. So I gave in.
That is the kicker, they are the cheapest--even with the 4G charge.
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Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA App

Tiered would be annoying but livable. Make $40/mo something reasonable with X charge per GB and then past some other reasonable point make it unlimited. But a mandatory charge of $10 for a feature I neither want or use just pisses me off. At least metro pcs had the decency to say "that phone isn't allowed on that plan" when we tried snagging their android phone for the folks using that network. Sprint should do that same, you don't want folks using high end phones on the cheap plans don't allow them on, don't create a fake tax.

Trahloc said:
Tiered would be annoying but livable. Make $40/mo something reasonable with X charge per GB and then past some other reasonable point make it unlimited. But a mandatory charge of $10 for a feature I neither want or use just pisses me off. At least metro pcs had the decency to say "that phone isn't allowed on that plan" when we tried snagging their android phone for the folks using that network. Sprint should do that same, you don't want folks using high end phones on the cheap plans don't allow them on, don't create a fake tax.
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You shouldn't have bought the phone then. Every single person who bought this phone or the evo KNEW that there as a $10/month fee but still bought it because they just HAD to have the newest phones. If the fee is really that big of an issue then you wouldn't have bought the phone. When I bought the phone.I too the cost into consideration and decided that the$10 fee was justifiable and even with it I would still be paying less than ANY OTHER CARRIER for the same plan. People need to stop *****ing just to *****
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Sh0wNuF said:
You shouldn't have bought the phone then. Every single person who bought this phone or the evo KNEW that there as a $10/month fee but still bought it because they just HAD to have the newest phones. If the fee is really that big of an issue then you wouldn't have bought the phone. When I bought the phone.I too the cost into consideration and decided that the$10 fee was justifiable and even with it I would still be paying less than ANY OTHER CARRIER for the same plan. People need to stop *****ing just to *****
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I agree with you right there. Before any ever bought the phone the fees were right there.
I say good luck with the lawsuit. 99% sure you will not get what you want out of it regardless if you win or lose.

Let me clarify one thing... I'm not assuming jack. I read the agreement and I know it's not just a 4g charge. My post was purely informative. Hence "4g tax" in quotations.
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This just end cost all of us more. Some of these lawyers need to be reigned in.
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iil said:
They now have the samsung transform.
I still see justification for the fee even without the 4G. they are effectively lumping us into a high data tier. In reality, maybe they should just make it actually tiered.
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There is no justification without 4G. The reason is you've purchased the phone.... You own it and it's capabilities. It's connection to the internet is a separate issue.
Would you pay more for wired internet service because you have a better graphics card and faster CPU in your home PC?
Tiered pricing?? I don't think Sprint wants that because people will then jump to Verizon or T-Mobile. Both of those carriers still offer unlimited data. TMO might slow down your data speed, if you go over 5GB, but it's still all you can eat.
Sprint's justification for the $10 premium fee is to make a few extra bucks and to cover the cost of what they pay to Clearwire. Clearwire charges $5 per WiMax capable phone Sprint has on it's network. So Sprint had a choice.. Pass the charge along or eat it as part of doing business. Personally, being that Sprint advertises unlimited data, and they're not subsidizing their 4G phones like the other carriers are doing with their top end phones (Have you seen what the other Galaxy S variants sell for on TMO, ATT, VzW, etc?), I think they should have just eaten the $5 (What Clearwires charges them) and also renegotiate their contract with Clearwire to only pay them the fee where Clearwire has service.
Here's another thing. Unlike ATT, Sprint has excess capacity on it's existing EVDO network, so it's not really costing Sprint anything to offer unlimited data on it's 3G network. It just doesn't make sense for Sprint to offer tiered data.

crabjoe said:
There is no justification without 4G. The reason is you've purchased the phone.... You own it and it's capabilities. It's connection to the internet is a separate issue.
Would you pay more for wired internet service because you have a better graphics card and faster CPU in your home PC?
Tiered pricing?? I don't think Sprint wants that because people will then jump to Verizon or T-Mobile. Both of those carriers still offer unlimited data. TMO might slow down your data speed, if you go over 5GB, but it's still all you can eat.
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Verizon plans to go tiered Data as well..as for T-mobile not sure yet..but it might end up all of them going Tiered data...such dumb lawsuit is only going to push them towards tiered data... mostly if Verizon and ATT go that route...
In the end the lawyer will be the only winner...these lawsuits last YEARS...
Sprint's justification for the $10 premium fee is to make a few extra bucks and to cover the cost of what they pay to Clearwire. Clearwire charges $5 per WiMax capable phone Sprint has on it's network. So Sprint had a choice.. Pass the charge along or eat it as part of doing business. Personally, being that Sprint advertises unlimited data, and they're not subsidizing their 4G phones like the other carriers are doing with their top end phones (Have you seen what the other Galaxy S variants sell for on TMO, ATT, VzW, etc?), I think they should have just eaten the $5 (What Clearwires charges them) and also renegotiate their contract with Clearwire to only pay them the fee where Clearwire has service.
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Actually if clearwire doesn't have service sprint doesn't pay them and takes money for themselves..thats what clearwire has been complaining about to sprint...
Here's another thing. Unlike ATT, Sprint has excess capacity on it's existing EVDO network, so it's not really costing Sprint anything to offer unlimited data on it's 3G network. It just doesn't make sense for Sprint to offer tiered data.
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The CEO of Sprint said for now he doesn't see a reason to go Tiered data but if the need arises they will..so take that as you will..
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Overall though the TP2 went for 350$ on sprint...now phones are 200$-250$ top tiered..I say that about covers most of the $10 fee

