Analyst: ‘Don’t get too excited’ about new PTT pricing from Sprint Nextel Wireless..

[SL-10]

Analyst: ‘Don’t get too excited’ about new PTT pricing from Sprint Nextel
Wireless provider reworks Nextel Direct Connect rate plans

January 22 2009 - 2:26 pm ET | Allie Winter | RCR Wireless News

http://www.rcrwireless.com/article/20090122/WIRELESS/901229979/1082/analyst-don-t-get-too-excited-about-new-ptt-pricing-from-sprint

Sprint Nextel Corp. introduced new rate plans for its Nextel Direct Connect customers, starting at $30 a month. The carrier said it launched two new Direct Connect plans aimed at business customers who were previously forced to bundle voice minutes along with Direct Connect usage, which the carrier said often left them paying for unused features.

The first new plan option, Unlimited Workgroup Communications, includes unlimited direct connect and group connect, unlimited text messaging, mobile-to-mobile minutes and night and weekend minutes starting at 9 p.m. for $30 a month per line.

The new Web & Navigation plan includes the same features, plus unlimited data, Web browsing and GPS navigation for $40 a month per line. This plan is also available to customers with PowerSource and Direct Connect capable Sprint phones, for $50 a month. Customers can add sharable pooled voice minutes to each plan; 500 minutes for $30 a month per line or 2,000 minutes for $100 a month per line.

The new offerings are in addition to Sprint Nextel’s established PTT options, either as a $10 add-on feature to any plan or as part of the carrier’s Simply Everything and Sprint Business Essentials plans. The Business Essentials plans include unlimited Direct Connect and range from $40 to $200 a month with accompanying anytime minutes bundles. Simply Everything provides unlimited Direct Connect as one of its unlimited features; the plan costs $100 per month.

The new Direct Connect plans currently are only available to business-liable customers with Direct Connect-capable phones. However, consumers and individual account holders will have access to the custom plans at an unnamed point in the future, Sprint Nextel said.

Walter Piecyk, of Pali Research, said that even though this is a step forward for the carrier, it will not result in any drastic benefits.

“It should help them target the push-to-talk (PTT) more precisely but frankly should not have a major impact on their gross additions,” Piecyk said. “In the past, post paid users had to bundle telephone minutes. But don’t get too excited thinking this is a price cut. Boost users could already get unlimited PTT for $1 per day.”

Boost Mobile, Sprint’s pre-paid division, also recently announced its $50 a month unlimited plan, which includes unlimited walkie-talkie services.

[Dubspoon]

I think these plans will get some traction among biz and consumer users.

[coldwave]

I agree, and PTT needs anything it can take right now...:cool:

[BDRichter]

I just switched back to Nextel from Verizon (Previosuly had Sprint before Verizon) and I was REALLY disappointed with their family plans and also the nextel plans.

It seems like all the good priced family plans with small bundles of minutes (IE 900 and 700) are gone.

I now have 2 phones and I am stuck paying $129.99

I hope they get some new plans. Not everyone needs 1500 minutes. I barely use 500!!!!

[Dubspoon]

I agree but this is about the new DC/PowerSource/Sprint DC where traditional IDEN can get unlimited m2m, messaging, DC and talk after 9pm for $30 w/peak being $.40/minute. There are 500 and 2000 minute buckets available and PowerSource/Sprint DC, I think, have to pay $40 but they get unlimited data too

[ryan1918]

I don't know why they don't start matching, or beating boost mobile's price because the fact that prepaid beats contract should make it a much difference in price, It don't matter they lose customers at one company and gain at another, I'm sure it all works out. But with the new unlimited plan has been lagging down the network causing a delay in text messages, got to love this stuff!

[Nailin'M]

I just switched back to Nextel from Verizon (Previosuly had Sprint before Verizon) and I was REALLY disappointed with their family plans and also the nextel plans.

It seems like all the good priced family plans with small bundles of minutes (IE 900 and 700) are gone.

I now have 2 phones and I am stuck paying $129.99

I hope they get some new plans. Not everyone needs 1500 minutes. I barely use 500!!!!

I was thinking of doing this if I merged my Nextel BB to my current Sprint acct. and quickly thought that the minutes would be wasted and kept the plans separate. I use text and internet more than anything, barely cracking open the 450 min. I currently have. It's ridiculous....I hope they fix this--and soon.

[Dubspoon]

I just would like to see a smaller Everything Data Share plan w/like 850 minutes and a $25 add on that covers DC for 5 lines or they could make DC $10 on the 1st and $5 for the subs

[BDRichter]

Yeah. Really the only plus with the nextel side is the DC.

My parents were on the sprint side and had 700 minues. They upped theirs to 1500 and it seems like 2 days after they did all the smaller plans were gone.

Its stupid to not make family plans with less minutes. It seems like they want people to waste more money. And whats more frustrating, is having to fork over $129.99 and still having to pay $20 to get DC on both lines.

