One email stood out amongst the rest:

Thanks to you (since Sprint has not notified me) I know that Sprint is cancelling their unlimited service. As I am a power user, usually well over 10 GB a month, the service is no longer as ideal as it was.

I went online to my account and noticed that in my “messages” box there was a notification that I had changed my account as of 10/13/11. I had not made this change so I called Sprint’s customer service and it turns out, they had.

Long and short of it, I requested to cancel my service. I had read your article regarding no penalty cancellations due to a change in the service agreement by the provider and I was shocked when the CSR tried to charge me an early termination fee of $175. I argued my point and she indicated that because there are other options, such as moving to a 10GB plan for $80, they could not waive this fee.

Is that true?

My response, excerpted in part from an excellent article by Tech ADHD read as follows:

1. Contact Sprint Customer Care.There are several ways to do this; however, some methods are more effective than others. The first option would be to contact the normal customer service line by dialing *2 on a Sprint phone, or calling 888-211-4727. Sprint does have an Online Chat, but in almost all cases, the online rep will tell you to call to have the matter discussed.There are also several phone numbers listed online, given as direct lines to Retentions or Executive Services; I will not list any of them here, as it is questionable if these lines are actually more helpful. If you are interested in trying these lines, search online for them (many can be found on slickdeals.com, sprintusers.com, and xda-developers.com).
2. When you get to an actual person, make a note of his/her name, then state off the bat that you wish to cancel your contract without an Early Termination Fee regarding a material change to the Terms and Conditions.If they ask you why you are cancelling, be firm and state that it is over this contract change. The rep may ask you to cite the specific changes to the contract that you are contesting; sometimes, they will even ask you to read from both the old and new contract. Give them as much information as they ask you for.Often, the rep will ask you to wait on hold after receiving this information.
3. If the rep states that he/she cannot waive your Early Termination Fee because of these changes, or that Sprint can change the Terms and Conditions at will without penalty, quote the section of the Terms and Conditions I listed above.It reads, “If a change we make to the Agreement is material and has a material adverse effect on Services under your Term Commitment, you may terminate each line of Service materially affected without incurring an Early Termination Fee only if you: (a) call us within 30 days after the effective date of the change; and (b) specifically advise us that you wish to cancel Services because of a material change to the Agreement that we have made.”
4. If the rep says that the arbitration clause is not material, state the quote from above from the Consumerist.That quote is, “In Cunningham vs. Fleetwood Homes of Georgia, reported at page 611 of the third Federal Reporter, volume 253, the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that arbitration clauses are material terms to a contract.”
5. If the rep still will not budge, make sure you have the name and ID of the rep you are speaking with, then escalate the issue.Ask to speak to his/her manager; if you are speaking to a manager, ask to speak to Retentions; if you are speaking to a Retentions rep, ask to speak to his/hermanager; if you are speaking to a Retentions manager, ask to speak to Executive Services. Each time you move up the chain, you will likely have to restate your case all over again; don’t let up. Be firm, but not rude; a rep will be less likely to help you if you are hostile.Also, each time you move up, remember to get the name and ID of the rep you are speaking with; you will want notes if you need to take the fight further.

If you are still not being helped at this point, you have two options before you.

• You can hang up and start the process over again; some customers have had to call several times before they can get a rep or manager willing to waive the Early Termination Fee. Persistence is everything; some reps are more helpful and willing than others, and sometimes it is just the luck of the draw.

• If you have called several times and not gotten a resolution, you also might want to consider notifying federal agencies regarding your issues. That includes filing complains with the Better Business Bureau, the Federal Communications Commission, and your state’s Attorney General. If you choose to go this route, be sure to call in and run through the process one last time; when you reach an unhelpful rep or manager, state that you have filed complaints with these agencies. This may just be the breaking point to get them to cave.

Using Tech ADHD’s script, the MBR reader cancelled her service. If you decide to take this route as well, you should receive a confirmation number of the agreement to cancel without the Early Termination Fee.

