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This should be a real treat for the LTE and NV3G crowd.

Sprint added nearly 1.1 million new subscribers in the first quarter of 2012, but sold 1.5 million iPhones. Maybe Dan Hesse wasn't crazy after all.

Unlimited + zippy LTE should be pretty amazing.

Sprint will continue to offer unlimited data for next-gen iPhone

By Mikey Campbell

Published: 05:00 PM EST (02:00 PM PST)

Although Apple's follow-up to the iPhone 4S remains unannounced, Sprint CEO Dan Hesse confirmed on Wednesday that his company will be offering unlimited data even if the device supports 4G LTE.

The third largest U.S. wireless carrier by subscribers aims to maintain the iPhone's unlimited data plan in what it believes is a trump card against competing offerings from other networks that have the handset like AT&T and Verizon, reports CNET.

"I'm not anticipating the unlimited plan would change by that point," Hesse said of the upcoming product's launch window. "That's our distinctive differentiator. We're clearly attracting customers from our competitors.""

Hesse's statement comes on the heels of Sprint's first quarter earnings call in which the company posted a loss of $863 million as 192,000 contract subscribers left the network. The exodus may be attributed to the shutdown of the Nextel network.

Despite the revenue slip, the telecom sold 1.5 million iPhones during the quarter, 44 percent of which were to new customers. This accounted for about 60 percent of all new subscribers joining Sprint's network in the past three months and brings the total number of subscribers up to 56 million.

The recent quarterly results are slightly lower than the company's holiday quarter where it sold 1.8 million iPhones, 40 percent of which were to new subscribers.


Source: Sprint


Wednesday's news adds to earlier statements from Sprint CFO Joe Euteneuer who revealed in March that the company's current arrangement with Apple allows for the sale of an LTE iPhone if and when the Cupertino-based computer giant chooses to release such a device.

Hesse notes that he has no inside information as to when the next iPhone will debut or whether it will carry LTE support, though he guessed that all networks will be able to tap into the functionality when Apple launches such a device.

"Our expectation is that we will all get the same device at the same time," Hesse said.

Sprint, the last of the "big-three" U.S. wireless carriers to sell the iPhone, signed a commitment with Apple last year for 30.5 million iPhones in what was then called a "bet-the-company" move reportedly worth $20 blllion. In a subsequent 10-K filing in February it was revealed the company actually spent $15.5 billion on the deal, but the handset's success was such that it planned to exceed the agreement terms and purchase even more units.

"Frankly, it's a marriage made in heaven," Hesse said Wednesday regarding the iPhone and Sprint's unlimited data plan.

[MsRandall]

I think Sprint is in a do or die situation. NV/ LTE has to be perfect for them to save face and the company. Taking away unlimited right now and they lose it all.

[Bibbin]

This is great news. If the next iPhone has the Sprint Connections Optimizer, it'll be interesting to see how aggressively they use it to keep unlimited data.

[gopher_otis]

Originally Posted by Bibbin

This is great news. If the next iPhone has the Sprint Connections Optimizer, it'll be interesting to see how aggressively they use it to keep unlimited data.

Great news indeed, but my next iPhone better not have connections optimizer! Though I do not see Apple allowing Sprint to install their bloatware on the iPhone.

Sent via Forum Runner on my redsn0w iOS 5.1 iPhone 4 

[carpediem06]

what's the point if you can't even use unlimited 3g even if you tried?

[jamgar]

I guess they figure they can still offer unlimited data since it sucks and is slow as sh*t.

[JTSHODOG]

Originally Posted by jamgar

I guess they figure they can still offer unlimited data since it sucks and is slow as sh*t.

This was my point in why I left sprint for AT&T, Yes I'm capped but my data speeds are very reliable, And with sprint yes it is unlimited, But most of the time the data speeds are so slow it is unbearable to use.

Plus I'm paying approximately the same price.

[ianfarrell]

So if Sprint's so called 3G is basically no faster than AT&T's old EDGE network speeds currently in many places then I guess their LTE will at least catch up to the 3G from 4 years ago. LOL!
Dan, improve your backhaul network first. Unlimited is useless if you can't connect decently half the time.

[Pyramid-3]

Originally Posted by ianfarrell

So if Sprint's so called 3G is basically no faster than AT&T's old EDGE network speeds currently in many places then I guess their LTE will at least catch up to the 3G from 4 years ago. LOL!
Dan, improve your backhaul network first. Unlimited is useless if you can't connect decently half the time.

Well that's the thing the fanbois and gadget bloggers tend to forget or ignore. Virtually the ENTIRE circuit is carried by land lines except for the first and last mile. You can have the nicest towers in the world if they're lashed to someone's less that stellar circuit network or it's just a ton of bandwidth leveraged off someone's bulk and it's unprioritized or has lower service levels then so what? Still gonna blow chunks