Virgin has always been cheap (eye wateringly so, if you take other VM services) but the coverage was not the best as it piggy-backs on T-mobile. Now that Virgin customers can use the Orange network as well, this means that the network has the best coverage as well as being good value. Mind you, customer service is crap (very good at selling and provisioning the service but rubbish at dealing with problems).
Virgin arguably now the "best network"
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It's impossible at present for them to be best network, they are not a network.
Virgin are an operator, only networks in the uk are Vodafone, O2, Orange, T-Mob & 3.
Virgin are an operator, only networks in the uk are Vodafone, O2, Orange, T-Mob & 3.
Originally Posted by legends wear 7:
“It's impossible at present for them to be best network, they are not a network.
Virgin are an operator, only networks in the uk are Vodafone, O2, Orange, T-Mob & 3.”
“It's impossible at present for them to be best network, they are not a network.
Virgin are an operator, only networks in the uk are Vodafone, O2, Orange, T-Mob & 3.”
wasn't there some announcement about virgin being the back-end carrier for 3 and t-mobile ?
Originally Posted by legends wear 7:
“It's impossible at present for them to be best network, they are not a network.
Virgin are an operator, only networks in the uk are Vodafone, O2, Orange, T-Mob & 3.”
“It's impossible at present for them to be best network, they are not a network.
Virgin are an operator, only networks in the uk are Vodafone, O2, Orange, T-Mob & 3.”
They are a MVNO so they are a network operator albeit a virtual one.
Originally Posted by c4rv:
“wasn't there some announcement about virgin being the back-end carrier for 3 and t-mobile ?”
“wasn't there some announcement about virgin being the back-end carrier for 3 and t-mobile ?”
Yes and no, Virgin Media wholesale are 1 of the 2 backhaul (big fibre link) providers to MBNL, providing I think it was 11 point of presence sites throughout the UK for their back end data links, this is all IP network stuff, plus they also work with BT too.
Virgin Media wholesale is very different from Virgin Mobile consumer, the consumer side has no mobile towers / masts or any kind of mobile infrastructure or licence, they are just a marketing and billing company that pays T-mobile for the use of their network.
So as pointed out above, Virgin Mobile are a MVNO and not a 'network' as such, only a virtual one, which is what the V means in that 4 letter acronym.
Originally Posted by ALAN306:
“They are a MVNO so they are a network operator albeit a virtual one.”
“They are a MVNO so they are a network operator albeit a virtual one.”
They don't own or run a mobile network, they are not a network.
Nothing more than an operator on someonelses network.
I know very little about this but I thought I read on a different thread that Virgin wouldn't benefit at all from EE as only T-Mobile customers would be allowed to use the Orange network??
Originally Posted by davybhoy:
“I know very little about this but I thought I read on a different thread that Virgin wouldn't benefit at all from EE as only T-Mobile customers would be allowed to use the Orange network??”
“I know very little about this but I thought I read on a different thread that Virgin wouldn't benefit at all from EE as only T-Mobile customers would be allowed to use the Orange network??”
Whoever posted it was wrong, one of the best forum members for Orange news on here plymouthbloke1974, he has proven time and time again to be accurate and knowledgeable. Keep an eye on his posts for news on 3G stuff between Orange and Virgin Mobile.
http://www.virginmobile.com/vm/gener...t.howdoi.sm660
I'm thinking about joining Virgin Mobile. When will I be able to use Orange signal?
From 3rd October 2011, all new Virgin Mobile customers automatically get signal from Virgin Mobile and Orange, so you don't need to do a thing.
Orange and T-mobile started 2G signal share last year.
All Orange-based virtual networks (such as The Phone Co-op and NOWmobile) rolled out roaming early September, and this how now been extended to T-mobile-based virtual networks (such as Virgin and Vectone).
Interested to know why this network sharing makes Virgin "the best network".
Vectone's pay monthly tariffs - whether low users (30 mins 30 texts and 30MB for just £1 per month) or higher users (900 mins unlimited texts and unlimited data for £20 a month) seem to give Virgin a decent run for their money - and don't try charging you a criminal 40p per minute if you exhaust your bundled minutes.
All Orange-based virtual networks (such as The Phone Co-op and NOWmobile) rolled out roaming early September, and this how now been extended to T-mobile-based virtual networks (such as Virgin and Vectone).
Interested to know why this network sharing makes Virgin "the best network".
Vectone's pay monthly tariffs - whether low users (30 mins 30 texts and 30MB for just £1 per month) or higher users (900 mins unlimited texts and unlimited data for £20 a month) seem to give Virgin a decent run for their money - and don't try charging you a criminal 40p per minute if you exhaust your bundled minutes.
I often wish you guys would move out to the stick, the only networks you are guaranteed coverage is O2 & Vodafone, the rest don't come close.
Originally Posted by finbaar:
“orange and T-Mobile are still crap here in cumbria”
“orange and T-Mobile are still crap here in cumbria”
Same in N.I, the share is pretty useless as I have found where you have signal one 1 you have signal on the other both of equal strenght. Same with no signal, and there coverage is pretty crap once you venture outside a large town or city
Originally Posted by unklesam:
“I often wish you guys would move out to the stick, the only networks you are guaranteed coverage is O2 & Vodafone, the rest don't come close.”
“I often wish you guys would move out to the stick, the only networks you are guaranteed coverage is O2 & Vodafone, the rest don't come close.”
