Virgin Mobile to begin throttling data

[legion125]

Migrated from Original Forum. Originally Posted 19 January 2012

 

Does this portend to something ominous for Sprint users? Could VM be the start of controlling data usage on Sprints network and is Boost next? Or is it to free up data usage for post paid customers which in my opinion, Sprint should be cherishing instead of prepaid. Your thoughts?

http://www.fiercewireless.com/story/virgin-mobile-begin-smartphone-data-throttling-march/2012-01-19

[S4GRU]

Migrated from Original Forum. Originally Posted 19 January 2012

 

 

It's kind of one of those things where if and when unlimited for Sprint post-paid smartphone users goes away, we will look back at this point and say, "see, the signs were there that it was coming."

 

However, if were Sprint, I would probably make this move too. There is only so much network to go around. And post-paid smartphone data is the most important segment. So I would focus on that, and let everyone go to something tiers...whether throttled or capped.

 

However, even after Network Vision, Sprint will not be able to offer unlimited to every segment...prepaid, MVNO's, roaming partners, tetherers, mobile broadband users. It just will never have the network resources or spectrum to pull that off on it's own. And its LTE deal with Clearwire is priced on a usage based model. At best we can get out of this is unlimited smartphone data for a few more years.

 

And I think in 2012 they will start cracking down on excessive tetherers, too.

[MacinJosh]

Migrated from Original Forum. Originally Posted 23 January 2012

 

Virgin Mobile was talking about throttling data since the middle of last year, and after customer outcries, they pushed it back. I don't think that this is a pre-cursor to Sprint ending unlimited data. This has been coming since the first part of 2011.

[S4GRU]

Migrated from Original Forum. Originally Posted 24 January 2012

 

I'm actually amazed they allowed their prepaid divisions have unlimited data from the get-go. And I expected them to cancel unlimited a long time ago for them as well. To me, it's not a canary in the mineshaft issue. It's good network management, IMHO.

[jpkjeff]

I read a story somewhere (I think it was linked on DSLReports) where someone did a test on Virgin Mobile's data speeds as they felt that (even unthrottled) Sprint gives priority - and faster data speeds - to legacy/postpaid customers and as a result Virgin Mobile users will see slower data speeds even if they haven't used a ton of data.

Sure enough, the study he did with a Virgin Mobile connection card side by side with a Sprint connection card showed that across the board the Sprint connection had speeds that were twice as fast as the Virgin Mobile connection, despite all other things (signal strength, etc.) being equal.

Of course, there was one other difference: price. The retail price for a 5GB connection card plan was (at the time) $59.99 while Virgin's plan was far less (I believe $29.99).

From everything I've read though online many people have complained about data speeds being horribly slow on the Virgin Mobile side, even if they are not data hogs.

As far as this happening to actual Sprint postpaid customers, I can't imagine it anytime soon. They have invested far too much in touting the fact that as long as you're not roaming and not abusing the network you will not be limited or throttled in any way.

Once 4G LTE is up and running though that may change...

[jpkjeff]

Here's a link to the article, but bear in mind it was done back in September of 2010:

http://www.evdoforums.com/thread14230.html

[S4GRU]

I wonder if it was a difference in device issue? However, it does sound suspicious.

[lrmcgarvey]

Wow, I just noticed this.

"

Virgin said that starting March 23, if customers on Beyond Talk plans exceed 2.5 GB of data usage in a monthly plan, their data speeds may be reduced to 256 Kbps for the remainder of the month.

 

Read more: Virgin Mobile to begin smartphone data throttling in March - FierceWireless http://www.fiercewireless.com/story/virgin-mobile-begin-smartphone-data-throttling-march/2012-01-19#ixzz1mmXCd7DQ

Subscribe: http://www.fiercewireless.com/signup?sourceform=Viral-Tynt-FierceWireless-FierceWireless

"

 

So Virgin is going to throttle people down to speeds faster than sprint provides to its premium data users in North Carolina? If I call in do you think they will throttle me down to 250kbps? I'd love to be throttled to twice as fast as normal!!

[S4GRU]

So Virgin is going to throttle people down to speeds faster than sprint provides to its premium data users in North Carolina? If I call in do you think they will throttle me down to 250kbps? I'd love to be throttled to twice as fast as normal!!

 

 

Its a sad reality that there are millions on the Sprint network who would love to speed up to those throttled speeds!

 

S4GRU is now mobile...posted via Forum Runner

[pyroscott]

 

 

 

Its a sad reality that there are millions on the Sprint network who would love to speed up to those throttled speeds!

 

S4GRU is now mobile...posted via Forum Runner

this guy...

 

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk

[MacinJosh]

Me too.

[pyroscott]

pow!

 

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk

[MacinJosh]

pow!

 

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk

 

Holy Cow! That is one fast speedtest!

[pyroscott]

 

Holy Cow! That is one fast speedtest!

first speed test on Verizon. It beats most of my Wi-Fi tests

 

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk

[S4GRU]

first speed test on Verizon. It beats most of my Wi-Fi tests

 

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk

 

My WiFi maxes out at 12MB at home and 20MB at work. That's awesome that it beats my home/work ISP.

 

S4GRU is now mobile...posted via Forum Runner

[pyroscott]

 

My WiFi maxes out at 12MB at home and 20MB at work. That's awesome that it beats my home/work ISP.

