Sprint Offers Unlimited Mobile Access for $70 a Month

Sprint's new Any Mobile, Anytime plan offers unlimited text, data, MMS, and voice to any phone on any network - but is it really a game-changer?

U.S. telecom operator Sprint promised a game-changing announcement that would shake up the industry…and that announcement is apparently the company’s new Any Mobile, Anytime calling plan. The new offering is an extension of Sprint’s existing Simply Everything plan: for $70 per month, users get unlimited text, MMS, and data service to their mobile phones, as well as unlimited mobile-to-mobile voice service to both Sprint customers and mobile users on any other domestic mobile operator. The plan expands on Simply Everything by adding the unrestricted voice calling feature: previously, that had been limited to 450 minutes per month.

“We don’t think our customers want to have to keep track of or only talk to friends, colleagues, or family members who make the same choices they do,” said Sprint CEO Dan Hesse, in a statement. “Any Mobile, Anytime provides unprecedented simplicity and value, so much that many more customers can now consider cutting the cord altogether.”

The Any Mobile, Anytime plan starts at $69.99 per month (excluding surcharges and taxes); Sprint is also offering an Everything Data Plan that offers unlimited wireless service for four family members at $42.50 per person.

Sprint touts the Any Mobile, Anytime plan as a key simplification for customers who are frustrated with calling circles and having to watch their mobile minutes; the company is also promoting the plan to mobile users eager to get rid of their landlines and finally embrace an all-mobile lifestyle. Sprint hopes the plan encourages people who hang on to landlines for selected inexpensive calling will use Any Mobile, Anytime as an excuse to go all-mobile…and, that, of course, may mean more customers sampling Sprint’s wireless data and media services, bolstering Sprint’s revenues.

Only time will tell if the strategy pays off for Sprint: the company has had difficulty retaining subscribers as consumers either opt for smartphones (like the iPhone, currently only available on AT&T) or, facing tough economic times, drop down to pre-paid phone services. Sprint is also laying out significant capital in its partnership with Clearwire to deploy WiMax 4G technology around the United States.