At 02 Apr 2008 06:07:54 -0700 SMS wrote:

> > I disagree. Their network hasn't become worse in the last few years,
and
> > their handset selection has always been lackluster. Why has that
suddenly
> > caused churn to increase?
>
> It's not that their network has become worse, it's that other networks
> have improved more, and consumers have become more aware of
> the differences between networks as a result of independent surveys
> of coverage.

Then explain T-Mo's success? They have a worse network than Sprint, a piss-
poor handset selection, and they're not bleeding customers.

> A few years ago, people were complaining more about Verizon's
> handset selection, and praising Sprint's selection.

I don't remember anyone "praising" Sprint's selection, except maybe to say
it stunk less than Verizon's ;-)

> > It's the botched integration of theNextel merger
> > that's messed them up.
>
> Yes, a lot of their churn is Nextel accounts leaving as iDen is EOL.
> Sprint apparently thought that Nextel customers would all convert
> to Sprint plans, which isn't happening.


True.


> The "iPhone lookalike" is not going to help them much without WiFi.

Most consumers (including myself) won't care if it has WiFi as long as they
have a reasonably-priced unlimited 3G plan. You're really splitting speed
hairs on a mobile device is 3G is so painfully slow that you need to go to
WiFi- YOU have a skewed perspective because you like in an area with fairly
ubiquitous WiFi and see no need for a cellular data plan. Everywhere isn't
the Bay Area, my friend! In the majority of the country, you either need
to park in the suburbs like a soccer mom stalker, or develop a taste for
overpriced coffee to find any WiFi. Most of the time you'll be using
cellular data. If you've got to buy an unlimited 3G plan anyway, WiFi is
far less important. And at Sprint's $15 for unlimited on-phone data, it
doesn't exactly break the bank like a $30 or $40 AT&T or Verizon PDA data
plan.

WiFi is important to _me_ as a T-Mo customer because I'm on a 2G network.
If I had 3G, it's unlikely I'd waste the time with the three screen taps it
takes to turn WiFi on or off- I certainly don't bother for e-mail
retrieval, or even for a quick web lookup. Only if I'm planning to do some
surfing will I bother with WiFi.