If it’s not offered to you, be sure to ask for it as well as the representative ID and name to proactively counter any potential future miscommunications.

Effective November, Sprint is capping 4G data for mobile hotspots. That means no more unlimited mobile broadband. As Gizmodo points out:

there’s basically no reason to pick Sprint’s hotspots over Verizon’s now.”

After all, Verizon 4G speeds crush Sprint’s.

Sprint’s mobile hotspot lineup now looks like this:

$45 | 3 GB

$60 | 5 GB

$90 | 10 GB

The problem here is that it’s 3G/4G data combined.

With overage charges  at 5 cents/MB that’s $51.20/GB. On the flip side, Verizon charges $10 per extra GB. Futhermore, Verizon’s 5 GB plan is $50 and their 10 GB is $80. That’s $10 cheaper in both instances.

That means Verizon now gives you more data, at a higher speed and at a lower price.

It’s not looking good for Sprint.

For full details, see this Sprint page on the change.

Will it be enough to compete with Virgin, Cricket & other prepaid mobile broadband providers?

ReadyBroadband 3G Plans

All ReadyBroadband 3G plans now give you more data for the same price. $25 for 300 MB, $45 for 1 GB and $75 for 2 GB.

ReadyBroadband 3G Speed & Coverage

Readybroadband resells Sprint’s service. As such, their 3G speed & coverage reflect that of the parent network.

ReadyBroadband Cards

ReadyBroadband doesn’t list specifically which cards are available. From the looks of it, it seems like the Novatel U727, Ovation MC760 & Compass 597.

Looking for a Comparison?

Check out the Prepaid Mobile Broadband Comparison to see how they match up against the other prepaid mobile broadband carriers out there.

Like last year, ReadyBroadband doesn’t list specifically which USB broadband cards will be available. Rather, they depict 3 available cards on their website available for approximately $50:

1. Novatel Ovation U727 (Review)
2. Novatel Ovation MC760 (Review)
3. Sierra Compass 597 (Review)

ReadyBroadband Card
Full Review	Novatel Ovation U727	Sierra Wireless Compass 597	Novatel Ovation U760 USB Broadband Card
Video Review	N/A	N/A	N/A
Form Factor	3G USB Broadband Card	3G USB Broadband Card	3G USB Broadband Card
External Antenna Jack	Yes	Yes	Yes
Max Download Speed Potential	3.1 Mbps	3.1 Mbps	3.1 Mbps
OS Compatibility	2000 / XP / Vista / Windows 7; Mac OS X; Linux	2000 / XP / Vista / Windows 7; Mac OS X; Linux	2000 / XP / Vista / Windows 7; Mac OS X; Linux
Network Support	3G (EVDO Rev. A)	3G (EVDO Rev. A)	3G (EVDO Rev. A)
GPS	Yes	Yes	Yes
Extra Storage	microSD	microSD	microSD (up to 16 GB)
Support Info	Yes	Yes	Yes
Price	$50	$50	$50

The device you get will depend on whether you pick it out in a store (such as Walgreens) or what’s available when you order online.

Before picking up a ReadyBroadband device, see how they stack up against the competition in the 2011 Prepaid Mobile Broadband Comparison.

Also part of this 2011 review:

ReadyBroadband Review
ReadyBroadband 3G Plans
ReadyBroadband 3G Speed & Coverage
ReadyBroadband Cards

As such, you can expect:

average download speeds of 600-1400 Kbps, peaking at 3.1 Mbps, and 350-500 Kbps average upload speeds, peaking at 1.8 Mbps. Similar to DSL, and about ten times faster than using a dial-up modem.

Unlike Virgin Mobile broadband, there is no speed throttling if you go over the prescribed data of your plan. Rather, you’ll have no service once you reach your limit.

