Wireless data speeds -- who is the fastest?

Posted Jan 26th 2007 9:42AM by Brian White
Filed under: Cellular, Reviews, Hardware, Business

When testing speed recently among the four wireless carriers in my area -- Cingular Wireless, T-Mobile, Sprint Nextel and Alltel -- I used a phone from each carrier with a subscription to a data plan as well (for laptops) to give as equalized a result as possible.

So, which carrier turned in the performance to the right? Let me state that Cingular and T-Mobile both offer EDGE speeds in my market (no HSDPA yet), and both Alltel and Sprint Nextel offer EV-DO speeds in my. Not sure about testing HSDPA speeds since Cingular has not rolled that out yet in my market.

The winner? Sprint Nextel's data speeds were the fastest (17% faster than Alltel and about 600% faster than both EDGE systems) -- as I received almost a megabit if DL speeds on the Sprint EV-DO network, with a little over 1/10 of a megabit in UL speeds.

Reader Comments

(Page 1)

1. I have to agree:
Sprint's EVDO System
Adverages 800K Baud A Sec Download
200-420K Baud A Sec Upload
as I can state this from hands on experence...

I'm been using Sprint's Unlimited Data System ($62.00 monthly fee)in Sin City (Las Vegas Nevada)for multiple months.... I have to say it is very useable.

I have been on AT&T/Cingular Data,but was about
40% slower.

I have also used a few times,the data connect that
Verizon Wireless has, and it too is not as fast as Sprint's EVDO(rev a)

Posted at 11:52AM on Jan 26th 2007 by Jeff Walker PhD

2. All Narrowband Services at Best.
What we need is a real converegence to happen with Metro Area Wireless Mesh offering real Broadband links (4-6Mbps) while roaming in the Wireless Mesh Sector and convergence (handoff) to CellCO (at 500-800Kbps) as one leaves the WiFi/WiMAX coverage areas.
All this will change when FCC auctions the 700Mhz spectrum and vendors make WiMAX (and WiFi Mesh) based featured 700Mhz radios for full mobile Data/VoiceIP and Video services.
If the FCC allows selective shared licensed 700Mhz spectrum use it will be even better as the existing Metro Mesh Networks upgrade and deploy a real Broadband service with in and outdood coverage.
Watch what Qualcomm allows the carriers to do with their 700Mhz Video Networks-just a taste.

Jacomo

Posted at 2:07PM on Jan 26th 2007 by Jacomo

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