but what you fail to understand is it is called "premium data":
this includes:
free sprint tv
sprint navigation
unlimited roaming
unlimited data (3g or 4g)
sprint is aware that by owning a 4g capable device (ie epic, evo, shift 4g) that this higher end devices have better capabilities and can actually use 3g faster and better than any other device.
they are also aware that through android (did you think about the fact that all 4g capable devices are android only) there are programs that will allow you to have connection to 3g/4g on your computer via wireless tether or wired tether for free. and instead of filtering out these units, placing caps, or throttling data after it hits a certian point...they give a 10$ fee. instead of going like the other wireless giants and tremendously increasing their rates or placing outrageous caps (seriously a 2 gig cap on the iphone plan att?). and it gives you the ability to connect to 4g whenever you go to a place that has 4g.
so is the charge unfair? i think not.
but then again, this is america, where we can ***** and moan about a hot cup of coffee and make a billion in a law suit.
i honestly believe if you dont like the premium data is "unfair" go to att or verison. seriously, ***** and moan about not getting froyo or something that really matters.

diego1985 said:
Old news, but sprint data is cheaper than everyone else anyway.
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+1
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=868877&highlight=lawsuit

Sprint played this dumb from the get go, it's their fault. Dan Hesse said there wouldn't be a 4G fee of any kind. Since they did indeed have to charge a 4G fee, they tried to play customers dumb by saying it's a premium data fee because it consumes more data. True, but then why don't phones like Transform, Hero, Pre and other smartphones get the fee, because I don't see them consuming any less data just because they don't have 4G.
But quite frankly, I think anyone who participates in this lawsuit is dumb and should be banned from signing contracts.

iil said:
You are assuming the 10 dollars is for 4G. I've always thought it was for more or less having a next generational phone. Both the evo/epic encourage people to use data in ways none of the other devices do. Because of the specs, everything is faster, web browsing, multtasking, gaming - even if you are on 3G.
Sprint realized that giving an unlimited buffet to a blackberry user is much different than giving an unlimited buffet to someone using these phones.
It would be interesting if sprint ends up having to release some of this data to explain the fee. Those 1tb montly users may come in handy at that time.
Even with the fee, sprint has one of the cheapest and best data plans around.
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I swear something is wrong with you,what specs?Should a gas station charge you more for regular gas if yo driving bmw instead of honda?Should Audi charge you $100 for "awesomness" of the car that you already paid in full for?
Phones get faster every two months,its only right that they get better specs.Yo dont see Vibrant/Fascinate/Captivate charge 10 dollars for their Cpu being able to process data faster?Epic is the same phone as Vibrant.
When I bought my Epic reps said that extra 10 was for a 4G service that was coming in october,but now when I ask them they say "its for Epics awesomoness and fast CPU",so which one is it sprint?
Charging me for fast CPU that I own,lol,sht is beyond ridiculous.
Remember one thing that Pentium 1,2,3,4(with same eathernet card" and beyond all download data at same speed speed and same thing applies for cell phoned.Do Time Warner charge you extra 10 dollars because you have the latest $10000 computer?No.Just to expain this to all you people that dont know no better or falling for sprints bs.

Sprint increasing 3G data plan pricing by $10/mo

WTF is this all about ?
http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/18/sprint-increasing-new-3g-data-plan-contract-pricing-by-10-call/
The nation's third-largest carrier just announced that it's tacking on an extra monthly $10 "premium data" charge to its 3G Everything data plans.

Now only if my Evo could operate at 3g speeds that would be freaking awesome.
FYI: 70Kbps is not acceptable for 3g speeds, wtf.

Learn to read. It's only for new customers and new smartphone activations via upgrades. If you don't upgrade then you don't get the charge.

cosine83 said:
Learn to read. It's only for new customers and new smartphone activations via upgrades. If you don't upgrade then you don't get the charge.
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But won't I get whacked for this new $10 charge when I upgrade to the EVO 2 this June ? So will EVO 2 charge me $10 for 4G + 10$ for 3G too ?

cosine83 said:
Learn to read. It's only for new customers and new smartphone activations via upgrades. If you don't upgrade then you don't get the charge.
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Still a slap in the face. That means when your contract is up and you buy that new phone, you are also paying 10$ more (can anyone confirm if this is added onto the 10$ we pay for 4g?).

