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Old 06-29-2011, 08:35 AM
 
Location: Downtown Harrisburg
1,434 posts, read 3,913,719 times
Reputation: 1017

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Interesting piece on competing 4G networks from Boy Genius Report today:

When will Verizon's blistering 4G LTE slow down?

Quoting from the article:

Quote:
In the beginning, the congestion argument was a good one for Verizon’s competition to make. Verizon Wireless’ LTE was brand new while other carriers had hundreds of thousands of 4G subscribers. But fast forward to today, and Verizon Wireless 4G is just as fast as ever. I performed about 20 speed tests with a Novatel Wireless 4G MiFi in and around New York City ahead of publishing this piece, and Verizon’s network is just as fast now as it was when it launched in this region.

So when is the network going to slow down?
Engadget also posted a writeup on 4G performance:

Verizon dominates 'Fastest Mobile Networks' testing, considers calling AT&T to brag -- Engadget

From my own personal first-hand experience, Verizon's LTE is fast. I mean, absurdly fast. I regularly see speeds in the 20-30Mb/s range. Here's a test I just now ran from deep inside my office building in Harrisburg PA, surrounded by server racks, radio equipment, fluorescent lights, cubicles (my Thunderbolt was at desk level), concrete walls, metal cabinets, etc:



So it's obvious that the performance is there today. Some competitors are arguing that this is a temporary fluke that won't last. However, as BGR -- a well-known, respected wireless site -- reported, their performance in NYC is the same as it was on day one. Since NYC was one of the first LTE launch markets, and since it's a uniquely complicated market for wireless coverage, it's an excellent torture test of available technologies.

When Sprint 4G launched in my area in May 2010, I was given a USB aircard as part of a review prior to the network being made available to the general public. In this pristine, virtually-empty network, my maximum speed was 5.6Mb/s and my average speed was 3.5Mb/s. This performance remained consistent after market launch, and was on par with the Sprint 4G hotspot I had just two months ago.

I've also had the opportunity to play with AT&T's 4G HSPA+ for a few months earlier this year. Don't even get me started on the their whole "you can get 4G speeds *IF* you live in a 4G market *AND* you have signal from an HSPA+ cell *AND* that cell is served by the enhanced backhaul" nonsense. AT&T's 4G speeds were all over the place. In downtown Harrisburg, they were even faster than Sprint's 4G. However, once I moved a few miles out of the city, their speed fluctuated wildly, often clocking in slower than 3G from either Verizon or Sprint.

Which brings me to the major factor in 4G performance: Coverage. T-Mobile currently has the largest 4G deployment (unfortunately due to their poor overall statewide coverage, their service was not considered in our testing). AT&T and Verizon keep dancing back and forth for second place. Sprint's 4G coverage is currently in last place at 40 million covered POPs. This has the effect of putting Sprint's effective 4G speed at zero, which is unfortunate as I otherwise like Sprint.

It's important to remember that everyone's experience and coverage needs will be different. But just as we held coverage as the most important aspect of voice service back in the 90s, and how we held coverage as the most important aspect of 2G & 3G data in recent years, coverage remains the most important factor when considering 4G. Fast is nice, but only if it works.
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Old 06-29-2011, 08:46 AM
 
5,802 posts, read 9,868,119 times
Reputation: 3051
Again Verizon last quarterly reports only showed 500K users currently on LTE....Sprint and Clear reported 6 million users in the same time....

When LTE has 6 million or even 2 million users and still pumping out 20 mbps down, then come back here and gloat!

Enjoy those empty pipes while you have them....Actually I want some people to hop off WiMax and on to Verizon LTE...free up some pipe space over here.


http://www.phonedog.com/2011/04/04/s...test-findings/

Last edited by Blackbeauty212; 06-29-2011 at 08:57 AM..
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Old 06-29-2011, 08:52 AM
 
Location: Downtown Harrisburg
1,434 posts, read 3,913,719 times
Reputation: 1017
Quote:
Originally Posted by Blackbeauty212 View Post
Again Verizon last quarterly reports only showed 500K users currently on LTE....Sprint and Clear reported 6 million users in the same time....When LTE has 6 million or even 2 million users and still pumping out 20 mbps down, then come back here and gloat!
Nobody's gloating, these are just the facts backed up by observations from (many) others.

Why do you take this so personally? Do you work for Sprint?
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Old 06-29-2011, 09:14 AM
 
5,802 posts, read 9,868,119 times
Reputation: 3051
Quote:
Originally Posted by floor9 View Post
Nobody's gloating, these are just the facts backed up by observations from (many) others.

