Sprint's Network Vision

[EHokie]

After poking around here for a while and not finding a lot, as well as some digging in news articles, does anyone know what Sprint's Network Vision is ACTUALLY doing? What are the concrete benefits of it? I post here because of the discrepancy in Vision PRLs and regular Sprint PRLs (the most recent versions both ending in 90, I think).

There's a small bit on VM's site about it improving our 3G speeds, but does it actually affect us, or is it just freeing up the towers by Sprint users having it?

Network Vision | Virgin Mobile USA Newsroom

Any benefits to flashing the Vision PRL 21090?

 

[thebryceee]

They are consolidating their 4G, 3G and voice/2G into one machine instead of being 3 separate machines. They're supposed to be using some type of better fiber connector, I think, to transfer data up the tower to broadcast out, something like less data transfer speeds will be lost, boosting network performance.

 

[Prinny]

Let's hope they do. It's weird. On Boost, I would average around 700~800kb/s for downloads...In the same area of my apartment on Virgin Mobile, I average 100~120kb/s...

What I find weird about that, is don't they use the same towers? Weird.

Hopefully the speed increases.

 

[BackHandLegend]

Would that mean faster 3G speeds for us? Or are they just gonna keep limiting out speeds?

 

[EHokie]

Would that mean faster 3G speeds for us? Or are they just gonna keep limiting out speeds?

Supposedly 3G is gonna boost for everyone, because I think it's more of a replacement of their outdated methods than just an addition.

 

[mastersoup]

https://network.sprint.com/

click that link, enter your zipcode, and itll list all the upgrades you should expect within ~6 months

you could either have improved coverage, better data rates or more.

 

[davidmargolin]

https://network.sprint.com/

click that link, enter your zipcode, and itll list all the upgrades you should expect within ~6 months

you could either have improved coverage, better data rates or more.

any one else wanna call bull...

 

[mastersoup]

any one else wanna call bull...

theyre redoing literally every tower as far as i know, so that would seem about right.

 

[EHokie]

theyre redoing literally every tower as far as i know, so that would seem about right.

So back to the PRL thing, is a Vision PRL going to do anything for us? As VM users do we see benefits directly from Sprint's upgrades to towers, or just Sprint users and we get lucky because there's less strain on the towers?

What does a Vision PRL do, anyway? It's not a hardware change, obviously, so if both it and the regular Sprint PRL end in 90 for the most recent iteration, they much connect to the same towers and be updated equally. What's the difference?

 

[mrawesome22]

PRL should point to the same tower.

That tower has upgraded hardware.

 

[coco3133]

any one else wanna call bull...

Be happy....

And I believe it's gotten worse since the updates.

 

[EHokie]

PRL should point to the same tower.

That tower has upgraded hardware.

Then why the discrepancy?

 

[mrawesome22]

When you log on, you have a @virginmobile tag.

 

[EHokie]

When you log on, you have a @virginmobile tag.

How does that relate to the difference in Sprint PRLs and Sprint with Network Vision PRLs?

 

[EarlyMon]

You may find more information on Network Vision in our forum here -

http://androidforums.com/4g-discussion/

 

[mastersoup]

How does that relate to the difference in Sprint PRLs and Sprint with Network Vision PRLs?

the difference is that you cant roam on other carrier towers and that you are essentially sent to the back of the line behind contract customers.

 

[jbach46]

lol doesnt mean much to me really, Sprint and VM are only 2g in my area (only bought the evo V cause I wanted the 3d camera lol, cant find the Fuji one anyplace, and this will hold me over til I find a good used LG Thrill lol

 

[mastersoup]

lol doesnt mean much to me really, Sprint and VM are only 2g in my area (only bought the evo V cause I wanted the 3d camera lol, cant find the Fuji one anyplace, and this will hold me over til I find a good used LG Thrill lol

if it makes you feel better, there soon wont be any 2g. all carriers are trying to recycle that spectrum.

 

[EHokie]

the difference is that you cant roam on other carrier towers and that you are essentially sent to the back of the line behind contract customers.

I get that. I'm asking why SPRINT would have a standard PRL and a Vision PRL...?

 

[thebryceee]

Regular sprint towers and NV towers are 2 separate technologies. I'm guessing the one PRL is for the people who haven't gotten NV yet and one is for the people who got them. The PRL is basically a list of towers that tells your phone which towers it can connect to.

 

[EHokie]

Regular sprint towers and NV towers are 2 separate technologies. I'm guessing the one PRL is for the people who haven't gotten NV yet and one is for the people who got them. The PRL is basically a list of towers that tells your phone which towers it can connect to.

Theoretically we could all just flash NV PRLs and maybe see some benefit from it.

Or at least a placebo

 

[mastersoup]

Theoretically we could all just flash NV PRLs and maybe see some benefit from it.

Or at least a placebo

either youre connected to their tower or not. the prl doesnt make you connect better.

 

[EHokie]

either youre connected to their tower or not. the prl doesnt make you connect better.

I understand what a bloody PRL does. I started this thread out of curiosity for a Network Vision PRL, which is weird, because that's in my OP...

 

[mastersoup]

I understand what a bloody PRL does. I started this thread out of curiosity for a Network Vision PRL, which is weird, because that's in my OP...

yeah, you asked if there is any benefit. there isnt. if you are connecting to the tower, it will not benefit you. if for some reason sprint redid their towers in your area and you had no signal, then maybe.

just a heads up though, there was allegedly data speed increases due in my area. i thought yeah right. my average data speeds were 400-750kbs. as of recently, my data speeds have not been below 1mbs and my average is ~1.4mbs.

no prl update was needed, and other people in my area on boost and virgin have noticed the increase as well.

 

[EHokie]

yeah, you asked if there is any benefit. there isnt. if you are connecting to the tower, it will not benefit you. if for some reason sprint redid their towers in your area and you had no signal, then maybe.

just a heads up though, there was allegedly data speed increases due in my area. i thought yeah right. my average data speeds were 400-750kbs. as of recently, my data speeds have not been below 1mbs and my average is ~1.4mbs.

no prl update was needed, and other people in my area on boost and virgin have noticed the increase as well.

I may just flash the NV PRL anyway, cause it surely can't hurt anything.

I live on a college campus and last night I went to the Walmart 2 miles away and got, literally, 8mbps down on 3G! Wimax on campus, where I live, 5 minutes later... 1.5mbps...