“There is no way I'd spend $100 per month plus the cost of a card for a wireless Internet connection…”

Users Binge at the Wireless Buffet
To get customers turned on to its cell phone-based wireless data services, Sprint PCS in the fall started offering several new plans for its 3G network that include unlimited "PCS Vision" data access at no extra charge for three months, and an additional $10 per month after that.

At the same time, Sprint offers something called "PCS Vision for Laptops and PDAs." These plans are designed for wireless access to the Internet using a PC card modem and cost $100 for unlimited data access.

The problem for Sprint, and the loophole for customers, is that it's possible to use a Sprint phone as a laptop modem with a simple software download and a cable connection from the phone to the computer. Thus it's possible to get access meant to cost $100 per month for free, simply by buying an entire phone plan that costs as little as $30.

Earlier this year, Sprint pulled connection cables from its site. Customers who order service and say they want a laptop connection are told they need to buy a PC Card modem and the "PCS Vision Plans for Laptops and PDAs" plan.

And the small print in Sprint's brochures certainly discourages the use of the phone as a modem: "Unlimited PCS Vision offer for PCS Free & Clear Plans with Vision is: (a) only available with a Vision capable PCS Phone or PCS smart phone device; and (b) not available with Connection Cards, Aircards, or any other device used in connection with a computer or PDA—including phones, smart phones or other devices used with connection kits or similar phone-to-computer/PDA accessories. Sprint reserves the right to deny or to terminate service without notice for misuse."

But a Sprint PCS customer service representative said that he was told to discourage, but not disallow, customers from using connection cables from third parties, and the company actually contradicts itself on its own site.

"Funny thing is, Sprint still makes the connection manager software freely available as a download from their site," said Joe Cummings, senior Web developer at the Boston Phoenix, a weekly newspaper in Boston who bought a connection cable at a local Radio Shack. "I get the impression that Sprint included those little nuggets as a safety valve in case access abuse blew up in their faces."

The text accompanying the download says "PCS Connection Manager software allows laptops and PDAs to wirelessly connect to PCS Vision with a data cable and a PCS Phone or a PCS Connection Card."

"I know that the group that handles our Web site is in the process of removing all verbiage from sprintpcs.com in relation to Connectivity Kits and software," said Bit Vo, a Sprint PCS spokeswoman in Kansas City, Mo. But as of late this week, the software kit is still available on the site.

At any rate, customers can buy connection kits—both software and cables—from retail outlets and online.…
http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,3959,796265,00.asp