Sprint is not “America’s most dependable 3G network”?
America’s most dependable 3G network. For a while now that has been what Sprint has used to describe their wireless network. However, Verizon Wireless has now called turkey (Ed.- It is Thanksgiving here in the U.S. so this cliche is allowable.) on this claim.
The National Advertising Division (NAD) of the Council of Better Business Bureaus, which is a consumer advocacy group that focuses on advertising, has recently asked that Sprint stop using the slogan after Verizon complained that Sprint is indeed not the most dependable 3G network. The NAD had this to say-
"Verizon Wireless had a lower connection failure rate and a lower task failure rate than Sprint and performed better in terms of session reliability. NAD determined that Verizon's superiority on those measures - according to the most recent Nielsen drive tests - undermined Sprint's "most dependable" claim as to outdoor usage...Following its review of the evidence, NAD determined that the advertiser lacked sufficient support for its claim to be "America's most dependable 3G network."
Sprint, which uses both old and new Nielsen data to draw their conclusion, says they will appeal the ruling-
"The NAD is mistaken in its determination that signal strength is not relevant to dependability," Sprint said in an official statement sent to eWEEK. "Between 70-80% of 3G data use takes place indoors, and the Nielsen signal strength tests indicate whether a signal is likely to penetrate a building and provide coverage inside. If a 3G signal is too weak to penetrate a building, a subscriber will not be able to dependably connect to the network... The Nielsen test data continues to show Sprint leading in 3G signal strength. As a result of this and other factors, we stand by our ‘most dependable’ claim and we are confident that it is well-supported by timely and appropriate data."
With Verizon claiming that it has the biggest network, and AT&T chirping it has the fastest network, Sprint found that it can claim that it has the most dependable network.
So readers, who does have the most dependable wireless network?
Source- DSLReports.com
© 2009, BigDiesel07. All rights reserved.
Verizon for me
I dunno bout the rest of the country, but here in the North East, I get better 3G coverage on Sprint than my Verizon friends
even with zero bars, i still have amazingly fast speeds on my internet and great connection with the voice service with my sprint phone. everyone i know that has Verizon [and thats not an overstatement, i do mean everyone] hates their service because they get dropped calls and their internet wont work, and that also includes those who have alltel. im sticking with sprint because they are very reliable, in my opinion.
ive had sprint for years! and the reason is that no matter where i am sprint always gives me the best coverage. i actually work for T-Mobile and i still have my sprint phone because where i live is “perfect” 3g tmobile coverage but i cant even make a call. sprint for me here in CO will always be the best.
in northwest indiana verizon is dominant. the 3g speeds are never slow and i always have good connection in my house on the road or outside. My friends get the same good speeds. Other carriers are not as dominant around here, sprint and AT&T are few if that. They dont get good speeds at all, dropped calls slow internet and bad connections. So NW indiana verizon is the best.
well im a sprint user and i have good 3G coverage n savannah ga, and whn i go home to Atlanta the 4G speed up there is crazy! Im going with sprint because my friends have t-mobile and verizon and they speed is slower than mine. My pics on facebook load way faster than theirs.
I was a sprint customer for years loved their service. Sprint bought out my contract because I was using to many roaming mins, asked to me to go to alltel cause that was the tower I was always using. After a month of Alltel and a 2 months after Verizon bought them out I sent Verizon a bill for poor customer service and begged sprint to take me back. I am now back with sprint and have never dropped a call or misses a txt again. Sprint for the win. Im still waiting on my money from Verizon.
Sprint really has the most reliable network. I’ve been able to get messages out when other people can’t.
I hate Verizon. They love to nickle and dime people. Verizon thinks they smell blood in the water and wants to go on the offensive. Sprint isn’t the same company. The best plans and the best service. They are getting better. Keep it up, Verizon. We’ll see how long you get away with it.
I’m happy with Sprint. My 3G data is fast enough, and on the verge of geting better here and comparing voice and data with a friend on ATT, my Vogue beats his Fuse! Sprint FTW, at least here.
Been loving Sprint for just over a year after being made poor by Verizon for too long. Sprint is awesome, and yes I depend on it every day. Happy Thanksgiving!
I love my Sprint service, having booth an Iphone and now an HTC Hero. I can say that Sprint is by far faster then My Iphone was…. Example I would try to access facebook on my Iphone and it was so slow I could grab my sprint phone and load the page and make a post before my iphone even pulled the site up. Shortly after I canceled service with AT&T because I was not going to pay for slower data speeds, and on that pay more for less.
