Sprint Framily

[quikah]

This is an interesting idea. Seems like a good deal. If only it wasn't on Sprint...

https://now.sprint.com/framily/?ECID=vanity:framily

1GB data + unlimited talk/txt

3GB data +$10/line
Unlimited data + annual phone upgrade +$20/line

How does this compare to other family plans?

 

[dlock13]

It is a very good deal considering it would cost $350 for 5 smartphones + 12 GB of data on Verizon.

 

[Dulanic]

Seems decent, but again... it's Sprint and I'd never ever go back. Non subsidized which they don't really yell out... but that's to be expected. Everyone is copying T-Mobile now.

 

[crashtestdummy]

It's roughly similar to T-Mobile. Note that phones are unsubsidized on this plan as well. The separate billing is actually a very nice touch.

By comparison, I'm on a 5 person T-Mobile plan with 500MB unthrottled data (unlimited throttled after that), unlimited talk/text. Total is $22/person/month. It would be another $10/person/month to upgrade to 2.5GB, and another $10/person/month for unlimited data.

 

[paperwastage]

Everyone is copying T-Mobile now.

copying "innovative" features which is good...

more competition, consumers benefit

guess at&t / verizon need to rethink about data buckets

 

[sweenish]

Separated billing is about the only thing to like.

Sprint couldn't pay me to go back to them. They're not improving nearly fast enough.

 

[ElFenix]

if you're getting an LTE signal sprint is fine.

 

[sweenish]

if you're getting an LTE signal sprint is fine.

Not in Wichita, it isn't. Sprint LTE is the equivalent of poor 3G. The "good enough" argument comes into play, but I don't buy it. Spark might change things, but I doubt it will get enough coverage in the next two years to matter.

 

[TheStu]

if you're getting an LTE signal sprint is fine.

I get great LTE coverage at home, and good at work, which covers most of my needs. But almost anytime I stray from there, my signal is crap. I was down in Birmingham this past weekend, and was trying to text my friend, none of them went through until I got back in LTE.

 

[slag]

Not in Wichita, it isn't. Sprint LTE is the equivalent of poor 3G. The "good enough" argument comes into play, but I don't buy it. Spark might change things, but I doubt it will get enough coverage in the next two years to matter.

Wichita... kansas?

I've been to Wichita many many times and have Sprint 4g service and its fine most everywhere I've gone. It's pretty good along the entire turnpike from the southern terminal up to KC/Bonner Springs and the cities along it, i.e. wichita, are generally good throughout.

 

[Dulanic]

if you're getting an LTE signal sprint is fine.

Barely, I got 3Mbps prior to cancelling on Sprint /w LTE. I get 35Mbps on T-Mobile.

 

[sweenish]

Wichita... kansas?

I've been to Wichita many many times and have Sprint 4g service and its fine most everywhere I've gone. It's pretty good along the entire turnpike from the southern terminal up to KC/Bonner Springs and the cities along it, i.e. wichita, are generally good throughout.

That has not been my experience. Not personal experience, but that of co-workers. They have a good signal for LTE (Note 2), but the speed is not deserving of 4G. The sad part is that it's still better than their 3G.

 

[ElFenix]

Not in Wichita, it isn't. Sprint LTE is the equivalent of poor 3G. The "good enough" argument comes into play, but I don't buy it. Spark might change things, but I doubt it will get enough coverage in the next two years to matter.

you really have no idea what poor 3G is. even bad LTE is several orders of magnitude faster than the original 3G implementations.

That has not been my experience. Not personal experience, but that of co-workers. They have a good signal for LTE (Note 2), but the speed is not deserving of 4G. The sad part is that it's still better than their 3G.

no one actually has 4G speed yet. no LTE implementation meets the ITU's IMT-Advanced specification. i really do wonder what they'll call 4G when they actually get there.

 

[paperwastage]

no one actually has 4G speed yet. no LTE implementation meets the ITU's IMT-Advanced specification. i really do wonder what they'll call 4G when they actually get there.

doesn't LTE 20+20 meet a large portion of the specs?

100% IPv6 packet-switched network (data only, no native circuit-switching for voice)
Sustained data rate of 100Mbps for mobile connections and 1Gbps for fixed connections
Automatic network resource reorganization on demand
Scalable frequency bandwidth all the way up to (at least) 40MHz
Seamless and smooth handover among cells and networks, especially for global roaming
Support for high quality, high definition multimedia services

 

[Apex]

Sprint LTE here:

Looking forward to Spark, but as is, it's usable.

 

[styrafoam]

Watch sprint keep the $10 per line smartphone surcharge and negate any sort of actual discount.

 

[Kelvinz]

Do yourself a favor and don't go with Sprint. Worst carrier ever.

