Comparing 3G Networks 127
bsk_cw writes "Brian Nadel got hold of cellular network cards from AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon, and tried them out with a Lenovo ThinkPad X300 notebook. He watched videos on commuter trains, worked with e-mail at cafes, listened to Internet radio at the airport, and downloaded large files while in a moving car. AT&T came out on top in his tests in the New York area (summary here). Some of the reader comments report different conclusions, so a YMMV is in order."
What's the lag? (Score:5, Interesting)
My big question would be: what's the lag?
The last time I tried to use a cell network for internet access, the lag was horrid (300+ms) compared to real broadband. How is the lag on these systems? I'd rather have the responsive 450kbps connection than the unresponsive 1.5mbps connection.
Does anyone see the connection here? (Score:4, Interesting)
Oddly, the telcos start allowing metered access of their 3G networks; no all-you-can-eat plans anymore. In megabyte increments in one case.....
Re:5GiB, $60 (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:5GiB, $60 (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:5GiB, $60 but Sprint capless (Score:2, Interesting)
It wasn't a fair comparison (Score:5, Interesting)
I'm also a little skeptical of his bandwidth testing method. I've never heard the Alken site, and the tests I did right now on my own system aren't even close to my actual performance (although, maybe they're justing getting slammed with traffic). It would have been interesting to see if signal strength played a factor as well.
In any case, most people I've heard from have had exactly the opposite results. Usually Sprint is the fastest, with Verizon not far behind and AT&T bringing up the rear. Sprint also has considerably more 3G coverage than the other two carriers. Without saying anything about their customer service, I think Sprint is the clear choice when it comes to data plans.
Re:5GiB, $60 (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:5GiB, $60 (Score:3, Interesting)
Crowdsourcing the Data (Score:5, Interesting)
The app could tie into the 3G card and pull your approximate location, your carrier, and your average speed and upload it all to a server. As long as it doesn't also upload personal data, or your IP, etc, I can't foresee privacy issues (and it would be opt-in anyway).
With enough people running an app like this, the data could come together quite nicely and allow people to view a map overlayed with the different networks and average performance.
And I bet such a site could be supported by ad revenue. (3: Profit)
Re:5GiB, $60 (Score:2, Interesting)
What about roaming in other countries? (Score:3, Interesting)
How do you get data service overseas?
Re:It wasn't a fair comparison (Score:4, Interesting)
For an even more controlled test you'd need to use the same server hardware and same application layer protocols on each network.
Unfortunately, while this would be a great test for wireless transfer speed it's not a good test of actual browsing/downloading.
How to Choose a 3G Service (Score:2, Interesting)
Example: Metro North commuter train in NYC:
Notes about using Sprint Mobile Broadband:
Its called the stompbox. (Score:1, Interesting)
is an OSS Mobile 3G/WiFi Router Project.