Since taking a controlling ownership in Sprint, Japanese telecom company SoftBank has made no attempt to hide the lust it has in its heart for fellow wireless company T-Mobile USA. Since then, federal regulators have basically told SoftBank to put its ardor on ice because there is already too little competition in the wireless market. But SoftBank may have a trick up its sleeve, coming at the deal through the lens of a market that is even less competitive — broadband. [More]
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Government Accuses Sprint Of Overcharging By $21M For Its Wiretapping Services
By 3.5.14
The White House has gotten its tab from Sprint for wiretapping expenses and is sending it back with a big old frowny face on it, saying the company is overcharging it by more than $21 million. And by “sending it back,” of course I mean it’s suing Sprint. [More]
Why Sprint’s Case For T-Mobile Merger Is Logical But Bad For Consumers
By 2.12.14
Japanese telecom giant SoftBank owns a controlling share of Sprint and has made no attempt to hide its desire to acquire T-Mobile USA and merge the two companies into one. It’s a plan that makes sense from a business point of view, but could be a disaster for consumers. [More]
DOJ’s Antitrust Chief: Decision To Block AT&T/T-Mobile Deal Has Helped Consumers
By 1.31.14
Not so many years ago, the folks at AT&T were so confident they could acquire the little pink wireless company called T-Mobile that they bet billions of dollars in cash and spectrum that the deal would go through. Then both the FCC and the Justice Dept. said they would fight the merger and AT&T ultimately left T-Mobile stranded at the altar. The head of the DOJ’s Antitrust division says that what has happened since that failed marriage is evidence that regulators did the right thing. [More]
Sprint Launches Yet Another Early Upgrade Program, This Time With No Monthly Discount
By 1.16.14
Only days after Sprint pulled the plug on its 4-month-old One Up early upgrade program, the wireless company is unveiling yet another promotion aimed at people just feel compelled to constantly upgrade their devices. This time, however, Sprint has basically removed the main reason for signing up. [More]
Curious Which Mobile Phone Bills Are Highest? Survey Says: Verizon!
By 1.16.14
Ever wonder how your phone bill stacks up against the average? Sometimes it’s hard to know if you’re actually getting a decent deal, or if you’re being suckered into something ridiculous. Thanks to some newly published survey data, now you can see how your own bill compares to everyone else’s. [More]
T-Mobile’s “Maverick” Pricing May Drop Call On Potential Sprint Merger
By 1.15.14
Sprint has reportedly been eyeing a merger with T-Mobile since December. Together, the two companies might have the size and clout to stand up to the nation’s two largest mobile carriers, Verizon and AT&T. But could T-Mobile’s small size and untraditional strategies actually be the roadblock preventing the purchase from happening? [More]
Sprint Pulls Plug On Early Upgrade Program After Only 4 Months
By 1.13.14
Last fall, Sprint was the last of the four major wireless providers to launch an early upgrade program that required subscribers to pay full price for their phones in order to be able to upgrade those devices after 12 months. We didn’t think it was such a great deal at the time, and apparently neither did many others, as Sprint quietly “retired” One Up last week. [More]
The Pros And Cons For Consumers Of Ending Wireless Phone Subsidies
By 12.26.13
While many overseas wireless providers choose to not subsidize customers’ new phone purchases in exchange for locking the consumer into a contract, it’s still the prevailing model among three of the four major wireless companies here in the U.S., with T-Mobile the sole provider offering only non-contract plans (sort of). But with AT&T recently dipping its toes into the water to encourage customers to buy their own phones, the market may be in for a major change. [More]
Does Dish Also Have Lust In Its Heart For T-Mobile?
By 12.20.13
Last week’s big news in the wireless world was a report that Sprint was making googoo eyes at T-Mobile and dreaming dreams of wedded bliss. But, as always seems to happen in great romantic comedies, there’s now rumors of a new suitor from the other side of town. [More]
Now Sprint Reportedly Wants To Hook Up With T-Mobile
By 12.13.13
Like one of those horrid ABC reality dating competitions where spurned contestants from previous seasons come back to get their “chance at love,” T-Mobile is once again being pursued by a moneyed suitor with unlimited data. Will the wireless company find true romance with Sprint or will the spoilsports in D.C. ruin these wedding plans like they did for AT&T? [More]
Sprint & Best Buy Go After Students With 1-Year Free Service Deal. Is It Worth It?
By 11.18.13
Brands love hooking in high school and college students because they’re getting those young consumers at a critical point in their lives, where they are making some shopping decisions that will last for a long time. High school and college students love free stuff because it’s free. Put those two ideas in a cocktail shaker, stir for a minute and you’ve got the new offer from Sprint and Best Buy that gives a free year of Sprint service to students who get their phones (at a price) from Best Buy. [More]
Man Claims Sprint Sold His Son A Phone Loaded With Pornographic Images Of Store Employee
By 10.3.13
A California man has filed a lawsuit against Sprint. Corp and Nextel of California Inc. claiming the new phone he bought for his underage son came with a set of pornographic images loaded onto it. The images were allegedly of a Sprint sales rep who worked at the same store where the phone was purchased. [More]
Will Sprint’s New Early Upgrade Program Be Worth It?
By 9.16.13
Earlier this summer, AT&T, Verizon Wireless, and T-Mobile each launched early upgrade programs in an effort to keep customers locked into their service without the regret of having to hold on to an old phone. Unfortunately, since those programs don’t do much, if anything, to bring down the monthly cost of phone service, we didn’t see the appeal. Sprint is reportedly set to join in the early upgrade fun, but is its program any better? [More]
Wireless Plan Comparison Calculator Shows Just How Screwed Up Phone Prices Are
By 8.19.13 — Updated: 2.17.14
Do you think you’re paying the best possible price for your wireless service? Given that there are around 700 different permutations of plans available just from the four national wireless carriers, it can be complicated to figure out whether you’re getting the most for your monthly subscription. [More]
Catches In Sprint’s New Unlimited Plans: Prices Could Go Up, No Guarantee Data Will Be Fast
By 7.12.13
As my Great Aunt Gertie’s nephew by marriage via her third husband used to say, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. While on the face Sprint’s new unlimited plans guaranteed for life would appear to be catch-free, easy and breezy, a little digging goes a long way to show that’s far from the case. [More]
Sprint Now Offering Guranteed Unlimited Everything For All Eternity
By 7.12.13
Like the Fountain of Youth, wireless customers always seem to be on a quest for the truly unlimited plan. Often, just when we think we’ve grasped it, it slips out of our hands like some ephemeral bit of Holy Grail hallucination when carriers yank it away. Sprint claims it has what those customers are looking for with its new unlimited talk, data and text plans, and is guaranteeing it forever. For. Ev. Er.* [More]
What Should Sprint Customer With No Service Do? Ask For An Airave Femtocell
By 6.25.13
A femtocell sounds like it should be the name of the battery that powers a Fembot, but it is not. To grossly oversimplify, it’s a type of tiny cell phone tower that harnesses your broadband Internet connection and serves only your house. Our readers tell us that it might be reader Jay’s last hope to be able to talk on the phone in his own home. [More]