 

[ElFenix]

doesn't LTE 20+20 meet a large portion of the specs?

is anyone there yet? maybe tmobile just turned one market on (dallas, AT&T's home) yesterday, for that.

tmobile's really fantastic when you get signal, but getting away from cities it's still worse than sprint's. big chunks of interstate with no coverage at all. not even voice.

 

[paperwastage]

is anyone there yet? maybe tmobile just turned one market on (dallas, AT&T's home) yesterday, for that.

tmobile's really fantastic when you get signal, but getting away from cities it's still worse than sprint's. big chunks of interstate with no coverage at all. not even voice.

t-mobile has 1 market

SK Telecom in korea has LTE-A through carrier aggregation (bundling of two frequency bands)

http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-57591040-94/sk-telecom-launches-worlds-first-lte-advanced-network/

SK’s LTE-A service is currently available in Seoul and 42 other cities in South Korea, along with 103 university areas. The company plans to “gradually expand its LTE-A coverage to 84 cities across the nation”.

According to GSMA Intelligence, there are only four LTE-Advanced networks live globally. SK’s South Korean rivals KT and LG Uplus have already activated services, as well as Russian network MegaFon.

 

[sweenish]

no one actually has 4G speed yet. no LTE implementation meets the ITU's IMT-Advanced specification. i really do wonder what they'll call 4G when they actually get there.

I used to parrot this argument as well.

The board that controls the 4G spec has allowed LTE to be called 4G. It's their own doing, and so I just call it 4G like everyone else.

 

[Kelvinz]

t-mobile has 1 market

SK Telecom in korea has LTE-A through carrier aggregation (bundling of two frequency bands)

http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-57591040-94/sk-telecom-launches-worlds-first-lte-advanced-network/

What do you expect... Korea has technology that usually comes to the US about 2 years later.

Anyway how fast is LTE-A, really?

 

[paperwastage]

What do you expect... Korea has technology that usually comes to the US about 2 years later.

Anyway how fast is LTE-A, really?

http://asia.cnet.com/just-how-fast-is-lte-a-62221782.htm
http://www.engadget.com/2013/05/23/hong-kong-csl-huawei-lte-cat-4/

theoretical max 150mbps, speedtest 85mbps?

similar ratios to t-mobile's 10+10 theoretical max 75mbps, speedtest 40-50mbps

the article above said hong kong (and probably singtel) is doing it via 20+20, same as t-mobile


so t-mobile (and verizon)'s only 5 months late getting to the party (SK Telecom - July, T-mobile/verizon December), but they still have a long road to build out 20+20 where they have capacity. verizon is waiting for the AWS spectrum from t-mobile for end-2014, t-mobile needs to stop metropcs cdma and use spectrum for 20+20 and use the 700mhz band A from verizon for end-2014

 

[Kelvinz]

http://asia.cnet.com/just-how-fast-is-lte-a-62221782.htm
http://www.engadget.com/2013/05/23/hong-kong-csl-huawei-lte-cat-4/

theoretical max 150mbps, speedtest 85mbps?

similar ratios to t-mobile's 10+10 theoretical max 75mbps, speedtest 40-50mbps

the article above said hong kong (and probably singtel) is doing it via 20+20, same as t-mobile


so t-mobile (and verizon)'s only 5 months late getting to the party (SK Telecom - July, T-mobile/verizon December), but they still have a long road to build out 20+20 where they have capacity. verizon is waiting for the AWS spectrum from t-mobile for end-2014, t-mobile needs to stop metropcs cdma and use spectrum for 20+20 and use the 700mhz band A from verizon for end-2014

150Mbps... that's amazing.

So SK Telecom is a Korean company?

I need to visit Korea and try out some LTE-A.

 

[marmasatt]

So has anyone jumped on this? Really odd concept. It's like they are getting us to do their recruiting work for them. It reminds me of a pyramid scheme or something. Anyone out of contract? $25 a months is cheaper than prepaid. Should we get an AT group?

 

[SnuggleTheBear]

Spectrum:
Sprint does not have 20x20. They have 5x5 in the 800mhz, 5x5 and I believe 10x10 in some markets for 1900mhaz, and then 20mhz to use in the 2500mhz total to use as an up or down link. They can theoretically get a total of 30mhz down since they are apparently aggregating the bandwidth. The 800mhz and 2.5ghz is slowly deploying.

Opinion:
I like the idea that Sprint is taking a page from the MVNOs using their network and trying to compete with T-Mobile it its own unique way. Sprint has had horrible service in the past, but they have been stepping up although it still largely depends on your area.

*Begin rant*
Not directed at marmasatt, but I dislike some people calling it a pyramid scheme. It is a sustainable business model and both the account owner and all other users on the account benefit the EXACT same. Obviously when all users benefit the same it could resemble a pyramid at all.
I can definitely understand people complaining about the service though as I've been on their network for about 12 years.
*End rant*