Sprint Denies Widespread Issues with Slow iPhone Data Speeds

[DaIfoneboss]

"fastest speeds" may be in comparison to the only other CDMA competitor (Verizon), at peak speeds. In which case, yes, Sprint is faster.

Sprint is definitively not faster then Verizon, check this

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I was getting horrible speeds on Sprint's 3G network (sub-100 kbps in a metro area), so I called AT&T to see if they would let me come back.

To my surprise, they reactivated my account, reversing the early-termination fee and letting me keep my grandfathered unlimited data and $10 text messaging plans. And I wasn't required to start another 2 year contract; I picked up right where I left off.

The number I was given for the reactivation department is 1-800-331-0500.

Total cost for stupidly switching to Sprint: $36 (Sprint's activation fee).

Sprint 3G, downtown Louisville, Ky.
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that is terrible

 

[sblfilms]

Yeah, just switched to sprint from AT&T and am getting 56k level speeds on all five iPhone 4Ss (2 black 16gb, 1 white 16gb, 1 black 32gb, and 1 white 32gb). Just mentioned that to factor out any possible production issues between the various configurations...

 

[jaymdubbs]

I had an iPhone 4 on Verizon, and i specifically left them for Sprint and the 4s (my company has a better discount off Sprint service, plus my wife's family is all on sprint so overall there was a better deal for us on Sprint based on these factors).

Either way, at home and work i am right near towers in the northwest of Dallas, and ever since i got the 4s on Friday, i've been running constant speed tests and real world browsing to test speeds. i typically get a range of 0.10 Mbps to 0.20, with occasional blips into .3 or .4. on rare occasions (like 3 times out of the 40 tests i;ve run) i've gotten above .6 Mbps. browsing, Facebook, etc. is useless. ping ranges from 400 to 4000 (seriously)

Its absolutely terrible. I would average 1 - 1.5 Mbps on verizon consistently. would even stream video/audio fine driving through the airport.

Not on sprint. I was so fed up with it that called customer service today, and spent well over 45 minutes for them to tell me first it was not a capacity issue with tower, to a complete 180 telling me that it is indeed a capacity issue with the surrounding towers and it should be addressed by tomorrow (this was around 1pm this afternoon). they ran all those tests, etc. and i explained to him how i left verizon and how i am about to cancel my sprint service and return to verizon because i can't afford to not be connected due to my job, etc. , and then he told me these devices were meant to be ran on wi-fi and should only use data while on wi-fi.........really? Thats when i blew up. I then re-explained to him that if i am paying that stupid premium data package, i should be able to use it, because at this point its useless.

all i can do is hope they get back up to speed as they indicated (although i doubt it). now if they told me it would be fixed in a week, thats fine - i would let them take their time. However, they told me it would be fixed by tomorrow, in which case if it isn't, they can expect a call back from me on Thursday.

I realize millions people got new phones, but seriously, if their "data" packages are going to be this crappy, don't expect your customers to be happy or want to pay for it.

For what its worth, the voice service is fine. The problem is i use my data more than my voice services - hence the issue I'm having

 

[DiamondMac]

I find it really comical that some here actually blame people who use SpeedTest.net constantly...as the reason for the slowdown

I mean, huh?

 

[Greg M]

I just joined Sprint last Friday. The data has been unreliable. I wouldn't mind slow speeds as long as it was reliable but it isn't. Not only that we've had problems with our calls breaking up.

I wasn't about to be tied to this poor service for 2 years. I switched to AT&T today. Found a place that had plenty of 4s iPhones in stock so I jumped while I had the chance.

 

[rowensiv]

Sprint's 3G speeds have always been HORRIBLE anywhere I've ever been compared to AT&T or Verizon. Their service is a complete joke! Who cares if it's unlimited if it's slow?

 

[gus6464]

Those speeds people are getting on Sprint are pretty bad. This is what I get on AT&T on my 4.

My girlfriend's 4S is averaging a good 1mbit more than me as well.

 

[jamesmington]

for those switching out of sprint, can y'all please explain the process / fees you had to go through with sprint as well as the new provider you just switched too?
how long do you have to switch?


did you have to send in your 4S as well?

I'm obviously new to all of this, but I don't want to be stuck in a 2 year contract with internet speeds of 277kbps up and 265 down

 

[KTF]

...that Propaganda Minister of Iraq. He denied the reality. Sprint being the fastest 3G? Where? At their Headquarters? My work phone is Sprint, my private phone is Verizon, my iPad is AT&T. Who are you kidding, Sprint? If I compare coverage and speed, you loose in 19/20 times against both competitors. Before I had Verizon, I had T-Mobile. No problems there either - I just wanted an iPhone.

Haha!! Good One,Thanks For The Memories That Minister Was A Clasic Joke

 

[Greg M]

for those switching out of sprint, can y'all please explain the process / fees you had to go through with sprint as well as the new provider you just switched too?
how long do you have to switch?


did you have to send in your 4S as well?

