Sprint guarantees unlimited data for life

Fresh off SoftBank's $21.6 billion acquisition of 78 percent of Sprint (NYSE:S), the operator announced new unlimited service plans that promise unlimited voice, texting and data for the life of the phone line.

Called Unlimited Guarantee, Sprint is not only giving the guarantee to new customers that sign up for service but existing customers who switch to Sprint's new Unlimited, My Way or My All-in plan. The new plans are available starting July 12.

The new Unlimited, My Way plans come with unlimited talk, text and data and Sprint customers can customize their data plans, adding up to 10 lines on one account. As a customer adds more lines to their account, they get more of a discount.  

For example, first a customer selects the number of lines they want. All lines come with unlimited talk and text to any wireline or mobile phone.  For one line a customer will pay $50 per month.

Second, they choose their data plan for each line. For $30 per month they can get unlimited data on smartphones or $10 per month for unlimited data on feature phones. Additional options include $20 per month for 1 GB of data on a smartphone or a basic phone.

However, if a customer wants hotspot functionality on their device, they can purchase 1 GB of data per month for $10.

If a customer chooses the My All-in plan, they get unlimited talk, text and data plus 5 GB of mobile hotspot usage for $110.

Interestingly, Sprint's announcement comes just a day after T-Mobile US (NYSE:TMUS) introduced a new handset upgrade program, called Jump, that allows customers to upgrade their wireless devices up to two times per year after an initial six-month enrollment period. In addition, T-Mobile debuted a new Simple Choice plan for families beginning July 14 that will give them unlimited talk, text and Web and up to 500 Mb of data for four lines for $100 per month. The innovative part of this is that the operator is not requiring a credit check or an annual service contract.

Both Sprint and T-Mobile are both attempting to lure customers away from heavyweights Verizon Wireless (NYSE:VZ), and AT&T Mobility (NYSE:T) by offering unlimited data to customers. Verizon and AT&T Mobility both offer tiered data packages that charge customers more as they use more data.

For more:
- see this Bloomberg story
- see this press release

Related articles:
Sprint finalizes Clearwire purchase
T-Mobile gets 'jump' on the competition with new handset upgrade program
Clearwire shareholders approve Sprint acquisition
FCC approves SoftBank's $21.6B investment in Sprint and Sprint's acquisition of Clearwire