Sprint's new price plans: No more 'Framily,' but more data

sprint data plan

Sprint is trying to one up industry leaders Verizon and AT&T.

On Monday, Sprint (S) announced it was jacking up the data it offers in its family pack options. The new plans will be offered starting on Friday.

A family with four phone lines would spend $160 per month to share 20GB of data, Sprint said.

Four lines with the same amount of data are advertised online by Verizon (VZ) and AT&T (T) at $310 per month. At T-Mobile (TMUS), that plan would cost $180.

Sprint also said if customers pay full price for the phones, they will not have to lock into a contract, an increasingly popular option in the industry.

Sprint currently offers a $160 per month four-line plan. But that includes only 1GB of data for each phone.

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The new plans will carry new branding, meaning Sprint will phase out the "Framily Plan" -- for family and friends -- branding in which it has invested heavily.

Customers with Framily Plans can continue their service or sign up for a new shared plan, which in many cases would mean a less expensive bill or additional data. Spokeswoman Kristin Wallace said the company would no longer allow the option of separate bills for lines on a shared plan -- ideal for friends sharing a single plan.

Instead, the new plans will be known as "Sprint Family Share Pack."

Sprint promised that new single-line plans would be announced later in the week.

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CEO Marcelo Claure said the company would reimburse customers for the costs of switching from other carriers, such as cancellation fees.

Sprint also announced additional, limited-time discounts, such as a free additional 2GB of data per line each month.

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