I'm obviously new to all of this, but I don't want to be stuck in a 2 year contract with internet speeds of 277kbps up and 265 down

Ported over to AT&T. It was easy. The only hard part was finding someone that had 4 iPhone 4s 16gb units in stock. The really bad part about it is I'm paying the same activation fees on 4 lines twice in less than 1 week but I guess that's better than being stuck with bad service for 2 years.

Going to a corporate Sprint store this morning to return the iPhones.

If you want to keep your number than be sure to port it BEFORE returning your phone to Sprint and you've got to do it within 14 days.

 

[Fuchal]

In Waltham MA now consistently getting 1-1.54mbps down, .5-.8 up on Sprint using speediest.

 

[BrianMR]

There is nothing wrong with the Sprint network! Please continue to use your iPhones on WiFi.

 

[Shanesan]

In Waltham MA now consistently getting 1-1.54mbps down, .5-.8 up on Sprint using speediest.

Also in Waltham MA (how strange!) and am getting on Sprint:

1.73 Mbps / .44 Mbps / 118 MS ping

Which equates to:

222 KBps / 56 KBps

Much better than last night, which was 1.9 KBps / 3.9 KBps at 11:30 PM

 

[jdpruitt]

Denver, CO update Sprint - Slower than molasses in the winter

My iPhone 4S arrived today. I have been lurking in these threads on Macrumors and on the Sprint forums and have been wondering what my results would be. So far, I'm very happy. Siri doesn't lag in responding, web pages show no noticeable difference from my previous iPhone 4 on AT&T. Here are the results of my Speed Test:

Image

My past data usage on AT&T varied greatly from month-to-month, but always clocked in at lowest usage just over 2GB. (Constant radio streaming, using apps like GPS drive which streams maps, social networking.) Considering the fact that the data usage trend will only grow as apps like Spotify emerge, I think it's important to support a carrier that still offers unlimited data. Let's hope it lasts.

Guys and gals in other parts of the country that are experiencing slow data on Sprint - I feel for ya! Hope it gets better, or at the very least that Sprint will communicate with its customers about the issue.

The real test for me will come during a large event at Invesco field / Coors field. During Broncos games, I could hardly get a single call out on AT&T ... when I did it would be dropped.

I will update this thread (and others I've been lurking) if the speed seems to drop off.

UPDATE: While I'm happy that my speeds are decent near my home, here are some results while out and about in Denver:

and

Sorry about the huge picture sizes. Anyway, when listening to Pandora the stream would stop for a few minutes and start again. Browsing is noticeably slower from my former carrier AT&T. Translation: Yeah, it's pretty lame.

I called up technical support yesterday and the representative was very nice (said it was a known issue.) He also seemed unable to say much more than that, though.

I'm going to really have to debate whether I'm going to stick with Sprint. Their official response of "There are no problems! Just look at the Gizmodo test!" really doesn't give me the warm fuzzies. For me it's more of a disdain for AT&T and Verizon that keeps me hoping I can stay with Sprint.

 

[codeslinger]

My home wifi is giving me 1040kBs/up -1150kBs/down while Sprints 3G gives me 100kBs/up - 90kBs/down.

Funny, for me it is the opposite, my AT&T DSL is slow and I switch to t-mobile 4G android phone tethered wifi connection if I need speed.

On AT&T DSL I get 2.55 Mbit/s (about 300 kb/s) down, 0.43 MBit/s (about 50 kb/s) up on DSL for $40/month. The only reason why I still have DSL is because I share it with somebody else, and don't have to worry about how much data I already used that month.

On t-mobile my android G2 phone right now got 4.02 MBit/s (500 kb/s) down and 1.66 MBit/s up (200 kb/s), with a 5 GByte budget before it drops to slower without any overage charges. And sometimes I get up to 9 MBit/s down , so it does depend on the day and weather etc. Note I benchmarked these with speedtest.net from my macbook, tethered via wifi to my android phone.

I would love to have an iPhone, but I need it to be at least as fast as my DSL. I'll wait until they can do proper 4G on t-mobile, till then I'll have to stick to android.

 

[iPhoneFeen]

Just wanted to let you guys know that I just got of the phone with Sprint customer service, and it appears now that they are recognizing the slow data speeds as a network overload issue. The rep had me turn off my phone so she can pushed updates out to it, then she had me type a service update code into the phone and test my speed again. Surprisingly it did increase my download speed, before I was getting a download speed of 161 kbps now it's up to 549 Kbps. She did however open a ticket still addressing the issue and said someone with call me back in 72 hours. I honestly feel if we wait this out it will all be resolved, I don't forsee Sprint investing so much into the iPhones just to have customers return them on their first week due to data speeds.

 

[officialtlong]

Just wanted to let you guys know that I just got of the phone with Sprint customer service, and it appears now that they are recognizing the slow data speeds as a network overload issue. The rep had me turn off my phone so she can pushed updates out to it, then she had me type a service update code into the phone and test my speed again. Surprisingly it did increase my download speed, before I was getting a download speed of 161 kbps now it's up to 549 Kbps. She did however open a ticket still addressing the issue and said someone with call me back in 72 hours. I honestly feel if we wait this out it will all be resolved, I don't forsee Sprint investing so much into the iPhones just to have customers return them on their first week due to data speeds.

