• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
TechSprint

Sprint Follows Rivals By Complicating Its Unlimited Mobile Data Plans

By
Aaron Pressman
Aaron Pressman
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Aaron Pressman
Aaron Pressman
Down Arrow Button Icon
July 12, 2018, 9:00 AM ET

Following its three larger rivals, Sprint on Thursday unveiled a new, more complicated lineup of unlimited mobile data plans.

With the revamp, Sprint goes from having one plan starting at $60 per month to four different options costing $50 to $70 a month. The main price hike hits customers who want to watch streaming video at HD quality instead of being reduced to DVD quality.

A new “unlimited plus” plan most resembles the carrier’s current one, with subscribers allowed to use up to 50 GB monthly before possibly experiencing slowed download speeds at busy times, receiving HD-quality streaming video, and getting free Hulu and Tidal subscriptions. It costs $70 for one line, rising to $180 for four lines.

But Sprint also added a “limited time” promotion that cuts the price to $50 to $100 per month for customers who buy a new phone or bring their own device.

A cheaper “unlimited basic” plan, starting at $60 for one line and up to $140 for four lines, downgrades streaming to DVD-quality, and offers just a Hulu subscription, but no Tidal account.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

Also, following some of its rivals, Sprint introduced discounted plans for customers 55 and older and for military families. The military plan is comparable to the unlimited basic plan but costs only $100 for four lines. The over 55 plan has fewer features but costs only $50 for one line and $70 for two lines.

Although consumers no longer get cut off or have to pay expensive overage charges when they run through a monthly data allowance, they face an increasing array of restrictions and conditions on all but the most expensive unlimited plans, including slowed download speeds. Sprint’s four-page press release announcing the new plans included 11 footnotes, signaling just how complicated they are.

Sprint’s latest moves follow new unlimited plans introduced by Verizon (VZ) and AT&T (T) last month. More than a year ago, T-Mobile (TMUS) complicated its line up and last year hiked the price of one of its options.

Sprint, which had been offering the cheapest unlimited plans, faces an uncertain future. The carrier has agreed to merge with T-Mobile, but regulators could block the combination. Meanwhile, Sprint’s (S) shares have dropped 33% over the past year.

(Update: This story was updated on July 13 to correct that customers of the unlimited plans can use up to 50 GB of data before facing a potential slowdown at busy times.)

About the Author
By Aaron Pressman
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

crew aboard artemis II
Innovationspace
‘It’s 13 minutes of things that have to go right’: Artemis II splashes down despite faulty heat shield
By Catherina GioinoApril 10, 2026
6 hours ago
The Navy confirmed an ‘abundant amount’ of Uncrustables when the Artemis II crew lands. Smucker’s just offered them a lifetime supply
PoliticsFood and drink
The Navy confirmed an ‘abundant amount’ of Uncrustables when the Artemis II crew lands. Smucker’s just offered them a lifetime supply
By Catherina GioinoApril 10, 2026
8 hours ago
Three people sit behind a desk and look at the phone screen of the person in the middle.
Future of WorkConsulting
Meet ‘trendslop,’ the new, AI-fueled scourge of workplace consultants everywhere
By Sasha RogelbergApril 10, 2026
8 hours ago
Amazon is still paying Jeff Bezos an $80,000 yearly salary—but $1.6 million for travel and security
Big TechCEO salaries and executive compensation
Amazon is still paying Jeff Bezos an $80,000 yearly salary—but $1.6 million for travel and security
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezApril 10, 2026
10 hours ago
Kash Patel sits with his two fingers on lips
CybersecurityIran
First they went after medtech, then Kash Patel. Iranian hackers’ next target is likely ‘low-hanging fruit’ in water, energy, and tourism, experts say
By Jacqueline MunisApril 10, 2026
11 hours ago
scott bessent
CybersecurityFederal Reserve
The AI that found 27-year-old vulnerabilities no human ever caught before just forced an emergency meeting with every major Wall Street CEO
By Jake AngeloApril 10, 2026
13 hours ago

Most Popular

Mark Cuban admits he made a mistake letting go of the Mavericks: 'I don't regret selling. I regret who I sold to'
Investing
Mark Cuban admits he made a mistake letting go of the Mavericks: 'I don't regret selling. I regret who I sold to'
By Fortune EditorsApril 9, 2026
2 days ago
A Meta employee created a dashboard so coworkers can compete to be the company's No. 1 AI token user—and Zuckerberg doesn't even rank in the top 250
AI
A Meta employee created a dashboard so coworkers can compete to be the company's No. 1 AI token user—and Zuckerberg doesn't even rank in the top 250
By Fortune EditorsApril 9, 2026
2 days ago
The U.S. government is spending $88 billion a month in interest on national debt—equal to spending on defense and education combined
Economy
The U.S. government is spending $88 billion a month in interest on national debt—equal to spending on defense and education combined
By Fortune EditorsApril 9, 2026
2 days ago
Schools across America are quietly admitting that screens in classrooms made students worse off and are reversing years of tech-first policies
Innovation
Schools across America are quietly admitting that screens in classrooms made students worse off and are reversing years of tech-first policies
By Fortune EditorsApril 10, 2026
22 hours ago
Scottie Scheffler joined Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy in golf's $100M club—and donated his entire Ryder Cup stipend to charity
Success
Scottie Scheffler joined Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy in golf's $100M club—and donated his entire Ryder Cup stipend to charity
By Fortune EditorsApril 10, 2026
14 hours ago
The Navy confirmed an ‘abundant amount’ of Uncrustables when the Artemis II crew lands. Smucker’s just offered them a lifetime supply
Politics
The Navy confirmed an ‘abundant amount’ of Uncrustables when the Artemis II crew lands. Smucker’s just offered them a lifetime supply
By Fortune EditorsApril 10, 2026
8 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.