 

S4GRU is now mobile...posted via Forum Runner

I am excited, but it will make me burn through 4gb in no time

 

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk

[S4GRU]

I am excited' date=' but it will make me burn through 4gb in no time

 

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk[/quote']

 

And that's the poison pill. If it weren't for caps, we'd all be rockin' Verizon.

 

S4GRU is now mobile...posted via Forum Runner

[BenChase7]

Migrated from Original Forum. Originally Posted 24 January 2012

 

I'm actually amazed they allowed their prepaid divisions have unlimited data from the get-go. And I expected them to cancel unlimited a long time ago for them as well. To me, it's not a canary in the mineshaft issue. It's good network management, IMHO.

 

I couldn't agree more. IMO, Boost and Virgin Mobile should be throttled (flame suit on). Sprint customers are the "bread and butter" and and should not have to suffer from slower data speeds because of the abusers on Boost and VM. I welcome the fact that Sprint started throttling VM.

[MacinJosh]

Verizon is still a no go for me even if they had unlimited. No 4G in Pahrump or Visalia from them. at&t and sprint both serve Visalia, and only 3G in Pahrump. I hate living in a small, middle of nowhere town.

[autoprime]

fastest i've seen wifi get up to is about 43mbps on my E4GT.. this was a 100mbps connection... so it was the E4GT limiting the speed somehow... even when using 5ghz

 

almost 27mbit is awesome for an lte speedtest.. im jelly. cant wait to see sprint lte speeds.

[mase31]

I don't think that anybody with smartphones should be throtting Tmoblie throtting pepole ather 2GB of data and Verizon and AT&T is throtting their unlimited data users ather 2GB of data use.What is the used of having a smartphone if u have to slow down data speeds?As far as Virgin Mobile they should let their customers use as much data as u want with out trotting speeds ather 2.3GB of data.What is the point of throtting everybody speeds? I feel bad for pepole who is with Virgin Mobile that has smartphones right now i hate to see ur speeds ather 2.3GB of data use.

[jpkjeff]

I hate throttling but I just read an article posted by a writer who was comparing his data usage since he upgraded to an iPhone (on an AT&T unlimited grandfathered plan) and showed his usage went from no more than about 700MB to almost 25GB (thanks to streaming video/music, of course).

He then compared what he would have paid in overage fees on Verizon and AT&T if he had an existing plan, and it came out to over $200 in each case (he also did a theoretical overage estimate for Sprint if Sprint had an overage rate in place of what they do now on data cards and that one was the worst-over $1,200).

Anyway, his point seemed to be that while throttling is awful, "bill shock" was even worse, but this just reveals the bizarre tack that mobile operators are taking: they love to advertise fast, slick new smartphones and also the data hungry apps they can access (Verizon specifically was advertising the fact that users could stream the Superbowl all last month) but fail to mention that just watching one movie or sporting even could easily burn through-or exceed-your monthly data allowance on all carriers except Sprint.

[pyroscott]

I hate throttling but I just read an article posted by a writer who was comparing his data usage since he upgraded to an iPhone (on an AT&T unlimited grandfathered plan) and showed his usage went from no more than about 700MB to almost 25GB (thanks to streaming video/music, of course).

He then compared what he would have paid in overage fees on Verizon and AT&T if he had an existing plan, and it came out to over $200 in each case (he also did a theoretical overage estimate for Sprint if Sprint had an overage rate in place of what they do now on data cards and that one was the worst-over $1,200).

Anyway, his point seemed to be that while throttling is awful, "bill shock" was even worse, but this just reveals the bizarre tack that mobile operators are taking: they love to advertise fast, slick new smartphones and also the data hungry apps they can access (Verizon specifically was advertising the fact that users could stream the Superbowl all last month) but fail to mention that just watching one movie or sporting even could easily burn through-or exceed-your monthly data allowance on all carriers except Sprint.

 

Good point. We were having a discussion on this at work. Verizon's LTE is superfast. Netflix automatically adjusts picture quality to your connection speed. So if you are connecting with LTE, and don't have the settings adjusted to lower resolution, you could easily burn through a lot of data in a short time streaming netflix. I would rather have throttling than overage.

[S4GRU]

 

Good point. We were having a discussion on this at work. Verizon's LTE is superfast. Netflix automatically adjusts picture quality to your connection speed. So if you are connecting with LTE' date=' and don't have the settings adjusted to lower resolution, you could easily burn through a lot of data in a short time streaming netflix. I would rather have throttling than overage.[/quote']

 

I agree...throttling trumps overage charges. But I'd prefer a hybrid. Exceed your cap, it starts to throttle. But if you get in a bind and need faster speeds while in your throttle period, I'd like an a la carte menu. Maybe for an additional $1, you can buy an hour unthrottled. For $5, you can buy 24 hours. For a week an additional $25. Something like that.

 

That way I might stay under 2GB most months, but if I have to go over one month because my habits change temporarily, I have options.

 

Posted via Forum Runner

[pyroscott]

I agree...throttling trumps overage charges. But I'd prefer a hybrid. Exceed your cap, it starts to throttle. But if you get in a bind and need faster speeds while in your throttle period, I'd like an a la carte menu. Maybe for an additional $1, you can buy an hour unthrottled. For $5, you can buy 24 hours. For a week an additional $25. Something like that.

 

That way I might stay under 2GB most months, but if I have to go over one month because my habits change temporarily, I have options.

 

Posted via Forum Runner

 

I don't know... It's not like we have SMART phones or anything that would be able to handle that kind of thing. LOL I like that idea.