Sprint hacks $10 off its monthly mobile WiMAX pricing

Cutting the price of its mobile WiMAX subscription prices for the second time in half a year, Sprint's confirmed a $10 drop in its monthly fee. The price cut, which brings the price to $59.99 for monthly CDMA / mobile WiMAX. Back in August the company dropped the unlimited 3G/4G service by $10, as well. A spokesperson for Sprint told Fierce Wireless that the price drop is in order to make the service a "no brainer" for its customers, and denied specific, recent rumors that Sprint may partner with Walmart for mobile WiMAX cells in all of its retail locations nationwide. Regardless, if you want to get in on a WiMAX deal, now might be a decent time to do it.

[7egend Posted Jan 14th 2010 3:25PM]

I hope other carriers are taking notes on these price drops. My wallet sure could use the whole "mobile recession antidote".

If AT&T bends me over any further I am going to be able to watch...you know...stuff.

[MegaJapan Posted Jan 14th 2010 5:34PM]

@7egend
Unfortunately, things aren't all logic when it comes to AT&T.

[iHakr Posted Jan 14th 2010 3:25PM]

I'll be sitting in my car taking up the first parking spot surfing the web on Sprint's 4G network at walmart just to upset people!

[Jban Posted Jan 14th 2010 3:33PM]

@iHakr Discount on golf clubs this month folks.

[kongmw Posted Jan 14th 2010 3:58PM]

@iHakr i sure hope u've got a handicap sign hanging on ur rear view mirror or its probably going to cost u a little bit...lol

[varchar32 Posted Jan 14th 2010 5:40PM]

@iHakr
make sure you won't be mugged! Walmart parking lots favorite spot for thieves!

[DaveBach Posted Jan 14th 2010 10:29PM]

@varchar32

You've gotta love Walmart's security prevention teams though. In Milwaukee area Walmart parking lots they've got old men sitting around in little white piece-o-crap cars with a "security" magnet slapped on the side. Rest assured that if you've ever got a problem in one of those lots you've...well...at least you've got a witness (if he's awake).

[gerrrg Posted Jan 14th 2010 3:43PM]

Still, it's more expensive than just getting plain old WiMax from their partner, Clearwire.

[GusRandall Posted Jan 14th 2010 3:52PM]

@gerrrg Problem is that Clear doesn't have sufficient coverage yet and with Sprint you get 3G as a fallback when you travel outside your normal coverage area.

In a year or two when Clear builds out, it will be a great alternative for people who travel.

[danhawk911 Posted Jan 14th 2010 3:49PM]

make it unlimited data for 59.99 then we are talking.

[Kermee Posted Jan 14th 2010 4:00PM]

@danhawk911 If you're on the 4G side, the data is unlimited. If you're on the 3G side, then it's still the stupid 5GB cap. At least if you're in a 4G area often enough, it's a heck of a deal at this point.

[MusikMeister Posted Jan 14th 2010 3:51PM]

Dear Engadget, please try to check your articles for correct grammar before posting them. Thanks.

[Banksta3 Posted Jan 14th 2010 8:12PM]

@MusikMeister "Thanks."

You may want to take your own advice. A sentence must contain at least a subject and a verb.

[Elranzer Posted Jan 14th 2010 3:59PM]

Partner with Walmart? Has Sprint seen the kinda people that shop there??

http://peopleofwalmart.com

[Engadgeter Posted Jan 14th 2010 4:03PM]

I actually purchased the overdrive the day it came out in best buy (the 7th) but had to return it the next day because the speed was MUCH slower then advertised.(was getting .07mbps constantly) on paper this is a no brainer but in reality it's just a big dissapoinent.

I'm in the Atlanta market by the way.

[cdf74dc9 Posted Jan 14th 2010 4:49PM]

Clear only cost $45... Fail price drop. But at lest Sprint has way more coverage.

[MRCUR Posted Jan 14th 2010 5:07PM]

@cdf74dc9 - Sprint Xohm and Clear merged a while ago, just FYI. The new company is "Clearwire Corp" which is Sprint + Clear.

[MRCUR Posted Jan 14th 2010 5:08PM]

Isn't it a little weird to call the plan a "CDMA/WiMAX" one Laura? Sure, EV-DO 3G is a CDMA standard, but I've never heard the plans referred to as "CDMA" access...

[psycros Posted Jan 14th 2010 5:41PM]

@MRCUR : They probably did that to avoid potentially confusing customers who only have GSM coverage where they live. Or maybe the system can actually fall back to 1x data if necessary.

[One Love Posted Jan 14th 2010 5:25PM]

They are probably hacking the price because they found a new, trickier way to screw their WiMAX customers. Including the new $4.99 fee for not having automated payments for ASL customers, including people that sign up for the program themselves.

[reallynotnick Posted Jan 14th 2010 5:38PM]

@One Love
Well those people are still saving $5, so I think we can all be happy.

[dkotoric1 Posted Jan 14th 2010 5:33PM]

needs to be like $39 for people to start biting on this

[JKimrey Posted Jan 14th 2010 6:02PM]

So will the monthly fee be adjusted for those who previously signed up for $69?

[jgp Posted Jan 14th 2010 6:44PM]

IIRC, Sprint still doesn't have any WiMax phones. What's the point of signing up for WiMax if you can't use it?

[Banksta3 Posted Jan 14th 2010 8:15PM]

@jgp You can use it on your laptop & Sprint's Overdrive allows any WiFi enabled device to have 4G speeds.

[Levi Posted Jan 14th 2010 9:06PM]

Still way the hell too expensive. IMO, they have to bring it down to $40 or $50, and reach 3G-like coverage and reliability with their 4G network, before it starts to be worth it. I guess until I see this as a viable home broadband replacement, it's just far too expensive to browse the web outside wi-fi.

[boe Posted Jan 15th 2010 12:16AM]

I'd be about 1000 times more interested in reading a Sprint story if it had to do with them offering high end PDA phones or just stopped picking crappy phones and said put any unlocked CDMA phone on our network you want.

[keyron27 Posted Jan 15th 2010 2:37AM]

@boe the BB Tour the Closest thing you going get with sprint that unlock!

[pleasantcrew Posted Jan 15th 2010 2:39AM]

bye bye verizon...hello sprint!!