> AT&T can raise their data rates for everybody and attrit customers to other providers (or to less lucrative featurephone packages). Or, they can find ways to charge higher rates to less price-sensitive customers.
Sprint seems to have taken a middle approach. They just charge all of their smartphone customers a 'premium data charge' of $10/month. This is a lot less than a traditional 'tethering plan' would cost, and my smartphone came bundled with the Sprint Hotspot app, so I can tether if I want to.
This seems fair to me (even in nerd-arbitrary logic), since the gap between computer and smartphone is so narrow, and the gap between smartphone and dumbphone is so wide.
That depends on your definition of "can't." Technology-wise, yes, if the phone supports it. Terms of service-wise, no, but that's true of the smartphone plans also, they've just never enforced it before.
Right, that's how I'm pointing out that Sprint's approach is different. They just charge all smartphone users an extra $10/month and don't care whether you tether or not. Andriod phones come with the mobile hotspot app preinstalled.
Sprint segments their users as non-smartphone vs smartphone (+$10/mo)
Other carriers segment their users as non-tethering vs tethering (+$50/mo)
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> AT&T can raise their data rates for everybody and attrit customers to other providers (or to less lucrative featurephone packages). Or, they can find ways to charge higher rates to less price-sensitive customers.
Sprint seems to have taken a middle approach. They just charge all of their smartphone customers a 'premium data charge' of $10/month. This is a lot less than a traditional 'tethering plan' would cost, and my smartphone came bundled with the Sprint Hotspot app, so I can tether if I want to.
This seems fair to me (even in nerd-arbitrary logic), since the gap between computer and smartphone is so narrow, and the gap between smartphone and dumbphone is so wide.
AT&T already does that; non-smartphone users still have an option for $15/mo unlimited data ($10/mo if on certain family plans)
But you can't tether with those, right?
That depends on your definition of "can't." Technology-wise, yes, if the phone supports it. Terms of service-wise, no, but that's true of the smartphone plans also, they've just never enforced it before.
Right, that's how I'm pointing out that Sprint's approach is different. They just charge all smartphone users an extra $10/month and don't care whether you tether or not. Andriod phones come with the mobile hotspot app preinstalled.
Sprint segments their users as non-smartphone vs smartphone (+$10/mo)
Other carriers segment their users as non-tethering vs tethering (+$50/mo)
AT&T is actually segmenting both, though.
Non-smartphone $15 Smartphone $25 Smartphone + tethering $45