Native Sprint Speed vs Virgin Mobile

**bsharitt** · 05-10-2012, 01:19 PM

I'm currently on T-Mobile right now, and while their HSPA+ speeds are terrific where I can get them in Dayton and Columbus, it's all EDGE between the two cities limiting my connectivity on my long van pool commute too nad from work everyday. And when I'm in Dayton I don't use the HSPA+ much because I'm at home on wifi and I don't use it much in Columbus because I can't use my phone where I work.

So I've decided to swap T-Mobile's greater speed for Sprint's greater 3G coverage. The only hang up I have so far is that before I was on T-Mobile, I was on Virgin Mobile, which is on Sprint's network. It was awful(so the EDGE I get on T-Mo wasn't much of a change) and I'm worried that it might indicative of Sprint's network despite coverage maps. I was on Sprint years ago and don't remember it being that bad, but then that was my first taste of 3G and smartphones, so maybe I just didn't have anything better to compare it to back then.

So how badly does Sprint gimp the VM connections and how accurate are the Sprint coverage maps?

**dalbrich** · 05-10-2012, 06:42 PM

There is no difference between virgin and sprint for 3G. So yes, beware.

Here in Oregon, all of the carriers totally suck for data in rural areas including ones with fast data in cities.

It does not make financial sense to carriers to deliver high speed data to areas with low population density.

Just a few miles from Eugene, Or you can find "4G" areas with much less than 1Mb/s down...

4G is no guarantee of speed, just the potential...
( if back haul to remote site is 1 T1 you're not going to see fast anything )

**503ducati** · 05-10-2012, 07:13 PM

As far as Boost Mobile Virgin Mobile and Sprint 3G goes, I've had them all and there was a difference in tethered speed test results FWIW. But as far as mobile speed test apps go they seem to always produce results not indicative of performance or the tethered test results.

**dalbrich** · 05-10-2012, 11:29 PM

I suppose the op can try sprint and see. It's just a pain generally to switch.

Usually,since MVNOs ride on the same physical network, performance is same. A real sprint phone can and does roam and virgin cannot roam. But if virgin works at all, it means sprint native coverage. I guess it would be technically possible for the carrier to notice this traffic is a real sprint customer and this is an MVNO but I haven't ever witnessed that.

Dan

PS: I do totally agree that there can be, and in my experience always is, dramatic speed difference handset vs. tether. My experience is tether always faster or data-only device is always faster.

**503ducati** · 05-10-2012, 11:40 PM

Originally Posted by dalbrich

I suppose the op can try sprint and see. It's just a pain generally to switch.

Usually,since MVNOs ride on the same physical network, performance is same. A real sprint phone can and does roam and virgin cannot roam. But if virgin works at all, it means sprint native coverage. I guess it would be technically possible for the carrier to notice this traffic is a real sprint customer and this is an MVNO but I haven't ever witnessed that.

Dan

PS: I do totally agree that there can be, and in my experience always is, dramatic speed difference handset vs. tether. My experience is tether always faster or data-only device is always faster.

In my experiences it's the far more accurate, as far as testing goes, to tether for a "speedtest". I try not to get hung up on those unless one is using a Data Card or MiFi. I've read about and experienced slightly slower speeds on VM vs BM. Is there a huge difference? no. I think at this point if someone is simply seeking faster speeds then a 4G option would be the best bet.

**bsharitt** · 05-11-2012, 07:47 AM

Ah, I was afraid of that and was hoping that the answer would be that Sprint is throttling VM and I should be fine. Oh well, it looks like in the areas where I get EDGE on T-Mobile, Sprint's 3G will still be worse that EDGE(at least the EDGE coverage is pretty steady in comparison). Maybe I'll look into some of the AT&T MVNOs liek Red Pocket(where my wife is) since AT&T coverage looks good over the same area. Verizon would be optimal, but it's going to cost the most.

**Null0** · 05-15-2012, 10:54 AM

As someone who switched from Virgin Mobile to Sprint, I can tell you that my speeds did increase.

**bsharitt** · 05-16-2012, 07:46 AM

I actually did end up making the switch anyway and there does seem to be a noticeable change network quality an speed. I was able watch Netflix for nearly all of my commute with just a couple of spots where it couldn't get a good signal or had to buffer, but no spot lasted more than a minutes. When I had Virgin, it would crap out just with Pandora.

**bsharitt** · 05-29-2012, 01:16 PM

Originally Posted by bsharitt

I actually did end up making the switch anyway and there does seem to be a noticeable change network quality an speed. I was able watch Netflix for nearly all of my commute with just a couple of spots where it couldn't get a good signal or had to buffer, but no spot lasted more than a minutes. When I had Virgin, it would crap out just with Pandora.

Must have hit it on a good day, as the speeds and quality started to resemble that which I had on Virgin before. On, the bright side at least Verizon already has their LTE lit up around here and it's spectacular.

**Game619** · 05-29-2012, 02:40 PM

from what i heard at a Sprint Store tech dudes,

Network Data Priority is Sprint Customers, then Virgin Mobile, and last Boost Mobile(CDMA) plus with Sprint you get to roam, depending on your plan, i have unlimited America Roaming but i am on SERO Premium Plan with the new HTC EVO LTE

I have noticed definite better signal on the new EVO LTE, vs my old touch pro2 on sprint & motorola triumph on virgin mobile

**BobN151** · 05-29-2012, 09:07 PM

I was a vm customer for a year on an optimus. Corp provided photon. I am in your region, 3g to 3g, the signal coverage sucks bigtime even in the city imo. 4g coverage is even worse.

**Game619** · 05-29-2012, 10:27 PM

another note, coverage varies in all areas, in Southern California i have experienced better signal than i ever had on a Nextel(iden) phone. On Sprint side, both Motorola ic902 and HTC Touch Pro 2 had overall good signal and recently was getting up to 1.25mb for downloading connection.

on Motorola Triumph, its have had signal always and voice calls been great sound on both sides better than my touch pro 2.