Gizmodo Tests Nation's 3G NetworksSays Sprint came out on top... ( old news - 04:14PM Wednesday Dec 17 2008) tags: competition · business · wireless · hardware · alternatives · Verizon Wireless Broadband · Cingular Wireless · T-Mobile USGizmodo conducted what they're calling a "grueling" and "definitive" (they ran a few speed, pageload and file download tests at several locations in eight cities) analysis of the nation's 3G networks. According to the gadget blog, they tested Verizon, AT&T, and Sprint (sorry T-Mobile) networks using AT&T's Sierra USBConnect 881, Sprint's Sierra Wireless Compass 597 and Verizon Wireless's Novatel USB727. Sprint had the best downstream speeds overall, while AT&T came out tops in upstream speeds, dominating tests in six cities. Verizon beat AT&T in four cities, tied in one, and lost in three. Their tests broken down by city: Austin, Boston, Chicago, New York City, Portland, Raleigh-Durham, San Francisco, and Seattle.
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Nerdtalker
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Tucson, AZ
clubs:
| Re: They did more than "ran a few speed tests" I think they did a pretty good job as well; it sure seems to match my impressions and my own testing around my local area.
It's amazing how marketing can sway so many people's opinions that Verizon is God's gift in terms of bandwidth and stability. Honestly, I find Sprint to be faster and reliable in most of the places I am.
YMMV, but whatever is best in your area is best. There isn't any end-all answer, still.
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GOLFnSUN
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| Re: They did more than "ran a few speed tests" said by Nerdtalker  :It's amazing how marketing can sway so many people's opinions that Verizon is God's gift in terms of bandwidth and stability. Verizon has always gotten great press and test results for their voice service. I was not aware of any great marketing hype about their data service being better than the others.
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Nerdtalker
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| Re: They did more than "ran a few speed tests" said by GOLFnSUN :Verizon has always gotten great press and test results for their voice service. I was not aware of any great marketing hype about their data service being better than the others. I've added emphasis where necessary to highlight my point. Press doesn't always mean unbiased, objective, or that thorough. Testing conditions (even in the Gizmodo test) change so often, and local load and signal propagation is such a huge variable that, without running hundreds of tests, I don't consider any "testing" to be complete. Certainly nothing from the likes of the Walt-Mossberg type "press" if that's what you're alluding to.
This isn't about voice at all. Data is what we're talking about here. Regarding those tests, it'd seem that (at least this test) a number say otherwise. This nonsense that their network is "the fastest and most reliable 3G network in America" is laughable at best. Last Thursday the entire Verizon cellular network went down (completely, no signal) in my area. Completely. It makes me laugh every time I see their billboard.
If you're referring to those JD Power & Associates ratings, you'd honestly have to be kidding yourself or naive to believe them.
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funchords
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| Re: They did more than "ran a few speed tests" said by Nerdtalker :If you're referring to those JD Power & Associates ratings, you'd honestly have to be kidding yourself or naive to believe them. I believe them for exactly what they are -- consumer impressions. Verizon has been building a marketing impression of quality, and that impression is showing through because it does not offend the sensibilities of those responding to the surveys. Customers who think that the network is likely good are apt to blame issues on other factors (like slow servers).
Sprint's largely black-and-white commercials with the scary-looking CEO extolling the values of unlimited amounts of what customers want (while throwing on a 5 GB cap) make them look cheap and defensive. Consumers who think that Sprint is on the ropes are likely to blame issues on a network in decline.
I have no data for any of that, but it seems to follow...
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| | | | itguy05
join:2005-06-17
Camp Hill, PA
| said by GOLFnSUN :said by Nerdtalker :It's amazing how marketing can sway so many people's opinions that Verizon is God's gift in terms of bandwidth and stability. Verizon has always gotten great press and test results for their voice service. I was not aware of any great marketing hype about their data service being better than the others. As one who uses their services and has coworkers on Verizon...... Their voice service is much overhyped. It's a little worse than AT&T in the places I go to. Voice quality is a mixed bag and often times it's horrible.