THey need to make some smaller plans.

I tried to go into Sprint Store and move both our lines to individual and the rep basically said no and that I would be saving more money doing it this way. I think not..... I would be saving like $20 a month. Thats gas money right there!

Why would people want to pay $129.99 when they could go to another company and save extra money on their family plans. Here I am already back at Sprint and complaining. Sorry......

[Dubspoon]

I don't see anything, besides the no DC, wrong with the family plans. Still at a loss as to why DC isn't part of fam plans or at least a bundle like the messaging and 6pm n/w's

[BDRichter]

Wirelessly posted (BLACKBERRY 8350i: BlackBerry8350i/4.6.1.204 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/103)

I don't see anything, besides the no DC, wrong with the family plans. Still at a loss as to why DC isn't part of fam plans or at least a bundle like the messaging and 6pm n/w's

What about the family that mainly call each other. Take a family with 5 lines. They pay 130 plus another 30 for more lines PLUS tax. Do you think a family that only uses 500 min a month should have to pay for a 1500 minute plan? If they at least made a few smaller options I would be happy. I would think they would want smaller plans so that people go over and get zinged with overage.

[xchpstang]

They did take a step in the right direction. Unlimited direct connect is now $5. Old price was $10.

[Dubspoon]

I was wondering if the rest of you were getting signed up for the new prices

[PokerFace23]

I just switched back to Nextel from Verizon (Previosuly had Sprint before Verizon) and I was REALLY disappointed with their family plans and also the nextel plans.

It seems like all the good priced family plans with small bundles of minutes (IE 900 and 700) are gone.

I now have 2 phones and I am stuck paying $129.99

I hope they get some new plans. Not everyone needs 1500 minutes. I barely use 500!!!!

there is a 700 minute plan available for $70. Add DC for $5/each and you're looking at $80.

I was thinking of doing this if I merged my Nextel BB to my current Sprint acct. and quickly thought that the minutes would be wasted and kept the plans separate. I use text and internet more than anything, barely cracking open the 450 min. I currently have. It's ridiculous....I hope they fix this--and soon.

What Sprint plan do you have?

I just would like to see a smaller Everything Data Share plan w/like 850 minutes and a $25 add on that covers DC for 5 lines or they could make DC $10 on the 1st and $5 for the subs

DC is $5 right now (and probably will stay at $5 for a while)

Yeah. Really the only plus with the nextel side is the DC.

My parents were on the sprint side and had 700 minues. They upped theirs to 1500 and it seems like 2 days after they did all the smaller plans were gone.

Its stupid to not make family plans with less minutes. It seems like they want people to waste more money. And whats more frustrating, is having to fork over $129.99 and still having to pay $20 to get DC on both lines.

THey need to make some smaller plans.

I tried to go into Sprint Store and move both our lines to individual and the rep basically said no and that I would be saving more money doing it this way. I think not..... I would be saving like $20 a month. Thats gas money right there!

Why would people want to pay $129.99 when they could go to another company and save extra money on their family plans. Here I am already back at Sprint and complaining. Sorry......

again there's a 700 minute plan (and a 550 plan if you can find the right codes) that runs $80 for 2 phones and DC.

i just wish sprint would just give/include the DC on all the phones that have the capability if they really want more users on the PTT network and get Rev-A deployed nationwide already!

For you Verizon users, how does their PTT work? is it 1xRTT or Rev-A? what's the delay compared to Sprint's less than a second connection?

[BDRichter]

there is a 700 minute plan available for $70. Add DC for $5/each and you're looking at $80.



again there's a 700 minute plan (and a 550 plan if you can find the right codes) that runs $80 for 2 phones and DC.

i just wish sprint would just give/include the DC on all the phones that have the capability if they really want more users on the PTT network and get Rev-A deployed nationwide already!

For you Verizon users, how does their PTT work? is it 1xRTT or Rev-A? what's the delay compared to Sprint's less than a second connection?

not for a blackberry (or 2 for that matter)

I switched to Sprint side and ditched nextel. Network is horrible....

[PokerFace23]

nowhere in the previous 2 posts did you mention blackberry :P

and who in their right mind would want a BB on nextel anyway? hehe

you can still opt for the $80 and then $40 for BB with nextel worst case scenario.

where else are you going to get PTT and a BB for less than the $129.99 and $10 for 2 PTT?

[Nailin'M]

What Sprint plan do you have?


LOL. I'm on an old Free & Clear (!) 500 for $40 plan w/web and text add-ons & company discount of 20%.

[Marlon_JB2]

LOL. I'm on an old Free & Clear (!) 500 for $40 plan w/web and text add-ons & company discount of 20%.

!!! I remember that plan !!! I was on that plan for a whole FOUR YEARS!!!

With that said, I miss ReadyLink. :tu: