UK's best mobile networks
 

Article over on PCA regarding 'the best mobile network for mobile broadband'

No good for Virgin though:

http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/buying-ad...tworks-tested/

Re: UK's best mobile networks
 

Ouch, Virgin mobile sucked badly in all the tests! Good read :)

Re: UK's best mobile networks
 

Re: UK's best mobile networks
 

Virgin are soon to begin a project to transform their mobile platform, due for completion in Jan 2014, which should see considerable improvements to their mobile services

Re: UK's best mobile networks
 

So they haven't started yet? That could be part of the reason they did so bad in all areas.

Never fear, Virgin have something coming soon (next year!) ;)

Re: UK's best mobile networks
 

You managed to work that out all by yourself?

6 months or so, yeah. Do you know how long it takes to build a network?

Re: UK's best mobile networks
 

It was more a rhetorical question out of disbelief.

Funny question about the time to build a network, real funny :D Considering the networks I have been involved in building for some huge companies, I would say I know how long it takes (and how to) build a network.

As for mobile networks, this is not something I have done but I would guess most of it is similar. Not that it matters, the fact that Virgin is at the bottom of these recent mobile provider tests, the fact they have not started any upgrades yet as well as the fact they don't expect to have them finished until next year is enough to make consumers avoid Virgin mobile until at least the second half of next year.

If the independent tests showing how bad the VM mobile performance were not enough, the extra info given about time-frames just makes it sooo much worse.

Re: UK's best mobile networks
 

Virgin, at the moment, are what you call a Thin MVNO. They use the EE network for everything and if they want to introduce any new products or make any changes they are totally at the mercy of EE.

They are moving to Thick MVNO model, so that in the future they will only really be using the EE radio network, and everything else will be VM owned.

There will be vast improvements noticeable to VM mobile customers when this happens.

This, along with the VM off-net fibre offering, shows just how much VM is investing. These are two massive network builds.

Re: UK's best mobile networks
 

What I don't understand is if they are using EE's masts and network, why do Virgin not get similar performance to EE? Do Virgin only pay for and get a small amount of the bandwidth on their radio or wired network?

Virgin have left this very late in the day. Guess the Liberty takeover could have been a factor.

Re: UK's best mobile networks
 

There may be some clarification in the article...

Re: UK's best mobile networks
 

Not really, unless you have a dictionary that has a different meaning for the word clarification: To clear of confusion or uncertainty

The article says that it may be second class status on EE's network but there is nothing to say this is actually what happens. 2 out of 10 points on the attempt to answer my question though ;)

Of course its down to the hardware provided, it couldn't possible be that Virgin just provide the worst mobile network </sarcasm>

I switched from Virgin Mobile due to constant drop-outs on the signal at my house where it used to be ok'ish in the past. Extremely happy since switching to Three, for signal and data performance, so it's no surprise they did well in these tests.

Re: UK's best mobile networks
 

Of course it it couldn't possible be that if Virgin provided you with oral gratification, you would object to the colour of the lipstick </sarcasm>

;)

Re: UK's best mobile networks
 

The buffering would frustrate me!

Re: UK's best mobile networks
 

But the jitter may be stimulating.....

Re: UK's best mobile networks
 

Game over when you start to lose packets though