Sprint clarifies accusations of throttling
Just one day after the tech blogosphere had a field day with Sprint, during which Sprint was accused of throttling the top 1% of data hogs in spite of advertising truly unlimited data, Sprint has come out with a brief statement to clarify the matter:
Reports that Sprint throttles the top one percent of data users are false. Here are the facts:
– Sprint does not throttle any postpaid phone data users for on-network or off-network usage. Sprint is the only national carrier offering smartphone users truly unlimited data with no throttling, metering or overages while on the Sprint network.
– Sprint does have terms and conditions which prohibit certain types of data use that may impair other customers' usage or harm or interfere with the network. At yesterday’s investor conference, Sprint CEO Dan Hesse was referring to Sprint’s right to terminate service of data abusers who violate Sprint’s terms and conditions. Customers who abuse our network by violating the terms and conditions will be contacted by Sprint in an effort to have the customer change their usage to comply with their subscriber agreement. Customers who do not change their usage and remain in violation of the terms and conditions may be subject to actions reserved by Sprint, including but not limited to termination. Consistent with our advertising, engaging in such uses will not result in throttling for customers on unlimited data-included plans for phones.
In other words: No, Sprint is not throttling the heaviest of data users. No, Sprint is not throttling people who roam too much. Rather, Sprint will reach out to those who "remain in violation of the terms and conditions" (read: those who tether without the proper plan). Sprint's usual course of action is to terminate service for those who continue to do this after being warned, although they reserve the right to employ other actions.
Sounds pretty straightforward to me. Are you happy with this answer?
[Sprint]
