[sfhub]

Originally Posted by JeffDTD

I would think erosion on the high end like this is more common than the low end....

Definitely a possibility.

Assuming that is the case for discussion purposes, I think though, as a business, if one comes up with a new "Everything" plan to replace existing plans and that results in more erosion at the upper end than can be balanced by increased revenues of customers at the lower-end converting to "Everything" then that is not a good model. If you add in that millions of customers were also lost in addition to not being able to increase ARPU then it looks even worse.

So
more customers + higher ARPU = great
less customers + higher ARPU = possibly ok (depending on the numbers)
more customers + less ARPU = possibly ok (depending on the numbers)
less customers + less ARPU = bad

[kenny817]

Originally Posted by JeffDTD

He does seem to say what people want to hear vs. reality

this^
buuuttt...I like to hear what I wanna hear

[BTSmith]

Originally Posted by lgmayka

But that includes wholesale and affiliates. Sprint's own retail subscriber base continued to decline:
---
For the quarter, Sprint added a total of 111,000 net wireless customers consisting of net retail subscriber declines of approximately 55,000 and net additions of 166,000 wholesale and affiliate subscribers.
---

Right, actual Sprint post paid subscribers DROPPED -- again. Less under contract than at any time in the past ten years.

[BTSmith]

Originally Posted by BerryChic

Actually, on my legacy plan I called more in a month than I have since I switched to my newer plan because my bill was always messed up. Legacy plans with all the add-ons and credits, and everything messing up every month had me on the phone all the time. Such a headache, I'm so glad I switched. Now I know why I remember why you always say you need a xanax before you call Sprint, I didn't realize you were on a legacy plan.

Almost the entire Sprint contract base is on "Legacy plans" and not moving.

Almost none of us have to do anything but spend a few minutes a year if problems arise.

If doign a bit of reading and making a ten minute call to save $500 to $1000 over 24 months is a problem for you then the Everything plans is for you. Thanks for subsidizing my considerably lower rate!

[Dan]

Originally Posted by BTSmith

Almost the entire Sprint contract base is on "Legacy plans" and not moving.

Almost none of us have to do anything but spend a few minutes a year if problems arise.

If doign a bit of reading and making a ten minute call to save $500 to $1000 over 24 months is a problem for you then the Everything plans is for you. Thanks for subsidizing my considerably lower rate!

Expect Sprint to slowly squeeze away the legacy plans, by making more and more devices "plan restricted" and by moves like expiring "free" codes as well as stopping discounts on plan add-on's.

I am paying $10 more per month to have ED 1500 on 3 lines than I was with a free and clear plan, 1,000 minutes and codes all over the place that if removed were never going back. Sometimes its actually better to pay the $10 extra a month, which we would have been paying, at a minimum, for my wife to get her 1st blackberry.

[BTSmith]

Originally Posted by sfhub

Somewhat interesting that with all the push to get rid of "unprofitable" retention contracts and replace with more profitable "Everything" contracts, the ARPU actually decreased from $56 to $55 year over year.

The reason is the push is unsuccessful and less people are paying high amounts than ever. If you look at ARPU for other carriers it is going up at much faster rates. Sprint is going backwards in the conversion. Sprint is retaining legacy but losing anyone who would move off of legacy to higher profit plans.

If anything the latest quarterly makes it clear that Sprint continues to alienate exiting customers who wish to move to higher end smartphones -- and Verizon and ATT continue to cherry pick Sprints best potential customers at will. I say "best potential" because the numbers show Sprint is losing those customers at the very point they would move to higher ARPU for Sprint

[kentonese]

Originally Posted by Dan

I am paying $10 more per month to have ED 1500 on 3 lines than I was with a free and clear plan, 1,000 minutes and codes all over the place that if removed were never going back. Sometimes its actually better to pay the $10 extra a month, which we would have been paying, at a minimum, for my wife to get her 1st blackberry.

I agree with this. I can't imagine having to call Sprint about making a plan change and then confirming with the rep that my bagillion discounts/codes will still be intact. I'm all for saving money when you can but I'm also not opposed to spending a little extra if it means less worries/concerns.