Are you going to cancel Sprint EVDO because of 5GB cap?

Alex · Site Admin Joined: 19 Sep 2006 Posts: 1943

Self-explanatory poll. I just want Sprint management who finds this thread to have an easy way to see how many people this is affecting.

If the new Sprint policy will affect you adversely, feel free to "tell Sprint how you really feel"... just remember to keep it clean.

In your post, consider including details such as:

your estimate of average monthly data usage
whether EVDO is your primary or secondary internet connection.
whether you use EVDO from a fixed location, or while traveling
whether or not Cable/DSL or other 'mainstream' internet access is availabe to you
how many people typically use the connection at any one time.
what kinds of activities you routinely use the connection for.
how many hours a day you think your connection is 'active'.
whether or not you use an EVDO router with your device.

For those who are considering Sprint EVDO, this article may help you as well: What Does 5GB Get Me?

Shorty · EVDO Fledgling Joined: 21 Dec 2006 Posts: 25 Location: KY

voted no, but it is really "not yet"

Right now, I'm under the cap, but I'll be keeping an eye out for a better offer, whereas without a cap I'd definitely be more "loyal" to Sprint.

preppykid · EVDO User Joined: 06 Apr 2008 Posts: 81

Voted "yes" under the condition i get free ETF.

I pull between 15-30gb a month with 3 computers. I buy games online through steam, the updates for said games, the numerous updates to Vista and the aging XP machine, streaming video/music/radio, list goes on this is my only internet i can get.

edit
Now that I think about I will just keep using my UNLIMITED plan until they say something. I promise you I won't be paying an ETF at anytime, I will ruin my credit over this... Gawd I'm hot about this

*************
your estimate of average monthly data usage
15-30gb

whether EVDO is your primary or secondary internet connection.
Primary

whether you use EVDO from a fixed location, or while traveling
Fixed

whether or not Cable/DSL or other 'mainstream' internet access is availabe to you
Not available

how many people typically use the connection at any one time.
1 (3 computers)

what kinds of activities you routinely use the connection for.
gaming, updates, buy+downloading software, radio

how many hours a day you think your connection is 'active'.
5-7

whether or not you use an EVDO router with your device.
No router use ICS

jackrodgers · EVDO Addict Joined: 23 Mar 2006 Posts: 1131

Are Sprint, Verizon and others involved in price fixing and other activities which might cause Congress to investigate their practices?

The telcos have the same price structures and are now simultaneously imposing the same 5Gig limits.

There is also the issue of outrageous and perhaps criminal overcharges where a user can be charged $6000 for the same amount of usage that one is billed $60.

We should begin a petition to send to all members of Congress, any governing agencies and the press.

MasterMason · EVDO Fledgling Joined: 05 Mar 2008 Posts: 16

I have a life and go outside and not a brain dead zombie who for hours a day play xbox live, ps3 live, streaming dvd, music, networking 15 computers on one modem, watching immoral videos on the internet.

So the 5gb will not effect me.

cherokee · EVDO User Joined: 23 Mar 2006 Posts: 59

I was thinking the same day yesterday seem's to me like collusion to fix pricing.
_________________
Peace

Jeff

Mephis · EVDO User Joined: 04 Feb 2007 Posts: 79

your estimate of average monthly data usage:
20-30gb minimum. More like 50 most months.

whether EVDO is your primary or secondary internet connection.:
Primary, and only.

whether you use EVDO from a fixed location, or while traveling:
Fixed location unless necessary to take it somewhere to assist someone or repair something.

whether or not Cable/DSL or other 'mainstream' internet access is availabe to you:
Nope, and never will be. It's this, satellite, or 56k for me.

how many people typically use the connection at any one time.
2

what kinds of activities you routinely use the connection for.
Private business.

how many hours a day you think your connection is 'active'.
18-20.

whether or not you use an EVDO router with your device.
I use a linksys WRT54G3G-ST.

If this goes into effect I have no idea what to do besides hope and pray sprint doesn't go through with it. I may have to get my lawyer involved so I can at least be promissed my connection I signed up for, for the duration of the contract.
_________________
Merlin S720

CraigCraig · EVDO Heavy User Joined: 15 May 2007 Posts: 141

Does a cap for Sprint mean that they are in far worse condition financially than has been publicly disclosed?

Something just isn't adding up especially when according to Sprint, only 1% of current mobile broadband customers go over 5GB in one month.

The idea that Sprint will somehow benefit by changing the rules of the game for everyone to address supposed issues caused by 1% of users is disturbing from a long term business model point of view.

Is Sprint going to buy back my unused bandwidth each month if I don't exceed 5 GB / connection? If I make electricity at my house with a wind turbine the electric co. has to buy excess electricity from me. If I don't use my full 5 GB of bandwidth it is the same as me giving that excess bandwidth to Sprint except Sprint wants me to pay for the bandwidth that I give them.

What about rollover GB? If I'm paying for 5 GB / month I want to take them into the next month AND be able to transfer GB from one connection to another!

If I buy the 5 GB / month why can't I sell or gift a GB or two to someone else?

Is this just a ploy by Sprint to "encourage" EVDO users to force a demand for "unlimited" WiMax / XOHM / Cute name of the day?

I chose Sprint over Verizon because it had unlimited EVDO but now that Sprint and I are married Sprint wants to change the game.

I don't think so.

If and when I get a notice regarding a 5 GB cap and the option to leave ETF free I am gone.

Rider_55 · Posted: Thu May 22, 2008 8:50 am Post subject:

Why stay now? Looks like I will be jumping ship for Alltel for their UNLIMITED package. I am forced by geography to use EVDO or suffer with 14.4 kb dial up or sat. which is not acceptable. I WILL NOT BE HELD HOSTAGE BY MY CHECKBOOK!!

If Alltel dumps the unlimited package I guess I will go with AT&T where my cell phones are. At least at their cap from what I understand they just kill your connection until the next billing cycle begins. While not good at least I can rest assured that I will not get any $1000.00 Data bills.

SockMan! · EVDO Newbie Joined: 07 Mar 2008 Posts: 8

I'm planning on canceling my service as soon as possible; at least after confirming if DSL is available or not in my area. I'll even go back (very reluctantly) to my old dial-up provider since they don't have silly restrictions.

It's called broadband right? Broadband is supposed to be able to enable people to use the web for a lot of things; like streaming video and digital distribution of media (iTunes for example). You can't do that on 5GBs/month, so I really wouldn't call it 'real' broadband anymore. It might be okay for a traveling businessperson who only need to browse the occasional web page, but what about people who have little choice in internet connection because they live in a rural area?

Sprint, if you are so concerned about restricting bandwidth now, then how are are planning on a nationwide Xohm rollout considering that you'll be providing higher speeds that WiMax offers? Not to mention that you are shedding the one biggest reason why people choose Sprint EVDO over your competitors - mainly Verizon who also implements a 5GB/month cap.

* your estimate of average monthly data usage
Hard to tell, but it's more than 50GBs per month

* whether EVDO is your primary or secondary internet connection.
Primary and only connection

* whether you use EVDO from a fixed location, or while traveling
Fixed

* whether or not Cable/DSL or other 'mainstream' internet access is availabe to you
DSL might be available, but nobody has been able to give me a straight answer one way or another. Definitely no cable.

* how many people typically use the connection at any one time.
Usually two, up to three.

* what kinds of activities you routinely use the connection for.
Everything. Browsing, downloading the latest linux ISOs, Steam and Stardock (online distribution of games), streaming video and music. Broadband is supposed to enable me to do these things.

* how many hours a day you think your connection is 'active'.
I just leave it on all the time.

* whether or not you use an EVDO router with your device.
On a cradlepoint router.

amanda · EVDO User Joined: 19 May 2007 Posts: 38

My average monthly usage is 7 to 12 GB.

My EVDO is my primary connection as a full-time RVer.

I use it while traveling and in a fixed location when I'm at a "home base."

As an RVer, I guess I could use satellite but don't really want to.

I use it to surf the web, do my online banking and brokerage activity, stream music, upload photos I take to a hosting site, transfer photos to other other storage sites and message boards, some YouTube-type usage, occasionally download short video clips.

When I'm in a fixed location, I usually have my connection going 10-12 hours a day.

I was thinking of getting an EVDO router but now will obviously not.

I really don't know what I'm going to do now. I'm almost in tears over this. It's really unsettling. I was PROMISED that I'd have UNLIMITED data usage when I signed up. The least they could do is to grandfather us in for the remainder of our contract.

I gave the cyber finger to Sprint management earlier in my posts in the other thread. I'm sorry, that wasn't mature and I'm no kid. But I do want to express my dismay and disappointment at Sprint management and want them to know what a dirty maneuver this is. It's despicable that should do this to us.

Do I want you and your families to rot in hell as was my immediate reaction when I heard the news? Of course not, but I do hope you can sleep at night knowing what a dirty thing you've done to us "little people" that aren't multi-millionaires like all of you folks are. This is "dirty" ...there is NO dispute there. You promised that we'd have unlimited data access and now you're breaking that promise.

Like I say, the right thing to do is to at least grandfather those of us who you promised unlimited data for the remainder of our contracts ...but NO, you can't do that? My respect for you would be much greater if you would have at least done that.

Thank you. I'll go back to wiping my tears.

~~amanda

sandmanfvr · EVDO User Joined: 15 Aug 2007 Posts: 36

darksunpr · EVDO User Joined: 10 Mar 2007 Posts: 33

Well I know im out
-Avg usage --> 20 gigs normally but last month 45 gig (and no im not a brain dead zombie...)
- Evdo its my primary connection
- Fixed Location
- No I only have evdo and satellite available, no cable/dsl
- 1
- Downloading music from itunes, Playing Lineage 2, Youtube, Game Demos, patches, linux distros
-10 to 12 hours
- No router

glacierjima · Posted: Thu May 22, 2008 9:40 am Post subject:

I have to second the motion on MasterMason. I work from home and live on a FARM. I think someone is a little narrow focused in their opinion. Besides the point, it doesn't matter, it said unlimited..so be it. If someone wants to play games, so be it, big deal.

Jim

xenophon · EVDO Addict Joined: 30 Aug 2005 Posts: 1969

Michael, have an idea about getting around the 5GB limit for consumers. This could become a logistical nightmare but you could essentially become an EVDO MVNO if you sub-lease cards/accounts owned by 3Gstore on a business account from Sprint's perspective. (It appears business accounts are exempt from the cap.)

You'd have to have a very solid billing process in place to pull it off and it could complicate customer support, but it could be an opportunity for growth. It would also make it easier for your customers to swap around to other/newer cards, maybe even make it easier for users to switch carriers. With the right model, you may be able to easily transition your customers into LTE and WiMAX as they come online.

You could bundle routers with cards and the user wouldn't get directly billed from the carrier, but from 3Gstore.