Sprint’s unlimited data contract is the best unlimited deal in the United States, but chief executive Marcelo Claure has confirmed that a price rise to $70 per month will occur on October 16.
It is a $10-per-month hike, which still makes Sprint’s plan the best deal on the market, if you can live with Sprint’s spotty coverage. It is better than T-Mobile’s own $80 per month contract for unlimited data, and much better than Verizon Wireless and AT&T, neither of which offer unlimited data contracts any more.
Customers who don’t want to pay the extra $10 still have two weeks to switch plans before the price is raised.
Sprint does come with a few issues, the major one being the lack of consistent wireless service. Similar to T-Mobile, the network lags behind Verizon and AT&T, especially in rural areas. Of course, T-Mobile CEO John Legere claims that T-Mobile has caught up to the major networks and is better than Sprint. Customer service is another issue when joining Sprint, though improvements have been made. Claure is trying to revamp the carrier’s image, and he’s set a goal of becoming the number one carrier in terms of quality in the next two years, but it is a lofty ambition for the new CEO.
Sprint has shown progress towards these goals, establishing new contracts that beat the three other carriers on price. The promotions seem to be attracting new customers, though Sprint isn’t adding customers as fast as T-Mobile and AT&T, both of which added eight million new customers in 2014.
Taking a gamble with Sprint might be worth the price, but T-Mobile has quite a few other treats that may be worth the $10 extra for unlimited wireless data. Verizon Wireless and AT&T also have good deals for customers who don’t expect to use more than 10GB per month, and a variety of mobile virtual operators like Project Fi offer other incentives, making it hard to choose a carrier. If you’re looking at new plans, you can check out our family plan guide here and the explanation of Verizon’s new plans here.
