According to a report from The Verge, Sprint will soon be offering a new way to save money on your monthly wireless bill with the help of your friends and family. The new ‘Framily’ plans will allow 10 or less Sprint customers to join one plan but still be billed separately. Simply share an account ID with friends and family and save on monthly service. The more plans on the same line, the cheaper the plans get.
The Framily plans will begin at $55 a month for an individual line which includes unlimited talk, text and 1GB of data. Data limits can be increased to 3GB for just $10 more a month, or unlimited for an extra $20.
The lowest a Framily plan could conceivably cost is $25 a month. With every person added to the plan, monthly costs will decrease by $5. According to the source, the plans will not include a two-year commitment, meaning that device swill not be subsidized by Sprint. Sprint customers can still sign up for Sprint’s One-Up annual device trade-in plan however if a new device is needed. Customers who sign up for the $30 a month unlimited data plan will qualify for a device trade-in after just one year of service.
While this is still rumor, it could be a game changer for Sprint. T-Mobile will announce their fourth Un-carrier move tomorrow at CES, which is expected to make waves in the mobile industry. While Sprint still maintains the number three spot in the U.S. mobile game, T-Mobile has been rapidly expanding their 4G coverage, nipping right at Sprint’s heels. And tomorrow’s announcement could just knock Sprint out of the running.
We’ll keep you updated as more details emerge about Sprint’s new Framily plans.
Update: Sprint has just officially announced its Framily Plans. Press release follows below.
Sprint Redefines the Wireless Family with the New Sprint Framily Plan
Customers who create a Framily and add new lines to Sprint can get unlimited talk, text and 1GB data for as little as $25 per month per line
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (BUSINESS WIRE), January 07, 2014 – Sprint (NYSE: S) is introducing the Sprint FramilySM Plan, a revolutionary pricing program that lets consumers decide who they consider family.
Your yoga teacher. Your favorite barista. Your fantasy football team. Parents on your son’s soccer team. Your BFF since high school. Your cube mate. Your parents. A group of family, friends and others you can now call “framily.”
According to the 2010 U.S. Census, 60 percent of total U.S. households are made up of fewer than three people and are growing more quickly than larger households. The Sprint Framily plan gives these 60 percent of households the opportunity to create a family plan with virtually any group who wants to come together to purchase wireless service.
How it Works
The Sprint Framily Plan is available to new and existing customers. The more people added to the group, up to 10 phone lines, the greater the savings for everyone on the plan. Because each account can be billed separately, customers can choose who is in their group.
For one line of service, new Sprint customers pay $55 per month per line for unlimited talk, text and 1GB of data. For each additional new Sprint customer that joins the Framily group, the cost per person goes down $5 a month up to a maximum monthly discount of $30 per line. Build a group of at least seven people and everyone gets unlimited talk, text and 1GB of data for $25 per month per line (pricing excludes taxes and surcharges).
All members of the group can customize their plan to meet their unique needs. For only $20 per month per line, Framily members can buy up to unlimited data plus get a new phone every year. Plan members can share the savings, without the hassle of sharing a bill. Each account can be billed separately. Unlimited features are while on the Sprint network.
The Sprint Framily Plan will be available in Sprint company-owned stores and Sprint third-party dealers beginning Friday, Jan. 10. Visit www.sprint.com/framily for more information.
“The Sprint Framily Plan redefines the way we think of family plans and gives our customers the power to decide who will be a part of their group and gain greater savings as more members are added,” said Dan Hesse, Sprint CEO. “Sprint continues to be a leader in offering customers choice, flexibility and value. The Sprint Framily Plan makes Sprint the best choice for families and friends.”
New Customers
To participate, customers simply purchase an eligible wireless phone at full retail price or through the Sprint Easy PaySM program and pay in 24 monthly payments. Customers also can activate an existing Sprint phone.
New customers will be given a unique Framily ID, at which point they can invite friends and family outside of Sprint to join their group. Or, new customers can easily join an existing Sprint Framily group within 14 days of account activation.
Existing Customers
The Sprint Framily Plan is available to current customers. When current customers move to the Sprint Framily Plan they can create a new group with any phone lines on their account and invite friends to join Sprint and be a part of their Framily plan. However, existing Sprint accounts cannot be combined into one Framily plan unless both accounts are owned by the same person. The price of the Framily Plan for customers currently on a plan with a discounted phone is an additional $15 per month per line for service until the customer’s line is upgrade eligible. For a limited time, Sprint will waive the $15 per month to move to the Sprint Framily Plan for customers who purchased a discounted phone before Jan. 10, 2014, and are not upgrade eligible.
Competitive Comparison
A single-line subscriber who is part of a 7-line Framily Group will pay only $25 per month for unlimited talk, text and 1GB of data, a significant monthly savings versus what they would pay for a new line of service at competitors.
via: The Verge