I'd pick AT&T any day over Verizon.
Verizon has great brainwashing....err, marketing. | |
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en102
Canadian, eh?
join:2001-01-26
Valencia, CA | What... no Los Angeles ? AT&T would probably be last here anyways
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Fox McCloud
Crazy like a fox.
join:2006-07-23 |  pity...
Well, they have the most lenient, in terms of overage charges, but...it's a shame they're still not unlimited.
Ahh well, their network, not mine. | |
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jchambers28
join:2007-05-12
Alma, AR | 3G 3G service sucks. As soon as 3G hits 10MBPS and raises their monthly caps I will buy it. Until then I will keep my cable modem service. | |
| pabster
join:2001-12-09
Waterloo, IA
·Mediacom
| So AT&T isn't half as bad as some claim... As I've been saying for some time.
It's amazing how a small but vocal group can be so influential.
Got to hand it to Verizon, they market the hell out of their service. And it is pretty darn good, but not "the best" depending on where you are located. | |
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funchords
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join:2001-03-11
Washington, DC | Pwned in Portland Verizon got whipped here in my town, although I had terrible luck with AT&T's data service when I tried it. I would go hours without being able to find a 3G signal. | |
| | | | fitbryan
join:2005-07-26
Santa Monica, CA | Re: results match what i have seen in most of arizona... was surprised. in both Portland and Socal Ive found VZW to work well just about everywhere consistently. the bandwidth is pretty secondary to actually having functional signal. | |
| EPS
join:2008-02-13
Hingham, MA
| But is it really good for Sprint? The thing about 3G is, the more customers you have on a network, the worse network performance is going to be. Now, of course, you can't use that as the sole reason here- Sprint also likely has less customers per tower because they make heavier use of the PCS band than at&t or VZW. Still, it makes one wonder... the funny thing is if everyone or a very large proportion of wireless customers switched to Sprint based on this result, Sprint's performance would likely degrade and VZW and at&t would do better. | |
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Darkflight
3G Stitch626
join:2001-03-03
Rowland Heights, CA
| Re: But is it really good for Sprint? You are assuming that they do not upgrade or make changes to the network to accommodate such an increase in usuage... If things were static, that might be true, but realistically speaking I'm sure they would try and maintain if not improve the data path until Wimax is thrown out everywhere... | |
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bobjohnson
Premium
join:2007-02-03
Titusville, FL
·Sprint Mobile Broa..
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| Re: But is it really good for Sprint? We just did our own test here in Cocoa, FL this morning all with the same signal and it is kinda surprising to me...
Sprint - 2.1m/291
ATT - 1.2m/314
Verizon - 879/135
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partysource
join:2000-11-25
Phoenix, AZ | The Only Thing Sprint Tops.... The only thing Sprint can top is the Churn rate of customers and their debt. Sprint is for people with credit problems and always will be. They are on the road to Bankruptcy. | |
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huntml
join:2002-01-23
Mullica Hill, NJ
·Comcast
| Test incomplete. The tested downlink and uplink speed, but didn't do anything to test QoS, connection stability, persistent data transmission rates, etc.
If they had, I think ATTM would have come out even worse. My experience with them here in PHL is that while they are capable of good speeds, their connections are not anywhere near as stable as Sprint's.
Their network seems to be oversold and/or bachaul-starved. When I stream or try to download large files like podcasts, I get frequent slowdowns and disconnections.
Sprint, OTOH, is rock-solid. | |
| | | | | bemis
join:2008-07-18
Stoneham, MA | Re: Test incomplete. I also lent the Sprint card to a friend who used it nearly continuously from Boston to Florida on the train... he said that it never failed to get and keep a signal the entire way down... | |
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geeknik
join:2000-04-30
Luther, OK | That's hardly a test.. They tested Sprint, Verizon and AT&T. Those are hardly the only 3G carriers in the nation. This "test" is a joke. | |
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Finally Sprint!