Optimization Deployments [285]: Virgin Mobile [France] Deploys Avvasi to Improve Video QoE

Virgin Mobile France announced that they have "..selected and deployed the Avvasi Q-SRV Video Service Gateway .. Virgin Mobile France is the first Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) to leverage multiple networks to serve their clients. They have evaluated a variety of traffic management vendors with the goal of improving video QoE and overall customer experience cost effectively. The deployment of Avvasi Q-SRV is proof of Virgin Mobile’s commitment to enable the best video experience for their customers".

See "Avvasi Provides the Best Video Experience to Virgin Mobile France" - here.

Parental Control Deployments[209]: Coriolis and Virgin Mobile [France] Use Optenet

  

Optenet announced that "In France, Internet access providers are legally required to provide, free of charge to all its customers, filtering solutions directed at the protection of children .. OPTENET, has secured more than 70% of home filtering market in the country .. The latest companies to acquire OPTENET’s PC WebFilter are Virgin Mobile and Coriolis".

Both operators are MVNOs - Virgin over Orange and Coriolis over SFR.

See "In France, Optenet’s technology is available through several providers for about 70% of Internet users across the country.' - here.

Sprint Will Throttle Virgin Mobile Users Exceeding 2.5GB

 

Will Sprint remain the only "truly unlimited postpaid mobile data plans in place" in the US? Maybe, but at least its prepaid brand, Virgin Mobile, won’t.

The carrier announced that "Beginning in October 2011, Virgin Mobile will also move to reduce data speeds [to 256 kbps - see below] when a customer’s data usage exceeds 2.5GB in a month but still provide unlimited 3G access without a contract, usage cap, overage or activation fees. Based on current usage patterns, fewer than 3 percent of Virgin Mobile USA customers use more than 2.5GB of data usage per month. After reaching this level, this minority of customers may experience slower page loads, file downloads and streaming media. When a customer’s next month begins, the data usage meter starts back at zero with unlimited 3G speeds .. Last week, Verizon pulled its unlimited data plan; T-Mobile and AT&T have also moved away from unlimited data usage. At this time, only Sprint, which owns Virgin Mobile USA, has truly unlimited postpaid mobile data plans in place".

See "Virgin Mobile New Beyond Talk Plans Offer Unlimited Data Plan With No Contract" - here.

David Trimble, vice president for Virgin Mobile USA said: “We are all facing the same situation and this is the best way for Virgin Mobile to maintain the best network experience as data usage explodes .. Our no-contract and postpaid competitors like Cricket, MetroPCS and T-Mobile have either implemented more stringent constraints and/or don’t disclose slower speeds and data caps. We believe this adjustment – with no hard cap or overage charges for more usage – gives the most value to the largest group of consumers. It’s important to Sprint and the Virgin brand that we be as up-front as possible with our customers.”

Virgin Mobile's site explains [here] that "Effective in October [exact date TBD] , when any Beyond  Talk customers reach 2.5GB of data usage within a current monthly cycle, they could have their maximum throughput speeds limited to 3G speeds of 256 kbps or below for the remainder of that plan cycle"