Sprint continues to press the pricing issue with the rollout of a new promotion that trims access charges to a pair of its shared data plans.
The new offering allows customers to add lines of smartphones accessing either its 12 gigabyte or 16 GB data bucket for just $15 per month instead of the previous $25 per month charge. Those data buckets run $80 and $90 per month, respectively. Consumers can add up to 10 lines of service to access each bucket, with each line also receiving unlimited domestic calling and text messaging. Monthly prices for tablets and mobile broadband devices remain the same at $10 and $20.
The offer is set to rollout Nov. 14 and run through Jan. 15. To receive the $15 per month offer, customers will have to select Sprint’s device financing option that tacks on a monthly charge for an unsubsidized device.
Sprint has been active in tweaking its rate plans following a change in leadership that saw long-time CEO Dan Hesse replaced with board member Marcelo Claure. Sprint quickly ditched its previously offered Framily plans for more traditional shared data plans, and has since been altering pricing models across the board.
Sprint last week reported mixed quarterly financial results, although most of its subscriber growth was driven by wholesale and affiliate channels. The latest rate plan changes could have an impact on Sprint’s postpaid average revenue per user metric, which during its most recent quarter dipped 5%. However, Sprint is banking that it will be able to attract more postpaid customers, which are typically more loyal and thus provide a greater financial boon over the life of their service. Sprint had reported that its postpaid customer base posted a year-over-year increase in churn from 2.09% to 2.22% during its most recent quarter, which was the highest postpaid churn among the market’s four largest operators.
Along with its quarterly results, Sprint also announced plans to cut 2,000 more jobs in an attempt to better align its workforce and business operations. The carrier said the move would produce labor cost savings of $400 million on an annualized basis, including both internal and external labor. Claure did add that the company was “selectively investing” in some parts of the organization, noting plans to hire 200 employees to staff a call center at its Overland Park, Kan., headquarters targeting high-value customers.
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