tcp1
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join:2000-04-17
Herndon, VA
 ·Sprint Mobile Broa..
 ·Verizon FIOS
 ·Comcast
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·T-Mobile US
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| Re: I like that Not to hijack a thread -- but I'd make sure to preface this (Zunger; this info is for YOU) with the fact that Sprint, by definition, does NOT allow this. You don't want to go around simply encouraging this to everyone.. The more people do this, the more Sprint will probably crack down!
By simply giving this "tip" to someone who doesn't know about Sprint's handling of the whole thing, you're likely to get him into hot water..
So, the basic gist of it is.. Sprint does NOT allow you to use your phone as a modem on their 3G 1xRTT services. It is explicitly forbidden in their TOS. They do offer connection cards, which come with separate (expensive) plans.
HOWEVER. As shown above, it is *technically* possible.. And generally, as a rule, using it for OCCASIONAL use (and I'm not talking downloading divx's here.. Maybe a few dozen megabytes a month) won't get you hotlined.
Keep in mind, though, according to Sprint's TOS, that they can cancel your Vision (3G 1xRTT) service for this, and can charge you. You don't have to look far.. Over at sprintusers.com there was a woman who was charged $2800 by Sprint when she returned a phone to Best Buy that still had her Vision username in it.. [Did you know you can use Vision on a non-activated phone, with a valid Vision login? It's true!] Someone bought it, used it not-all-that-heavily; and Sprint socked her with the default $0.02/kb rate.
(1mb = 1024kb. Only 100mb = 102400 kb = $2048 @ $0.02/kb. Ouch!)
Granted, this is anectdotal, and apparently doesn't happen too often.. I'm not saying don't do it -- I do, now and then.. But keep in mind that when you're operating outside their TOS, a company like Sprint has rather wide leeway with how they can react to that. |
