Sprint is rolling out an "Any Mobile, Anytime" feature that lets its customers make unlimited calls from their mobile devices to any other U.S. carriers mobile devices. Despite the high-profile launch of the Palm Pre and the Sept. 9 release of its smaller sibling, the Palm Pixi, Sprint has seen itself bleeding revenue throughout 2009, reporting a second-quarter net loss of more than a quarter-billion dollars.
Sprint announced its "Any Mobile,
Anytime" feature, allowing unlimited calls between its customers mobile devices
and other U.S. carriers mobile devices, on Sept. 10.
The "Any Mobile, Anytime" feature, married to the companys
Everything Data plan, also includes unlimited messaging and data. Those plans
start at $69.99.
"We dont think our customers want to have to keep track of
or only talk to friends, colleagues or family members who make the same choices
they do," Dan Hesse, CEO of Sprint, said in a statement accompanying the
announcement.
Sprint has claimed in the past that their mobile broadband
network (inclusive of data roaming) reaches some 21 million people, and that it
has three times the coverage of AT&Ts current 3G network. Yet throughout
2009, the company has also seen itself plunged into hard financial straits.
Resource Library:
In the second quarter of 2009, Sprint reported a net loss of more
than a quarter-billion dollars $384 million and a diluted loss per
share of
13 cents. Customer numbers fell from 49.1 million in the first quarter
of 2009
to 48.8 million at the close of the second, despite robust early
returns for the
Palm Pre smartphone.
AT&T plans on accompanying this rollout with six new
smartphones compatible with this HSPA (High Speed Packet Access) 7.2
technology, which could further challenge momentum of the Palm Pre.
During a July 29 earnings call, Dan Hesse told investors and
analysts that the Palm Pre was the most successful phone launch in the carriers
history, one that possibly yanked market share away from the rollout of the
iPhone 3GS.
"When theres a new device launched, say the iPhone in
particular, youll see a blip for a period of time, in increased churn," Hesse
said at the time. "I dont want to lead you to believe that theres no impact at
all from the iPhone it is a successful device. But I think weve mitigated the
impact significantly with a strong device lineup."
Despite having occupied pole position for years in the
mobile-device market, Palm has found itself beaten in market share over the past
few years by Apples iPhone and Research In Motion with its BlackBerry line.
Palms attempt at a comeback has revolved not only around hardware, but also the
WebOS, which seeks to battle directly against other mobile operating systems
including Google Android, the iPhone OS and Microsoft Windows
Mobile.