“AT&T says it has worked hard to improve its much-maligned 3G network over the last eight months–erecting hundreds of new cell towers, using better-performing wireless spectrum, and souping up its cell sites across the country–and the results of our latest 13-city 3G network performance tests suggest that the network has indeed undergone a drastic makeover,” Mark Sullivan reports for PCWorld.
“After registering the lowest average download speeds in our 3G performance tests last spring, AT&T’s network turned in download speeds that were 84 percent better than the numbers from eight months ago; in our latest tests, AT&T’s download speeds were 67 percent faster on average than those of the other three largest U.S. wireless providers–Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon,” Sullivan reports.
Sullivan reports, “AT&T’s download speeds in New York City were three times faster in our latest tests than in our tests last spring; in San Francisco, the AT&T’s download speeds were 40 percent faster.”
Read the full article and se the test results here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “TheMightyFinder” for the heads up.]
Now they just need to get 3G where I live and work — NW Ohio
I have both AT&T;& Verizon 3G and it’s not even close anywhere I’ve been.
02 should be doing something similar here in the UK most I have ever achieved is 1.8 Mbps and that was pretty much a one off !!!!
to Mr. Bullshit:
You say that it’s not even close, but it is not clear whether you agree with the survey or disagree. The article implies that it indeed isn’t even close and AT&T seems to finally be much faster than the rest.
Personally, never had issues with AT&T. And I’m in Manhattan (mostly on the East Side).
Not too difficult to be the fastest when you have 3G in so few places. There are only 3 cities in my state that have AT&T;3G. The very reason I had to give up the iPhone. Great phone but limited and spotty coverage.
@birdman, are you suggesting that the iphone isnt’ perfect for everyone and everybody?
Here’s the thing, Verizon doesn’t have 3G – they have EvDo, which is like AT&T;’s Edge. The tests bear this out. Look at the charts on PC World’s tests and you’ll see AT&T;’s 3G is almost twice as fast on upload and download speeds as Verizon’s.
Still sucks here in San Francisco. Would be nice if they’d worry about coverage first, and then focus on speed.
I get that the terrain of SF makes it a challenge, but there’s a way to go here. And I’m comparing to DC, where I lived for 9 years until 4 months ago. It’s not exactly flat there either. You can’t drive using 3G in DC and not drop calls like farts at a chili fest. My wife commutes 30 miles, one-way, from downtown DC to Sterling, VA (a little north of Dulles). She’s gotta drive with the iPhone on EDGE.
Since the 3G coverage in SF is already on the more robust frequency, she’s not gonna have that option when she moves here. That’s gonna be “fun” when she finds that out.
I am, only due to the fact of the US Carrier, if you want to call AT&T;a carrier. I had to dump the iPhone purely because of the service or rather the lack of service. Over 60% missed called due to coverage. The iPhone is undoubtedly the most superior phone in the world but in the US it is on the undoubtedly worst service in the US.
If I was ATT 8 months ago, and PC labs said I had a crappy network, I’d make sure that my deployment plans included surrounding PC Labs’ offices with cell towers.
Just sayin…
I agree with you.
On a side note, I live 10 miles outside a city, I don’t count.
Ok, know we know how much faster AT&T;3G is over Verizon (2x faster) However, most people know that AT&T;customers with no 3G coverage still get EDGE.
Question: Is Verizon’s 3G that much faster that EDGE?
Also consider AT&T;actual coverage map the same or perhaps bigger than Verizon’s map and that EDGE has better penetration through obstacles like walls than 3G.
ATT coverage and speed are GREAT in the broader DC area, certainly in the MD suburbs where I live. Reliability is pretty good, comparable to other cell carriers in this area. I realize this is not the same everywhere, but really enjoying the iPhone here.
Go Apple!
I’ve had both Verizon and ATT 3G here in the Boston area and ATT wins hands-down. It’s both faster and more reliable. I’ve been with ATT since the iPhone came out and I can’t be more satisfied… well the price could be a bit lower, but their customer service is first-rate.
@Shrub
You said “Here’s the thing, Verizon doesn’t have 3G – they have EvDo, which is like AT&T;’s Edge. The tests bear this out. Look at the charts on PC World’s tests and you’ll see AT&T;’s 3G is almost twice as fast on upload and download speeds as Verizon’s.”
First off… The ITU set the standard for 3G. EV/DO was designated as 3G (for YEARS it was faster than crappy UMTS Rel 99 which had horrible data speeds ~100 kbps which is why nobody wanted to deploy it.)
WTF are you talking about??? Look at he Smartphone test results… Verizon & AT&T;3G speeds are almost IDENTICAL!
Did you read the article, or are you just an uniformed loudmouth?
EDGE SPEEDS BLOW!
BTW, there is a software upgrade to EVDO that has peak data speeds ABOVE the theoretical peak of 7.2 for HSPA..
@MSSL
See my comment above…
Another know-it-all who knows nothing!
@Birdman
” it is on the undoubtedly worst service in the US.”
I’m not sure how you can make a blanket statement on performance around the entire US with only evidence about your location. It might very well be true in your area, but I have really good service in my area.
“Not too difficult to be the fastest when you have 3G in so few places”
Not really sure that I understand how those two things are related.
@Wireless Test Man
“BTW, there is a software upgrade to EVDO that has peak data speeds ABOVE the theoretical peak of 7.2 for HSPA..”
EVDO Rev. A caps at 3.1 down. EVDO Rev. B (14 Mbit down) exists, but is apparently not being actively deployed by Sprint or Verizon. I have yet to see any Rev. B capable equipment on the market in the US. Verizon’s efforts are behind LTE now. HSPA is deployed in other countries at 14 Mbit, with higher speeds defined as part of the standard. AT&T;hasn’t announced plans to go beyond 7.2 with HSPA. I suspect LTE will be the next major speed increase for both Verizon and AT&T;. Sprint has decided to go the WIMax route, so we’ll see how well that works for them.
Cell companies should partner with churches to turn church steeples and bell towers into cell towers/repeaters. Church structures are often the highest points in an area (due to zoning laws restricting the height of other buildings), and would serve this purpose well. Plus the church would get some money in the deal. It’s a win-win.
Living in the East Bay, CA, ATT has always been fine. I travel all over, and it has consistently performed up to expectations. I have yet to meet anyone who doesn’t occasionally experience dropped calls on any network, but overall, from NYC, MIA, to SFO, to LAX, to DFW to the Caribbean, UK & France, and all the traveling away from the airport, ATT has consistently delivered well for me.
RE: Deus Ex Technica @
“If I was ATT 8 months ago, and PC labs said I had a crappy network, I’d make sure that my deployment plans included surrounding PC Labs’ offices with cell towers.”
To give them cancer?
Sounds like good material for an AT&T commercial to me.
I guess if you are at church, you could never claim to have coverage problems. A quiet church and never being able to miss a call!
Funny about AT&T;upgrading their system. I was just in an AT&T;store a couple of weeks ago, inquiring about the iPhone because I plan on getting one in a month. They guy at the store actually tried to talk me out of getting one. He said they get bad reception and that it had nothing to do with AT&T;’s network and everything to do with the iPhone.