Does anyone use Virgin Mobile?

[Dr. HK]

Does anyone use virgin Mobile? if so what is the pros and cons of it? I current use Sprint and it is about $110 per month for two cell phones. Great service but they want $10 per line additional when I get an android phone. So my bill will be about $135 per month. Virgin has $35 per phone for Android and it is on the Sprint network.

 

[vicious]

My wife uses Virgin, and it does what we need it to do. I can't speak to the android, or any of that, but their customer service has been great when we've used it, and the coverage is better than my AT&T phone. That said, I think I may end up moving to a US Cellular account for a family plan so my daughter can have a phone too.

 

[cal7.62x39]

Virgin Mobile is owned by Sprint as of about two years ago (as is boost mobile, and nextel). It's a fair price and will give you the same cell coverage you have now (as it runs on sprints network and towers).

 

[DPI]

My wife and I signed up and ported our US Cellular numbers over last week. We were grandfathered in on the old rates. My phone is $25 per month for 300 minutes of voice and unlimited data and unlimited texting. This is dramatically lower than US Cellular. My wife chose the $40 plan with 1200 voice minutes and unlimited data and text.

We bought our Android phones (LG Optimus V) at Target. On the way home called Virgin Mobile and had both old numbers ported. It took a couple hours but went flawlessly. If you are getting new numbers, you can activate your phone online. There is no charge either way. Additionally, you do NOT have a contract. It is month to month and you will be grandfathered in for the rates in effect at the time.

I am impressed with the data as it is 3G and seems fast for not having data before. And the phone has WIFI so I use that when I am home and it is seamless...

I was concerned about only having 300 for myself, so I found an app. that uses the data network, google voice and google chat to make phone calls using the data network and not my voice minutes. So basically I get unlimited voice, data, and texing for $25 per month.

The only drawback I see and I don't know if it will ever impact me, is at 2.5 Gig of monthly transfer Virgin Mobile throttles back the speed for data.

Do you have any specific concerns?

 

[Dr. HK]

my concerns was that maybe it is on an old sprint network and slower. I just wasnt sure as I didnt know anyone on the plan. When do you have to get the plan to be grandfathered?

 

[DPI]

I beleive the grandfather date for the older rate plan was 7.19.11 as we signed up 7.18.11.

Anyway, I downloaded an app from speedtest.net that measures service at my phone. This was in my office building which might degrade service, I don't know yet. I will try outside later.

This was "3G" network speeds from two tests:
Download speed ranged from 279 kpbs to 409 kbps.
Upload ranged from 467 kpbs to 677 kbps.

Can you check your phone for comparison?

 

[DPI]

Place Date Download Upload Latency ServerName
Inside 7/28/2011 14:42 243 469 279 Wichita, KS
Inside 7/28/2011 14:43 339 262 337 Wichita, KS
Inside 7/28/2011 14:43 409 677 293 Wichita, KS
North 7/28/2011 14:56 47 320 279 Wichita, KS
North 7/28/2011 14:57 589 679 206 Wichita, KS
South 7/28/2011 15:01 991 641 341 Wichita, KS
South 7/28/2011 15:02 420 549 342 Wichita, KS

 

[dak]

My wife and I signed up and ported our US Cellular numbers over last week. We were grandfathered in on the old rates. My phone is $25 per month for 300 minutes of voice and unlimited data and unlimited texting. This is dramatically lower than US Cellular. My wife chose the $40 plan with 1200 voice minutes and unlimited data and text.

We bought our Android phones (LG Optimus V) at Target. On the way home called Virgin Mobile and had both old numbers ported. It took a couple hours but went flawlessly. If you are getting new numbers, you can activate your phone online. There is no charge either way. Additionally, you do NOT have a contract. It is month to month and you will be grandfathered in for the rates in effect at the time.

I am impressed with the data as it is 3G and seems fast for not having data before. And the phone has WIFI so I use that when I am home and it is seamless...

I was concerned about only having 300 for myself, so I found an app. that uses the data network, google voice and google chat to make phone calls using the data network and not my voice minutes. So basically I get unlimited voice, data, and texing for $25 per month.

The only drawback I see and I don't know if it will ever impact me, is at 2.5 Gig of monthly transfer Virgin Mobile throttles back the speed for data.

Do you have any specific concerns?

Google Voice uses your cell minutes as well as data when making or receiving a phone call with it.

 

[DPI]

Google Voice uses your cell minutes as well as data when making or receiving a phone call with it.

Not when you forward your calls through Google Chat using the Groove_IP App...

 

[DPI]

Just a quick comparison on my phone:

Download
Home WIFI - 2.94 mps
3G @ 61st & Yale - 991 kbps

Upload
Home WIFI - 1.8 mps
3G @ 61st & Yale - 679 kbps