Sprint's unlimited data plan is getting more expensive

Sprint is raising the price of its unlimited plan by $10 a month, and it wants you to love it.

As of October 16, new customers signing up for Sprint’s unlimited talk, text, and data plan will pay $70 per month before taxes and fees. Current Sprint customers paying $60 per month for their unlimited plan will not be affected by the price hike. Anyone considering a move to Sprint must do so by October 15 to get locked into the $60 unlimited plan.

A price increase just plain sucks, even if it is for new customers only, and Sprint knows it. That’s why the company took great pains to point out Sprint’s unlimited plan was still the best choice compared to AT&T, T-Mobile, or Verizon.

“At $70 a month, Sprint still beats the competition,” Sprint CEO Marcelo Claure said. “Rather than increase the price without warning, we want to give customers one last chance to take advantage of the $60 rate.”

T-Mobile currently charges $80 per month for unlimited talk, text, and data, while AT&T and Verizon no longer offer unlimited everything plans.

That said, not many people truly need an “unlimited plan” anyway. If your data usage is between 3GB and 6GB you can find individual plans with Sprint’s competitors that meet your needs. Verizon’s plans, for example, offer 3GB of data per month for $45 plus $20 for the smartphone line for $65 per month total before taxes and fees. That plan caps your data at 3GB, but also offers unlimited talk and text.

If you truly need an unlimited plan because your monthly data usage goes up to 5GB or more every month then Sprint’s deal is probably an ideal choice for you. Before you buy, however, check out what Sprint service is like in your area.

The story behind the story: The end of Sprint’s $60 unlimited plan comes barely a year after it originally announced it in late August 2014. Prior to the $60 plan, Sprint offered two unlimited plans priced at $80 and $110 with the latter including a mobile hotspot data cap. Sprint’s current unlimited plan, does not include any mobile hotspot usage, while T-Mobile’s includes up to 7GB of mobile hotspot data over LTE.