New Sprint TEP tiers and deductibles coming in June

On 6/17/12, Sprint is introducing new TEP tiers and deductibles based on device Standard Retail Price (SRP).

• The $8 TEP tier remains in place for existing device models, while a new $11 TEP tier will be introduced to support high-end device models.


• Apple iPhones are not eligible for TEP.


• Tiers include:

	Deductible	Device SRP	Monthly TEP Charge
Tier 1	$50	≤$324.99	$8
Tier 2	$100	$325 -$549.98	$8
Tier 3	$150	$549.99 -$599.99	$11
Tier 4	$200	≥$600	$11

Why you need to know it:

• Customers buying a Tier 1 or Tier 2 device with TEP remain at the $8 tier.


• Customers buying a Tier 3 or Tier 4 new device and add TEP before 6/17 will:
  
  
  
  • Be at the $8 tier and then move to the $11 tier.
  
  
  • Receive multiple written notifications explaining the increase in their monthly TEP charges and deductibles.
  
  
  • Be sent a legal notification in the form of a letter by mail after 6/17/12 notifying them that their TEP monthly charge will be increased from $8 to $11.
  
  
  • See a $3 credit in their monthly bill from July through September, which will meet Sprint’s legal requirement to notify customers 90 days in advance of a price increase.
  
  
  
  

What you need to do:

• Tell customers about the new TEP changes when they buy a Tier 3 or Tier 4 device model before 6/17/12.


• For more information about these changes,see TEP, ERP, ESRP Reference Matrix and Know Changes to TEP Program Coming in June
  
  
  
  • CST: Go to CST Search and enter the keywords tep matrix and tep objections.
  
  
  • TW-Ops: Go to Products & Pricing > Product or Service drop-down list > Sprint Protection Programs
  
  
  
  

Frequently Asked Questions

What is TEP?
Total Equipment Protection covers virtually anything that can happen to your phone. Without TEP, customers who lose or damage their device might need to shell out the full suggested retail price (for example, $549.99 for a Galaxy Nexus) to replace their device.

Are there any Apps I can use to help with my TEP service?
Yes. When you enroll, you will receive an App that lets you track, alarm and remotely lock or wipe your device if it is lost or stolen.

If I already have TEP, will I be grandfathered into that rate?
Starting 6/17/12, TEP will be at $11 with a $150 deductible and will apply to the 4G LTE devices with a price of $549.00 and after 6/17/12.

When will I see this increase in TEP on my bill?
When you receive your next bill after 6/17/12, the new price will be listed.

Will I receive any other reminders about this besides this blog?
Yes. Within a few weeks, you will receive a welcome postcard in the mail. This postcard will remind you about the price change. You will also receive an email notification in June or early July that will provide more detail about the price change.

Why will the price for TEP on my 4G LTE device be increased to $11 in June. This seems high.
Due to the high replacement cost of these phones, it was necessary to increase the monthly charge.

Is this really worth the price?
Yes. You could be enrolled in TEP for 3 years and pay the $150 deductible for a loss/theft/damage claim and still not equal the replacement cost of your phone.

When can I sign up for TEP?
You can sign up for Total Monthly Protection within the first month of any device purchased and activated.

Weekend Maintenance Window 2AM-6AM 11/22

We'll be having some scheduled maintenance during off-peak hours this weekend, though very minimal in comparison to recent weeks.

• CDMA Homedeck (Handset home/landing page for the web), and the Digital Lounge will be unavailable from 2AM-6AM on Sunday 11/22


• Premium Content purchases, both new and stored, will be unavailable for download fromn 2AM-4AM on Sunday 11/22


• Wireless eCare will be unavailable during the same period - 2AM-6AM on Sunday 11/22


• Online Storefront, Sprint.com, and all Telesales systems will be offline 2AM-6AM also on Sunday 11/22

During this time, if there are any CDMA Provisioning requests (adds, changes, and deletes) made during this window, they will be delayed up to 4 hours. Continue to submit any requests as usual, and they will be held in queue until the maintenance window closes at 6AM, at which time they will be processed.

Pick 3 and Pick 5 Numbers on Any Network: Offers Expired!

Not that it should be any surprise, but with the launch of the new 'Any Mobile, Anytime', Account Services no longer offers the Pick 3 or Pick 5 Numbers on Any Network plans for customers that are requesting to leave Sprint®.

• With the Any Mobile, Anytime^SM offer, the Pick 3 or Pick 5 Numbers on Any Network retention offers are no longer needed.

• Customers should not be transferred to Account Services with the intention of getting the Pick 3 or Pick 5 Numbers on Any Network offers.

