Sprint Promises Unlimited Data for LTE iPhone (Network Willing)
Sprint plans to offer an unlimited data plan for Apple’s next iPhone even if it supports LTE, a faster data standard certain to demand more of its network.
That’s the word from Sprint CEO Dan Hesse, who tells CNET that the carrier’s unlimited data plan has been far too much of a boon to its business to consider doing anything otherwise.
“I’m not anticipating the unlimited plan would change by that point,” Hesse said. “That’s our distinctive differentiator. Frankly, [the iPhone and unlimited data is] a marriage made in heaven.”
And that does appear to be true — to a point. Reporting first-quarter earnings today, Sprint said that 44 percent of iPhone sales during the period were to customers new to the carrier. “A huge percentage of our gross adds are iPhones, even though it’s a 3G device and it’s competing head to head with 4G devices,” Hesse said during Sprint’s earnings call.
Of course the next iteration of the iPhone is almost certain to be LTE-capable. So Sprint best get on the stick with its 4G network deployment, because its LTE network needs a lot of work. An iPhone with unlimited LTE data sounds great. Question is, can Sprint deliver that experience by the time the device launches?