Offering more data to customers is probably one of the only ways that Sprint can compete with its rivals right now. After T-Mobile unseated it from the position of America's third most popular mobile network, things have gotten increasingly rough. Late last year, Japanese parent company SoftBank announced that it would need to slash $2 billion from Sprint's operating expenses. That's led to a spate of whatever the corporate euphemism for mass layoffs is these days, with 2,500 employees already gone.

The fact that the financially-hobbled Sprint is still comfortable throwing hundreds of dollars at every new warm body that signs up says a lot. America's mobile market is now so saturated and mature that the only way to grow is to steal customers from a rival. But again, that requires deep pockets and patience, qualities that Sprint's now rapidly running out of.