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Sprint's Reseller Deal (Millenicom, Wireless 'n' WiFi, etc.)

I've been searching through DSL Reports without success, and googled without success. Here goes.

As most of the folks on DSL Reports probably know, there are at least two Sprint resellers which offer a package with reasonable data caps: Millenicom, with a data cap of 50 gigs, and Wireless 'n' WiFi, which promotes a 4G service that's unlimited combined with a 3G service that's capped at 35 gigs. (There may be more than just those two, but I haven't heard of any.)

I seem to distinctly remember reading somewhere on the DSL Reports site that someone had found out that the Wireless 'n' WiFi 4G was NOT unlimited, as advertised, but in fact has a 100 gig cap. But I've googled and searched until I'm blue in the face and not been able to find any such reference. Did I imagine it?

More broadly, can anyone explain to me why Sprint resellers can get better deals for its subscribers on the data caps than one can get by subscribing to Sprint directly?

Their deal is their deal . It is not public info for a reason. Being a user gives no one the right to private signed contracts between Sprint and said reseller . I am sure it is because they buy in volume and handle all billing and customer service issues of their subscribers.

I cannot speak to re-sellers but as far as sprint data products for businesses they were still offering unlimited plans to larger businesses even after they switched to the 5GB limit (this is back before the selectable usage 3GB, 6GB, 10GB etc).

My guess has always been either:
a. they are still selling unlimited plans to the resellers (b2b) and they only react when sprint pushes back or

b. they struck a deal where the average across all users has to be near a set limit... so the guys who use 100GB are offset buy the guys who only use 2GB a month... the average across the account would be within the limits.

But I have not seen the contracts so I have no real idea

Hold your breath and let's see what softbank does... I have a feeling were going to be seeing real competition once softbank gets everything sorted out.

I posted that somewhere, but I can't find which forum it was, i'll check my email. Its the same as Millenicom... After a certain point, it throws up a red flag.... I'll repost if I find it.

[BQUOTE=criggsDo you recall reading anywhere or seeing anywhere, on this web site or elsewhere, about the Wireless 'n' WiFi actually being a 100gig cap deal, not an unlimited deal? I distinctly remember reading that somewhere on this site, but I can't find it now.
[/BQUOTE

So, as I understand it, going over 100 in one particular month is NOT a problem. Doing so repeatedly is. Okay, I think I got it.

probably as Millenicom states "consistently going over will alert our investigative team".
That sounds kinda lame using that wording, but I am sure that means they got a notice from SPRINT wanting them to contact the user and tell them to curb their usage.

I am a regular follower and occasional contributor, but for the purposes of this subject I must use a temporary handle.

I have been in the cellular/mobile broadband business since cellular launched in the mid 80's, I currently work for a carrier, but prior to that I worked for a reseller who shall remain nameless and who is no longer in the business.

Both the companies you mention have been in the business for decades, good people, I know principals from both, and likely they are grandfathered under "unlimited" deals. When you have hundreds or even thousands of modems operating and pay your bill on time, you have a certain degree of clout with the carrier. That being said, NOTHING is truly unlimited.

My former employer learned that the hard way, and I think both these companies are doing their best to avoid becoming the next former reseller. Anything above 50GB is going to draw attention, and as dib22 mentioned, averages matter too.

I have heard second hand from someone close to the situation, that one of these two companies has shut-off a bunch of "egregious" offenders, and it appears that they ended up with the other company, resulting in the largest jump in average usage that they have ever seen. Their previous high use subscribers were in the 60-80 GB range, and suddenly they have 100GB+ people.

I suspect that they will probably be forced to put some type of controls on the bandwidth used or risk losing their entire fleet.

Fascinating! Thank you.

good points....