Checking ReadyBroadband 3G Coverage

Under Ready Mobile (sic) arrangement with Sprint ®, Ready Mobile PCS and Ready Broadband customers have access to service anywhere on the Nationwide Sprint Network ®, reaching more than 280 million people.

Since ReadyBroadband uses Sprint’s network, there are 2 ways to check coverage:

1. ReadyBroadband’s 3G Coverage Tool
2. Sprint’s 3G Coverage Tool

Since last year, the ReadyBroadband (part of ReadyMobile PCS) have tweaked their plans for the benefit of its customers. Before, their plan selection included:

They’ve got three ‘mobile broadband plans’ in the form of ‘Airtime Top Up’ cards:

1. 200 MB for $25 (expires in 7 days)
2. 600 MB for $45 (expires in 14 days)
3. 1 GB for $75 (expires in 30 days)

Each ReadyBroadband PCS Airtime Top Up card (talk about a mouthful) has an expiration date from the time of first use. Naturally, the expiration period kicks in when you activate the card.

This year, they’ve kept the price of each plan the same but increased the amount of data you get at every level while increasing the amount of time you have to use the data allotted (with the exception of their $75 plan which still expires in 30 days).

In short, the $25 plan got increased by 100 MB, the $45 by 400 MB and the $75 plan got doubled by 1 GB. As usual, there is no contract, no credit check and no monthly bill.

Not Sure How Much Data You Need?

While ReadyBroadband doesn’t have a data calculator, there are a number of calculators available from AT&T, Cricket & Verizon that are pretty handy.

Next, ReadyBroadband 3G Speed

Also part of this 2011 review:

ReadyBroadband Review
ReadyBroadband 3G Plans
ReadyBroadband 3G Speed & Coverage
ReadyBroadband Cards

For $50 a month, DataJack offers 5 GB of 3G prepaid mobile broadband. Choices of devices include a USB broadband card and a MiFi 2200 mobile hotspot that wasn’t available last year.

DataJack 3G Plans

DataJack 3G plans selection consists of one 5 GB plan for $50 per month. Nothing to get excited about here.

DataJack 3G Speed

While DataJack 3G speed can do Skype, VoIP and YouTube, that could deplete your 5 GB plan quickly.

DataJack 3G Coverage

DataJack 3G coverage mirrors Sprint’s in the same way it does 3G speed. However, there is an important distinction.

DataJack Broadband Cards & Mobile Hotspots

Since last year, DataJack broadband cards’ selection has stayed the same. However, they now also offer a mobile hotspot.

Looking for a Comparison?

Check out the Prepaid Mobile Broadband Comparison to see how they match up against the other prepaid mobile broadband carriers out there.

It may help put things in perspective when you see what all of your options are whether you plan to use it regularly or occasionally.

Since last year, DataJack broadband cards’ selection has stayed the same. However, they now also offer a mobile hotspot.

DataJack Broadband Cards

DataJack offers what they call the DJ760. However, based on the specifications, it seems remarkably similar to the Novatel Ovation USB760.

DataJack USB Broadband Card
Full Review	Novatel Ovation USB760 Broadband Card
Video Review	N/A
Form Factor	USB Broadband Card
External Antenna Jack	N/A
Download Speed Potential	3.1 Mbps (3G)
OS Compatibility	Windows 7, XP, Vista, or MAC OS X 10.4 or higher.
Network Support	1xRTT, EVDO Rev. 0, EVDO Rev. A
GPS	No
Extra Storage	microSD (up to 32 GB)
Support Info	N/A
Price	$70

DataJack Mobile Hotspots

DataJack provides a rebranded a Novatel 3G MiFi 2200 .

DataJack Mobile Hotspot
Full Review	MiFi 2200
Video Review	N/A
Form Factor	3G Mobile Hotspot
External Antenna Jack	No
Download Speed Potential	3.1 Mbps (3G)
OS Compatibility	Anything that works via WiFi (computers, phones, game consoles, etc)
Network Compatibility	Sprint 3G Network (EVDO Rev. 0, EVDO Rev. A)
WiFi Connections	Connects up to 5 Devices
Extra Storage	N/A
Price	$70

You can pick up either the DJ760 or DataJack MiFi from DataJack’s site here.