If for some reason you still have a Pick 3 or Pick 5 and decide to not go to a new plan that includes Any Mobile, Anytime, then Customer Care can still modify your selected numbers, business as usual.

Motorola Debut i856 Maintenance Release

A new software release, RA6.00.004, is available for Motorola® Debut™ i856 customers. Customers with access to a phone cable to connect to a computer and internet access can download this new software themselves. Customers can also go to an authorized Service and Repair center and have a technician update their phone to this new software version.

 

 

Issues that are fixed with the new software:

• Now has Battery Temperature Monitoring: A Cool Down Message screen appears when battery has been exposed to extreme heat.

What you need to do:

• When a customer reports an issue with their Motorola Stature i9 device, first verify the software version of the phone is RA6.00.004.
  
  
  
  1. From the idle screen, press #, *, Menu, the Right Key (Next To OK) in rapid succession. The Trace Mode menu displays.
  
  
  2. Scroll down to Unit Info, Press OK.
  
  
  3. Scroll down to access Software, Press OK. The software version should be listed as RA6.00.004.
  
  
  
  


• If the customer is not on the latest software version, tell them if they have access to a phone cable to connect to a computer and internet access, they can download this new software themselves or they can go to an authorized Service and Repair center and have a technician update their phone to this new software version.


• Customer downloading instructions:
  
  
  
  • 
    
    
    
    1. Have the customer confirm that their PC matches the following requirements before selecting the correct utility on the Web site:
       
       
       
       • Internet Explorer 5.0 or higher installed on your computer
       
       
       • If using a USB Data Cable computer operating system should be: Windows 98 SE™, 2000™, ME™, and XP™
       
       
       • If using an RS232 Data Cable computer operating system should be: Windows 98™, NT 4.0, 2000™, ME™ and XP™
       
       
       
       
    
    
    2. Go to the Motorola Web site at: http://idenphones.motorola.com/iden/support/software/html/firmware_utility.html and download the software to the phone.
    
    
    3. Power on the iDEN phone.
    
    
    4. Select the utility that matches the phone model.
    
    
    5. Connect the iDEN phone to the PC with a Data Cable.
    
    
    6. When the utility starts, follow the onscreen instructions provided.
    
    
    
    
  
  
  
  

Wireless Backup – Keep Your Contacts

DID YOU KNOW… If your phone currently supports Wireless Backup, .and you are switching to a device that does not support Wireless Backup, we will gladly email you a .CSV export of your contacts that are backed up on the Wireless Backup server ! You can then import the csv file into Outlook, or any other contact manager of your choice.

Contact Technical Support if you are in this situation and would find this useful. As always, our goal is for you to always have access to your contact, and to make the transaction between devices as seamless as possible.

4G WiMAX: Texas, Illinois, North Carolina & Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Tomorrow, 10/25 - 4G WiMAX will launch in the Philadelphia, PA market! and then....

On 11/1/09, 4G WiMAX launches in these new Texas markets: Dallas-Fort Worth, North Carolina markets - Charlotte, Raleigh and Greensboro.

• The wireless revolution began late 2008, when Sprint introduced a new era for wireless consumers, with the launch of the first dual-mode 3G and 4G USB modem in Baltimore. For the first time ever, customers experienced WiMAX connection with lightning-fast speed. Including speeds 3-5 times faster than 3G with peak download speeds of 12 MegaBytes per second (MBPS).


• Aggressive 4G market expansion is under way including coverage across 80 markets by the end of 2010.  IMPACT and Sprint.com provide coverage details.


• All Care specialists are able to and should assist a 3G/4G dual-mode customer with questions, billing support, and basic troubleshooting.  Only when customers require more than basic troubleshooting should they be transferred to the 4G Dedicated Support Team.


• WiMAX KMS information is easy to locate using the Content Directory - it is located under Products, 4G-WiMAX, All Specialists.

