We just received an insider memo that says Sprint is readying a shared data plan starting June 12 that will include buckets of 4G/3G data for multiple devices. Does this mean we may soon see the end of truly unlimited data from Sprint?
We know that other carriers are looking at a shared data plan but it appears like Sprint will be the first major one to pull the trigger. The appeal is obvious, as a family with smartphones each have to sign up for separate data plans, even if each member doesn’t use that much data. This could end that pain.
From the memo:
4G Data Share Plans: SNAP enables activation of 4G and 4G/3G combined bucket data share plans. This enhancement allows accounts with multiple subscribers to share data usage across subscribers with common Share IDs.
As a result of this change, a data share plan could have separate 4G, 3G or 4G/3G buckets. In addition, rate plans can have a voice pooling ID with voice minutes and a data share ID with data allowances. SNAP will not show pooling options for team members to help guests setup polling share options for guests.
These Sprint shared data plans do make a lot of sense for families and I also hope these can be used by an individual for multiple devices. That would make it possible to share data between your smartphone and tablet without having to sign up for two plans, for example. Unfortunately, we don’t have any word on the pricing per month or how much data that will grant you but that information should be coming soon.
I’m hoping that this isn’t the beginning of the end for Sprint’s unlimited plans, as other carriers are killing off these options in favor of tiered options. I still think Sprint is the best bang for you buck when you factor in its unlimited mobile-to-mobile calls, so let’s hope that continue.