Is the Free 4G USB Modem from Sprint Really Free?

Is the new Sprint’s 4G modem really free and up for grabs? Well, before you go grabbing anything, consider what you are really getting into. The truth of the matter is that nothing in life is really free, when you take time to actually look, and this is no truer than the 4G modem that Sprint is supposedly offering for “free.”

At first glance, this deal is good. The Plug-in-Connect USB modem goes for only $49.99 per month and there are no hardware costs that you are going to incur. However, it doesn’t end there. Once you purchase the USB modem stick, you are bound for 2 years with Sprint on their new offering. Is that really that bad? Well keep reading.

One thing about the modem is the fact that it will only connect to the 4G WiMax network. This means that you will not enjoy the much fancier and newer LTE infrastructure on your new modem. The LTE infrastructure has already been implemented by AT&T and Verizon Wireless and Sprint is simply playing the catch up game.

With this new LTE network, your seemingly free modem will likely become a dinosaur come summer. This means that if you do tie yourself with the new modem, you will need to pay up for the full unsubsidized price if you need to purchase another modem and join the LTE generation.

All these developments may simply be Sprint’s way to lure its customers into the expanded network. Their plans to go beyond being a simple wireless pipe may be prompting this shift.