How 3G Compares to WiMAX (4G):

Feature	4G (WiMAX Broadband)	3G Service (CDMA Broadband)
Speed	Average download: 3-6 Mbps	Average download: 0.5-1.4 Mbps
Technology	WiMAX Standard - Network built for mobile broadband wireless data that is IP centric	CDMA Standard - Cellular voice network based on CDMA technology with added on data features
Reliability	Built into the 4G network based on Sprint’s heritage and experience in providing highly reliable networks	Integrated into Sprint’s 3G network
Security	WiMAX 802.16e includes the use of X.509 security certificates for both the devices and the network. Provides greater security by preventing fraudulent devices from entering the network. Helps users validate they are receiving a valid network operator signal.	Sprint Mobile Broadband uses secure CDMA technology.
Cap	No data cap	5 Gigabyte data cap
Download Times (based on peak speeds)	10MB Photo - .8 Seconds 250 MB Movie - 21 Seconds	10MB Photo - 3.3 Seconds 250 MB Movie - 83 Seconds
Enables	* Video Chat * IP TV * Cloud Computing * Synchronization * Digital Storage * User Generated Media Content * High Definition * Full Length Video * Hard Drive Synchronization * HULU * Online Interactive Gaming - Halo	* Instant Messaging * Audio Conference * Desktop Applications Windows * E-mail * User Generated Media Content * Standard Definition * Short Video Clips * File Synchronization * You Tube * Online Static Gaming - Sudoku, Chess

WiMAX requirements:

• To experience 4G, you must:
  
  
  
  • Be in the Baltimore MD, Portland OR, Las Vegas NV, Atlanta GA, Boise ID, and Bellingham WA area (prior to this launch of additional markets)
  
  
  • Have a 4G connection card plan (shown in the table above)
  
  
  • Have the U300 Mobile Broadband Card
  
  
  • Have Sprint Smartview - version 2.24 or higher
  
  
  
  

• A 2-year service agreement is required for new customers on U300 device purchase.

Sunday AM Services Downtime

As is almost tradition for the past several months, we will be running scheduled maintenance and upgrades starting as early as midnight, and lasting as long as 6AM. Here’s what will be effected this week (all times are KS/Oakland Park time – Central):

Wireless HomeDeck: 2AM – 6AM on 09/27

• Wireless HomeDeck on the customers phone will be unavailable to purchase premium content, ringers, etc for 4 hours starting at 2:00 AM CT.


• The internet will still be available from the handset, however you may need to type in the URL in the browser’s address bar, and the landing/home deck will be down.

SPO (Sprint Plan Optimizer): 2AM – 6AM on 09/27

• No portion of the SPO tool will be available during this maintenance window.

Sprint.com - Online Registration & Address book: 2AM – 6AM on 09/27

• New account registration will not be available during this maintenance window.


• You will not be able to manage your online address book during the window.

Sprint.com – Manage, Media Mall, Online Store, Digital Lounge: 2AM – 6AM on 09/27

• All primary service options hosted on sprint.com will be down during this window.


• You will not be able to login or manage your account during this window.


• No digital content will be able to be purchased or managed during this window.


• New phone orders will not be able to be placed during this maintenance window.

For any Sprint employees interested, OLIVE, TOES & FAST will also be unavailable during this time for scheduled maintenance.

As always there’s a good chance that everything will be wrapped earlier than 6AM, and 99% of the user base will sleep through it all anyways and never know it happened. All customer facing or impacting venues will be given priority over internal facing items should any maintenance window need to be extended. There should not be any delay or increase to care or retail agents in any LOB for Sunday morning opens, expect BAU.

Sprint.com Self Service Maintenance Window

Some updates on the backend are being completed over the next few hours... from now until 6AM (Monday) actually. Affected areas are:

• You won't be unable to purchase or manage their content.


• Ability to login to Sprint.com/Manage account will be down.


• Customer will be unable to check MOU in Sprint.com - they can still get MOU from the IVR (*4/*5)


• Customers will be unable to purchase content from their computer or from their handset

Fully expect all to be up before the sun rises :).. so you probably never missed a thing!

Sprint.com Self Care Upgrades Underway

Just a quick note for all of you wondering what's going on with Sprint.com and why you may not be able to login... this will hopefully be completed by Friday evening, but could roll over into Saturday. Here's the note we've posted to care...

Customers are unable to access their My Sprint account or the Digital Lounge thru sprint.com due to the site being splashed.  Customers will not be able to log into thier MySprint account to manage their account including checking usage, paying or viewing bills or swapping phones.  The Digital Lounge is also splashed and customers will not be able to make a purchase thru sprint.com.  Customers ARE able to access Sprint and Digital Lounge thru thier handsets.

Just remember you can always dial *2 or sprint.com/chat for any issue you have for a quick resolution, or manage your account via your handset. Sorry for the downtime, but it's necessary to keep great things coming down the pipeline!

Sprint Mobile Email Maintenance Tonight

Mobile Email Maintenance Alert

Just a quick note for all Sprint Mobile Email users - there will be a 1 hour maintenance window tonight from 11PM - 12AM (Central Time). Mobile Email may be unavailable for this short periods during this time. While most of you will never notice, it's good to be able to plan, just in case.