That is the same thing I was told and I had the updates done but soon after speeds were right back down. I am very cautious with this advise as it sounds like a really good way to keep people over the 14 day return policy that many have. I have spoke to Sprint every day this week and yesterday actually talked to a manager at customer care who informed me these are the speeds I can expect from the iPhone on their network.

Just an FYI... I'm switching to ATT tomorrow.

 

[Greg M]

Just wanted to let you guys know that I just got of the phone with Sprint customer service, and it appears now that they are recognizing the slow data speeds as a network overload issue. The rep had me turn off my phone so she can pushed updates out to it, then she had me type a service update code into the phone and test my speed again. Surprisingly it did increase my download speed, before I was getting a download speed of 161 kbps now it's up to 549 Kbps. She did however open a ticket still addressing the issue and said someone with call me back in 72 hours. I honestly feel if we wait this out it will all be resolved, I don't forsee Sprint investing so much into the iPhones just to have customers return them on their first week due to data speeds.

I got my iPhone up and running before 10am on Friday. That was before the "overload" and my speeds were just as bad then as they were when I walked away from Sprint yesterday. I just couldn't chance being stuck in a bad contract for 2 years. Had to get my numbers ported as soon as I could find iPhones for AT&T.

I was also thinking that Sprint only has so much money to upgrade their network. What made more sense to me was that they would continue to spend that money on LTE for the coming iPhone 5 instead of adding capacity to the old 3g system. I fear that Sprint's 4s customers will get a lot of empty promises. I hope I'm wrong but I wasn't going to take a chance. Just a gut feeling.

Think about it, they knew this was coming given what happened with the other carriers when they introduced the iPhone. They weren't prepared and the real overload hasn't even happened yet. The 4s is backordered for weeks! What's going to happen in January after all of the backorders are filled and the holiday season is over?

 

[Spontida]

re:Sprint

I just got my 4s today, and sigh the internet speed is .001 MB per second O_O

 

[iPhoneFeen]

Are these speeds a sign of hope???????

 

[CaptSaltyJack]

I'm noticing slightly faster speeds on Sprint too. I think the initial surge killed them a bit. I'll bet things will improve.

 

[Wicked1]

Guys, give them a chance. I am personally giving them a chance until my 14 days are about to run out. I used Sprint before and they were excellent, unless something changed, they should get over it.

BTW, remember it is mostly those with horrible speeds that come to MR or Sprint community to post, happy customers are unlikely to post.

Same thing they did when AT&T's network was down on it's knees, someone just needs a little reason to complain, and then they all chime in.

Sure Glad I do not have Sprint Only Kidding I have AT&T

 

[Spontida]

Update

Update I called sprint and they said their is a "broken tower" they said it is going to be fixed in 5-7 days
ps I am getting 30 kbps o_o

 

[MTXR]

I had an iPhone 4 on Verizon, and i specifically left them for Sprint and the 4s (my company has a better discount off Sprint service, plus my wife's family is all on sprint so overall there was a better deal for us on Sprint based on these factors).

Either way, at home and work i am right near towers in the northwest of Dallas, and ever since i got the 4s on Friday, i've been running constant speed tests and real world browsing to test speeds. i typically get a range of 0.10 Mbps to 0.20, with occasional blips into .3 or .4. on rare occasions (like 3 times out of the 40 tests i;ve run) i've gotten above .6 Mbps. browsing, Facebook, etc. is useless. ping ranges from 400 to 4000 (seriously)

Its absolutely terrible. I would average 1 - 1.5 Mbps on verizon consistently. would even stream video/audio fine driving through the airport.

Not on sprint. I was so fed up with it that called customer service today, and spent well over 45 minutes for them to tell me first it was not a capacity issue with tower, to a complete 180 telling me that it is indeed a capacity issue with the surrounding towers and it should be addressed by tomorrow (this was around 1pm this afternoon). they ran all those tests, etc. and i explained to him how i left verizon and how i am about to cancel my sprint service and return to verizon because i can't afford to not be connected due to my job, etc. , and then he told me these devices were meant to be ran on wi-fi and should only use data while on wi-fi.........really? Thats when i blew up. I then re-explained to him that if i am paying that stupid premium data package, i should be able to use it, because at this point its useless.

all i can do is hope they get back up to speed as they indicated (although i doubt it). now if they told me it would be fixed in a week, thats fine - i would let them take their time. However, they told me it would be fixed by tomorrow, in which case if it isn't, they can expect a call back from me on Thursday.

I realize millions people got new phones, but seriously, if their "data" packages are going to be this crappy, don't expect your customers to be happy or want to pay for it.

For what its worth, the voice service is fine. The problem is i use my data more than my voice services - hence the issue I'm having

I had the same problem and i'm in the DFW area. I returned the phone after the 3rd day of having it. I signed up with AT&T and it seems like their network is better here in DFW.

 

[broken1i]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Mobile/9A334)

Sprint 3G speeds have been great as of late for me. Hopefully they're fixing it for everyone. I'm getting 2.5MB down and 1MB up.