One year I had Verizon. I could not get service were I was at so I had to stand outside in the wet cold rain to use a pay phone while all my friends with Sprint where in a warm Barrack using their phones. I switched to Sprint and never had that problem again. I love Sprint.
Sprint clearly has the best data/voice network availability for my indoor and outdoor use of my cell phone. Not only does my HTC Touch Pro perform well outdoors, but indoors as well, as compared to my friends with both Verizon and AT&T. I havent had a dropped voice call in more then 4 years. When it comes to data, my service has been solidly there without interruption. I do not see how verizon could claim reliable at all. I left them after getting voice mails 4-5 hours after they were left and that doesnt work for me at all. Sometimes my data usage at home is high, but then again thats where I’ll turn on the wifi if I need to…..I rarely do but no carrier can beat the speed of a wifi connection right
I love me some Sprint! I was a Verizon customer for almost 9 years, and I finally got fed up with being nickle and dimed. So I dropped them and picked up Sprint. I have been loving Sprint ever since! I always have coverage, and the 3G speed is amazing! No matter where I am at, I always have at least 1 meg service. I was lucky to get 200-400k with verizon.
Good riddance verizon, and hello Sprint!
I have had Sprint for a couple years and previously had Alltel (Verizon) and also had T-Mobile, and I have to say, Sprint is the most reliable in all categories for me. Not only do I have service in all the places I didn’t with either of these carriers, but in really low spots like my parents house on in the boonies, I still have great speeds. Also, I once saw that Sprint had the fastest data speeds, like it was legit! So why the f does AT&T say they have the fastest 3G network!?!?!? If were all going to start pointing fingers and whining, then lets start! Point it back in a vicious circle! Come on Verizon, stop trying to push everyone around! Whiners!!!!
Looks like Sprint is kicking Verizon’s azz in this thread. lol. I have Sprint to and love it, but these phrases: “Most Reliable, Fastest, Most Dependable” they are very vague and can be manipulated by the person using them. I don’t see a slogan being that powerful in determining what provider a customer uses so let it be. People look at the phones first, plans second and just maybe coverage as a distant 3rd.
I travel around the country by car, have many folks I meet with on business (field job sites) and since site to site communication is an important issue for us we discuss/compare quite a bit. By far and away, VZ has the best country-wide coverage which is important for my biz use. I do believe Sprint is a faster network when in coverage though and I have done side by side download tests to prove it although using different devices…could invalidate the test. The download test I am recalling brought in site drawings that were huge so it wasn’t just a burst in downloading for either service. The ATT folks are struggling in both categories as are T-Mobile. The shame for me on this topic is that I prefer a GSM network for global use (I have to travel overseas) and as a result of my US CDMA service I own another phone with Vodaphone GSM for overseas.
Sprint rocks, everyone I know here in Phoenix AZ has dropped Verizon as a service provider because of poor coverage and dropped calls. Sprint is 100 times better than Verizon.
The problem with sprint’s claim is that it is nonspecific. They need to write in some small print that defines dependable and offers indisputable proof.
As an example, Verizon can compare coverage maps and say they have the “largest 3G network” Anyone else can compares the maps and agree. This is why their claim held up in court.
As a last resort, Sprint can add “one of” in front of their claim e.g. “One of America’s most dependable 3G networks”. This claim suggests they are not the only ones with a dependable network and regulators will get off their backs. However, the unwashed masses may not notice or understand the difference. The ones that notice probably won’t fall for the questionable claim anyway. It’s a very common trick that many companies use.
Sprint 3G speeds have not only been faster for me but consistently fast unlike the Verizon I left & the AT&T devices I use at & for work. I mostly do business in Philadelphia & New York City & mobile data on the trains along the Northeast Corridor.
Verizon claims Largest and Most Reliable 3G network.
Reliable = Dependable. By defintion, they are basically the same word.
Therefore, Sprint can not claim most dependable, unless there was specific evidence to support the claim (and thereby force Verizon to drop Most Reliable).
Stronger in-building signal strength would only be one aspect of dependability and reliability. Verizon has significant data in multiple areas including connects, drops, and call completes to backup their reliability claim.