I'm pretty sure if you have a 4G phone that comes with a $10 charge anyway, you'll just keep paying the same additional $10. I think this extra $10 is only for people on 3G phones. So basically, everyone's paying that additional $10 now.

The "4g" fee now applies to all smartphones, that's all.
Sent from my HTC EVO

js2393 said:
I'm pretty sure if you have a 4G phone that comes with a $10 charge anyway, you'll just keep paying the same additional $10. I think this extra $10 is only for people on 3G phones. So basically, everyone's paying that additional $10 now.
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it can't get much clearer then this people, so no if you have a 4g phone you won't be paying $20, you only be paying the $10 that we already are, this additional fee is just for regular 3g phones.

Yeah. The are starting to see $ signs and possibly getting greedy. I'm going to follow this thread so I can see the same people claim that it's all lies.
The funny thing is I was talking to a rep yesterday about the new upgrade policy and brought up the $10 premium data. I asked her how come an HTC Hero doesn't have the charge and it accesses the same internet and it considered close to the Evo aside from 4G. I even told her that I would expect Sprint to make that charge mandatory on all phones being that they are seeing they can get away with it with current Evo owners.
That's the price you pay for a smartphone nowadays.

Wouldn't a better marketing strategy be to just incrrease the cost of the Everyting data plan to $79.99 and $139.99? Even with the increase Sprint's plans are the best out there. Extra charges piss me off though.

Ddt928 said:
Wouldn't a better marketing strategy be to just incrrease the cost of the Everyting data plan to $79.99 and $139.99? Even with the increase Sprint's plans are the best out there. Extra charges piss me off though.
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that would make more since honestly, but then what about the 4g phones then, lol, since a single line for the evo is already 79.99, that would be like tacking on another $10 on that so they could say it's a whatever fee, then someone ends up paying 89.99, cause they didn't realize they are getting screwed more then normal, though i would hope and think sprint would say the evo would only be 79.99 as any other smartphone would be.

So I guess its clear now that the David Blaine thing on the 7th is for making more of your money disappear along with premium status.

brownhornet said:
So I guess its clear now that the David Blaine thing on the 7th is for making more of your money disappear along with premium status.
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Same thing I was thinking.

Well all you "4g premium fee" complainers. Not so unfair you have to pay an extra 10 bucks anymore? LOL. Part of me is wondering if this is their way to make the 4g phone lineup more appealing..."you're gonna pay a premium anyways, why not have the ability to use 4g just in case we decide to roll it out in your city...as long as we don't go broke before then."
Welcome to the (give us money) NOW network!

my guess is that their announcement has to do with adding new cool phones that are 3G.
iphone could be a possibility, but maybe they'll say they allow any CDMA phone on their network.

illwafer said:
my guess is that their announcement has to do with adding new cool phones that are 3G.
iphone could be a possibility, but maybe they'll say they allow any CDMA phone on their network.
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http://m.engadget.com/default/artic...-unlocking-phones/&category=mobile&postPage=1
Sprint already had a lawsuit over this. You "should" be able to put iPhone from Verizon on sprint. Quoting a Rep.
Sent from Evo powered by CM7

aray92 said:
http://m.engadget.com/default/artic...-unlocking-phones/&category=mobile&postPage=1
Sprint already had a lawsuit over this. You "should" be able to put iPhone from Verizon on sprint. Quoting a Rep.
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Funny, when I was on the phone with a Sprint rep last month getting my unlocked EVO activated the lady said they can activate phone 'as long as its labeled with the Sprint logo'. I figured she was wrong or lying but I just wanted to get off the phone.

It's about to get worse. There are rumors that Sprint is going to drop the Premier Upgrade every 12 months program. That they will NOT give Sprint Premiere customers the rebates until their two year contract is up. IF this is the case I will be leaving Sprint as soon as they announce this. They just can't get out of their own way. One of the main reasons I stay with Sprint is because of their annual upgrades. It would not shock me to see Sprint file bankruptcy if they start to implement all these idiotic plans.
http://www.sprintusers.com/forum/showthread.php?t=216413
http://community.sprint.com/baw/thread/58531?start=0&tstart=0&reqsorting=dec

The thing that sucks about this and might be the reason why they just didn't add $10 to plans is that corporate or work discounts do not apply to these fees and only towards the base plan. I was mad when they took the discounts off the $19.99 additional lines.
I won't leave Sprint over this because they are still cheaper, especially with our work discount but I guess I have no reason not to get my wife a 4G phone. I was hoping to save some money since we get 4G at work but not at home and she wouldn't use 4G anyway.
However, if this happens in addition to the Sprint Premier changes, I am going to get really mad for getting screwed in two places.

As long as my data is still unlimited i'll be happy. I don't come anywhere near 2gb or 5gb but if they start screwing around i'll say screw it and buy a damn contract free phone. I like my mobile internet but what they're all doing now is getting a little silly.
They have to raise prices as needed but they should've just upped the whole plan without a $10 tack on. The whole point of Sprint's pricing scheme is to keep it simple for people. That was one of the biggest reasons I came to sprint this year. That and the EVO of course