Why do you take this so personally? Do you work for Sprint?
They're facts of today, skewed by omitting that Verizon doesn't currently have the user load of WiMAX that's a big omission is why you're enjoying much faster speeds.

You refuse to listen technology wise there's no speed difference between LTE and WiMAX..NONE!

What can I say I'm a debater... The reason I don't make a case for HSPA is because that's not a 4G network, Tmobile and AT&T are both lying in that case.
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Old 06-29-2011, 09:40 AM
 
Location: Downtown Harrisburg
1,434 posts, read 3,913,719 times
Reputation: 1017
Quote:
Originally Posted by Blackbeauty212 View Post
You refuse to listen technology wise there's no speed difference between LTE and WiMAX..NONE!
Sure there is. My LTE runs at 20-30Mb/s right now. WiMax peaks out around 6Mb/s right now. I'd call that a speed difference.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Blackbeauty212 View Post
What can I say I'm a debater... The reason I don't make a case for HSPA is because that's not a 4G network, Tmobile and AT&T are both lying in that case.
Says who? Sprint employee training manuals?
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Old 06-29-2011, 10:15 AM
 
2,182 posts, read 5,424,740 times
Reputation: 1214
Quote:
Originally Posted by Blackbeauty212 View Post
They're facts of today, skewed by omitting that Verizon doesn't currently have the user load of WiMAX that's a big omission is why you're enjoying much faster speeds.

You refuse to listen technology wise there's no speed difference between LTE and WiMAX..NONE!

What can I say I'm a debater... The reason I don't make a case for HSPA is because that's not a 4G network, Tmobile and AT&T are both lying in that case.
Ok, so, if there isn't any difference, there are two scenarios here.

You're on VZN:
You have 30mb/s down now, and 6mb/s later

You're on Sprint:
You have 6mb/s down now, and 6mb/s later

So............what is your point? Enjoy it while you can, Floor9
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Old 06-29-2011, 10:47 AM
 
Location: Downtown Harrisburg
1,434 posts, read 3,913,719 times
Reputation: 1017
Quote:
Originally Posted by kazyn View Post
Ok, so, if there isn't any difference, there are two scenarios here.

You're on VZN:
You have 30mb/s down now, and 6mb/s later

You're on Sprint:
You have 6mb/s down now, and 6mb/s later

So............what is your point? Enjoy it while you can, Floor9
You better believe it!
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Old 06-29-2011, 12:48 PM
 
Location: Charlotte,NC, US, North America, Earth, Alpha Quadrant,Milky Way Galaxy
3,770 posts, read 7,527,855 times
Reputation: 2118
Quote:
Originally Posted by Blackbeauty212 View Post
Again Verizon last quarterly reports only showed 500K users currently on LTE....Sprint and Clear reported 6 million users in the same time....

When LTE has 6 million or even 2 million users and still pumping out 20 mbps down, then come back here and gloat!

Enjoy those empty pipes while you have them....Actually I want some people to hop off WiMax and on to Verizon LTE...free up some pipe space over here.


Sprint responds to recent LTE, WiMAX speed test findings | PhoneDog
I'm not being difficult but this is just funny to me. So there are 6Million users on wimax? Okay, so let's say sprint has 50% of the users (I don't know how it's partitioned but bear with me). 3Million x $10/mo 4g "fee". $30Million/mo in just those fees? Uh so why is it still slow? Again I don't live in this part of the technical world but from the way it sounds someone is continuing to sell seats on already crowded bus without adding more buses to the route.
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Old 06-29-2011, 01:03 PM
 
5,802 posts, read 9,868,119 times
Reputation: 3051
Quote:
Originally Posted by kazyn View Post
Ok, so, if there isn't any difference, there are two scenarios here.

You're on VZN:
You have 30mb/s down now, and 6mb/s later

You're on Sprint:
You have 6mb/s down now, and 6mb/s later

So............what is your point? Enjoy it while you can, Floor9
My Point is Don't act like 30mbs is here to stay, and that its concrete...its not sustainable. LTE offers no speed advantage over WiMAX period!

Yes enjoy those high speeds while they're here....I sure was WiMAX was fresh and new.
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Old 06-29-2011, 01:05 PM
 
2,182 posts, read 5,424,740 times
Reputation: 1214
That's what they've been trying to say. No one is saying it's here to stay. Your point was made like 40 posts ago, heh
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