Sprint has announced that it will begin a metered roaming data access option for customers that are close to the 300MB limit set by the carrier for data access while roaming on aircards.
If customers go past the 300MB allotment, they will be asked to move to a five cent per MB overage rate while roaming and a 25 cent overage rate while on Sprint coverage or face being cut off until the next billing cycle.
However, the new policy will only apply to aircards at this time and will not affect handsets.
Can you explain the difference in the $.05 and the $.25 charges?
The $.05/MB charge is for off-network roaming when going past 300 MB.
The $.25/MB charge is for on-network usage when going past 5 GB.
This makes sense. When roaming, you’re limited to 300 MB and much more likely to go over that limit, than the 5 GB limit. So, Sprint is keeping the per-MB rate low when going over 300 MB roaming, since that overage makes Sprint look worse.
As a customer, if you need data, and there’s no Sprint tower, who are you going to be mad at? Sprint. If you go over 5 GB on-network, it’s your own fault… not so with roaming, where it’s Sprint that isn’t providing coverage where you need it.
The lower off-network roaming overage rate is for that reason, to keep customers from feeling outraged when they need to use data while roaming, and have already gone through 300 MB. 300 MB when on an off-site for work (even just email, attachments, etc) is very easy to tear through.
Metering roaming mins is not a bad thing. Except if a lot of your mins are roaming because sprint doesn’t have coverage in your area then that would suck. Then in reality roaming isn’t free with sprint unless you use a cell phone.
@JJ
” if a lot of your mins are roaming because sprint doesn’t have coverage in your area then that would suck”
It is true,
however it is a well none fact, that if SPRINT sees a monthly pattern on your account,i.e. over 50% of usage is roaming, they will allow you to get out of contract, because it will cost them more in the long run,
hence the removal of “forced roaming” option, on all SPRINT phones. Over the past 18 months, SPRINT cellular devices have now only two, rather then three roaming options:
1.SPRINT Network only
2.Automatic
Customer “forced roaming” option, has been remotely and retroactively deleted, however as you well know, there are available patches for MS Mobile!
My question, is on the lack of a visual metering system, thereby it would prevent consumers,receiving a surprise, “excess MB consumption” bill.
Thank You