Quite the opposite out in the sticks in North East Scotland. Many suburbs and out of town villages only get Orange or T-MOB.
Originally Posted by unklesam:
“I often wish you guys would move out to the stick, the only networks you are guaranteed coverage is O2 & Vodafone, the rest don't come close.”
“I often wish you guys would move out to the stick, the only networks you are guaranteed coverage is O2 & Vodafone, the rest don't come close.”
Vodafone is the worst of the 5 MNO's in the South Stoke on Trent area
Originally Posted by legends wear 7:
“They don't own or run a mobile network, they are not a network.
Nothing more than an operator on someonelses network.”
“They don't own or run a mobile network, they are not a network.
Nothing more than an operator on someonelses network.”
They are a MVNO, So, what does the N and O stand for in that acronym ?
Originally Posted by ALAN306:
“They are a MVNO, So, what does the N and O stand for in that acronym ?”
“They are a MVNO, So, what does the N and O stand for in that acronym ?”
You can't just ignore the V!
Originally Posted by legends wear 7:
“It's impossible at present for them to be best network, they are not a network.
Virgin are an operator, only networks in the uk are Vodafone, O2, Orange, T-Mob & 3.”
“It's impossible at present for them to be best network, they are not a network.
Virgin are an operator, only networks in the uk are Vodafone, O2, Orange, T-Mob & 3.”
Originally Posted by ALAN306:
“They are a MVNO so they are a network operator albeit a virtual one.”
“They are a MVNO so they are a network operator albeit a virtual one.”
Originally Posted by legends wear 7:
“They don't own or run a mobile network, they are not a network.
Nothing more than an operator on someonelses network.”
“They don't own or run a mobile network, they are not a network.
Nothing more than an operator on someonelses network.”
Originally Posted by ALAN306:
“They are a MVNO, So, what does the N and O stand for in that acronym ?”
“They are a MVNO, So, what does the N and O stand for in that acronym ?”
Originally Posted by Daveoc64:
“You can't just ignore the V!”
“You can't just ignore the V!”
I didn't, as you can see from the collection of posts above, I was trying to stess the point that you cannot ignore the N.
To clarify, Virgin are a Mobile Virtual Network Operator ... end of
They can't be the best network if they aren't actually a real network, only a reseller of somebody else's network under a different name surely?
They don't actually own any infrastructure, they don't have any network, all they have is a billing and marketing company. The word virtual means there is no actual network of theirs.
They don't actually own any infrastructure, they don't have any network, all they have is a billing and marketing company. The word virtual means there is no actual network of theirs.
I've heard that all other things being equal T-Mobile and Orange 2G signals will be worse in buildings as they use a higher frequency. That's certainly my experience in Exeter, where a place I regularly stay has transmitters from all four companies reasonably close by but Everything Everywhere reception is utter garbage.
Having been a long-time Virgin Media customer - although not with them for mobile telephony - I have to say that I'm astounded that VM could get an award for anything related to customer service. Look at the VM threads on here if you need a taste of what I'm talking about - or alternatively watch VM's umpteenth appearance on Watchdog this Thursday.
I suppose it's possible that their mobile telephony is a completely separate entity, but I'd check this out before you enter a world of pain.
Having been a long-time Virgin Media customer - although not with them for mobile telephony - I have to say that I'm astounded that VM could get an award for anything related to customer service. Look at the VM threads on here if you need a taste of what I'm talking about - or alternatively watch VM's umpteenth appearance on Watchdog this Thursday.
I suppose it's possible that their mobile telephony is a completely separate entity, but I'd check this out before you enter a world of pain.
Originally Posted by Thine Wonk:
“They can't be the best network if they aren't actually a real network, only a reseller of somebody else's network under a different name surely?
They don't actually own any infrastructure, they don't have any network, all they have is a billing and marketing company. The word virtual means there is no actual network of theirs.”
“They can't be the best network if they aren't actually a real network, only a reseller of somebody else's network under a different name surely?
They don't actually own any infrastructure, they don't have any network, all they have is a billing and marketing company. The word virtual means there is no actual network of theirs.”
this...
Originally Posted by ALAN306:
“I didn't, as you can see from the collection of posts above, I was trying to stess the point that you cannot ignore the N.
To clarify, Virgin are a Mobile Virtual Network Operator ... end of”
“I didn't, as you can see from the collection of posts above, I was trying to stess the point that you cannot ignore the N.
To clarify, Virgin are a Mobile Virtual Network Operator ... end of”
I quite agree.
To clarify why, before I get jumped on; while I disagree with the OP's claim that Virgin Mobile are now (arguably) the "best network", my disagreement isn't based on Virgin Mobile not being a network because they are one - a network provider if we want to get specific here, as they provide a connection to a network.
Originally Posted by unklesam:
“I often wish you guys would move out to the stick, the only networks you are guaranteed coverage is O2 & Vodafone, the rest don't come close.”
“I often wish you guys would move out to the stick, the only networks you are guaranteed coverage is O2 & Vodafone, the rest don't come close.”
Uh-huh.
I also live in the sticks, so to speak, and as far as guaranteed coverage goes; for 2G the best bets are Vodafone and T-Mobile, while for 3G it's Three all the way.
Originally Posted by finbaar:
“orange and T-Mobile are still crap here in cumbria”
“orange and T-Mobile are still crap here in cumbria”
Same in Nottingham, voice calls are ok but data transfers are shite.
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