Sprint vs Verizon: Which is "Better" for EVDO?

Maureen

The title of this thread is a trick question - there is no single "right" answer!

However, there are certainly pro's and con's to each service. Verizon has better nationwide coverage, but Sprint's overage charges are less. Verizon has a month-to-month option, but Sprint only charges $3/mo for static IP addresses... etc, etc etc.

To help you decide, we've put together an article comparing the two:

Verizon vs Sprint: Which is "Better"?

Join the debate - which carrier do you use? What has your experience been like?

grandmsue · Posted: Wed Apr 22, 2009 7:58 pm Post subject: I had no choice

I am not in a Sprint coverage area, so Verizon was my only choice. I formerly had WildBlue satellite service, and the difference is like night and day! I like the fact that Verizon offers a monthly contract, and that is what I have. Now, the nice folks at 3-G Store won't be happy about this, but I bought a slightly used USB727 modem from a seller on ebay, paying $59 plus $3.99 shipping. I took it to my local Verizon store and had it activated for the $35 fee. I also bought a Cradlepoint 350 router from Amazon.com for $129 and got the $50 rebate for a net cost of $99 for that. Hopefully, DSL will come my way within a year, so that is one reason I did not want to be tied into a 2 year contract.

The tower from which both EVDO RevA and my phone service comes is just a little over 2 miles from my house, so I get good signals and fast service. I became aware of EVDO service when it started showing bars on my phone. At first, I had no idea what this meant, but then a neighbor started using the service and told me about it. I lurked at this forum for several months before making the decision to go this route. The rest, including WildBlue, is now history.

Smile

n6gn

Maureen · Posted: Wed Apr 22, 2009 9:43 pm Post subject:

n6gn · Posted: Wed Apr 22, 2009 10:24 pm Post subject:

Maureen · Posted: Wed Apr 22, 2009 11:43 pm Post subject:

Good questions. Obviously we do not have data to confirm that everywhere a tower is, service is "reliable and high rate", but:

Our opinion comes from a combination of what the carriers themselves claim (which of course cannot always be trusted - just ask AT&T customers how much "3G" they're seeing....), what our employees (who live all around the country and use both Sprint and Verizon regularly) have seen firsthand, and what our customers and forum posters report. All of this combined indicates that nationwide, Verizon simply works in more places than Sprint.

This is not to say that Sprint doesn't have excellent service themselves - obviously we are both a Sprint and Verizon dealer so we have good things to say about both companies. HOWEVER, we (and many customers) have found that if you need coverage all over the country, you'll have better luck with Verizon.

Hope that helped Smile

rblack · EVDO Newbie Joined: 16 Apr 2009 Posts: 9

Here are some differences for people like me who are not savvy to (or really interested in) the technical terms and workings of EVDO and just want a decent internet connection.

I have both in my laptop and where I live both are FANTASTIC. Sprint is 5 bars and Verizon is four. Sprint seems a little faster but you can't check your usage unless you go to their website. Then it's in KB's so I'm always getting out my calculator to convert them to MB.'s

With Verizon, you can check your usage while connected and it's in MB's and GB's.

Never had a problem with either so can't comment on customer service. I have not gotten the nerve to add a router and include my desktop but hope to some day.

As a former, usually unhappy satellite customer, I could not believe the massive improvement when I finally wised up to these wonderful services.