Before you do, see how they stack up against the competition in the 2011 Prepaid Mobile Broadband Comparison.

Also in this review:
DataJack 3G Review
DataJack 3G Plans
DataJack 3G Speed
DataJack 3G Coverage
DataJack Broadband Cards & Mobile Hotspots

DataJack 3G coverage mirrors Sprint’s in the same way it does 3G speed. However, there is an important distinction. DataJack’s coverage does not include Sprint’s roaming partners. Only Sprint itself.

As such it’s doubly important to check 3G coverage in the areas you’re considering using DataJack before purchasing.

How To Check DataJack 3G Coverage

Since DataJack resells Sprint’s service, there are 2 ways to check coverage:

1. DataJack’s Coverage Tool
2. Sprint’s Coverage Tool.

Since DataJack’s 3G coverage tool only accepts zip codes to show maps, you won’t be able to tell if coverage is available at the street level (since most providers have pockets of unavailability even within large covered areas).

The alternative then will be to use Sprint’s tool if you need accuracy to the street or even city level.

DataJack Coverage Tool

Sprint Coverage Tool

Now that you know whether you’ve got 3G coverage or not, it’s about time to take a peek at the devices available to you.

Next, DataJack Broadband Cards & Mobile Hotspots

Also in this review:
DataJack 3G Review
DataJack 3G Plans
DataJack 3G Speed
DataJack 3G Coverage
DataJack Broadband Cards & Mobile Hotspots

When DataJack launched, their underlying service provider was T-Mobile. As such, the 3G speeds you got would’ve reflected available T-Mobile speeds at the time.

Who Is DataJack Using Now?

Currently, Sprint is being used exclusively to provide DataJack service. How fast is it? According to DataJack:

Under normal circumstances if you are located in a 3G coverage area, you should expect speeds sufficient to stream videos, do Skype video conferencing and VoIP phone calls (1 to 1.4 Mbps). 98% of our customers are very happy with the network speeds they have in their area.

- DataJack FAQ

Sprint advertises it’s 3G network as having average download speeds of 0.6 – 1.4 Mbps with bursts of 3.1 Mbps while having average upload speeds of 0.3 – 0.5 Mbps. Based on this, DataJack may be generous with their approximation of speeds erring towards the faster side.

What Kind Of Activities Can I Use It For?

Can you do Skype video and VoIP?

In a word, yes.

Should you?

Probably not.

Given the reliability and lower speeds of 3G networks vs. 4G, cable or DSL, the connection quality will not be optimal.

DataJack goes on further to say:

Q. What activities work best on a 3G network?
A. 3G is best for viewing content-heavy websites (lots of images or videos playing), viewing YouTube files and other videos, uploading large files (photos, videos, presentations) to sharing websites, and downloading large files from an e-mail or a website. Video convferencing and VoIP phone calls are also possible with the DataJack.

This is true…to an extent.

While 3G can view content-heavy websites, YouTube and the like, it’s not best for it. 4G WiMAX from Sprint or 4G LTE from Verizon would be best for it in the realm of mobile broadband.

Furthermore, if your primary activity includes watching YouTube, other videos, uploading and downloading large files in addition to video conferencing and VoIP, chances are that you’ll deplete your 5 GB cap rather quickly.

So can you use DataJack’s 3G speed? Sure, you may just have to be conservative or more patient with loading times. However, none of that will matter unless you have 3G coverage in your area.

Next, DataJack 3G Coverage

Also in this review:
DataJack 3G Review
DataJack 3G Plans
DataJack 3G Speed
DataJack 3G Coverage
DataJack Broadband Cards & Mobile Hotspots