Sprint should have never been able to claim Most Dependable 3G network in the first place.
I find AT&T the most rediculous saying they are the fastest. thats a joke but at least they dont seem as slow as T-Mobile.
I find Verizon seocnd most rediculous saying they are the largest, as if that mattered at all.
They still a joke.
I find Sprint claim least laffable.
I was an AT&T and T-Mobile user.
I have to say Sprint has givin best coverage so far in NYC area.
For those of you saying Sprint can’t claim to be the most dependable, the same goes for Verizon claiming the most reliable. Without some large surveys done, there’s no way to prove either one of those claims. Its obvious that most people on this site support Sprint and agree that they seem to be the most dependable for them.
I had Sprint, my wife’s family has Sprint, and besides minor screwups here and there, they have been very dependable. I have At&t and I’ve had the same experiences with them over the past year.
sprint all day baby
I have used sprint for years and I love the coverage…my friends with att have a hard time getting good service, T-mobile just sucks for service, and Verizon is all about charging your pants off for crappy service. I am a firm follower of sprint and have no complaints of the service.
sprint for life. matter of fact i went to chicago last weekend and fawk 3g they had 4g and i was in heaven XD
i had ATT and SPRINT for 12 years, travel 30000 miles a year in a car because of my job , and ATT is the Worst of the Worst in dropping calls,thats why im on my 14 year with sprint.
I’m not speaking against any of the others, except AT&T, but I’m in IA and Sprint works great for me! Also, I’ve had nothing but great customer service as well!
I have terrible service in my basement, but on main floor, its good enough to play CoD MW2 using Touch Pro 2 on Sprint Sero plan.
Cant complain!
Sprint works well. More than 10 years of success says It Works. I went to Europe, so they sent me a GSM phone. Whatever – Sprint never left this customer hanging. I know I’m lucky – so I’m grateful for my success.
I spend a considerable amount of time in my car, constantly online. In central PA all the way to NYC and the northern teir above this route, verizon has it hands down for me. I have had verizon mobile broadband since it came out years ago. It keeps getting better and better. The speed and coverage are outstanding for me. I can go into the wilderness where no other carrier works and do my work, including video conferencing. This is not to say it is perfect as there are a few small holes here and there. I should point out thos holes are in state forest and park land, usually in gorges or very steep mountainous areas. Verizon has given me the freedom to home office from a picnic table in the great and beautiful PA wilderness.
For me in my area Sprint has been the go to provider. Any other provider just doesn’t have as positive a service with T-mobile getting the worst complaints from family and friends.
well I was with sprint when I first moved to central indiana. one year of that and I was done. I have been with Verizon for almost 9 years now. My coworker has sprint but funny thing is, he has to set it to roam on verizon towers almost everywhere we go for work. I will go without a phone before I have sprint again. It may be different in other areas but not where I live. Its VZW all the way.
Sprint for me. I had Nextel back when it was tha thing to have the direct connect but then switched to Sprint b/c they had better phones. It was a little half decent at first but then after they up’d the 3g coverage in the area its been pretty solid and compared to some of my friends who have VZ I think it loads quicker.
I been with Sprint for more than ten years and the reason for this is the signal strength and connection speeds here in NYC.
I’m always making fun of my friends on AT&T and T-MOBILE, they can’t match up.
I’ve been a customer since 2003, and well ever since then I’ve been using phone with internet capabilities along with most of my friends who also have sprint/nextel. My problem has been that since I got with you guys you guys only offer the 1x data rate in the area even after merging with nextel nothings cange topgrade towers in my area, and then here you go upgrading to the 4G network in some areas? what gives??? how can you skip some areas over on 3G speeds and go straight to 4G in Areas you already have 3G? So you know thats why you lose alot of business and residential customers alike for my area. All I heard for the last 4 years is rumors you are going to upgrade the network and never see anything, and the worst part customers in my area have to pay the same price as people in areas that have Full services for lower, unequaled service. How is that fair??? How can I live on a border town and when my phone roams to a mexican tower I get EVDO but in my home town I have to use 1x data? sprint does have great data when you are in an area that offers ex: MEXICALI, Tijuana, San Diego, Jacumba, Broadway, Whats even more sad is that since sprint merged with nextel they still can’t upgrade areas that they have been operating in for years but can Skp that area leave it in a 1x Data(El Centro CA) but go somewhere Else and start offering 4G…..