AT&T and Verizon LTE Networks Compared 116
adeelarshad82 writes "AT&T launched a speedy 4G LTE network in five cities on Sunday, and the question that comes to mind is how it compares to Verizon Wireless' 4G LTE system. Well, according to the eight rounds of testing conducted in Houston, Texas, Verizon may have something to worry about. Downloads over the AT&T network averaged about 24Mbps and peaked at 42.85Mbps, the fastest cellular connection seen to date. Just as interesting as the sheer download speeds were the connection quality results: Pingtest.net generally rated the network an A or a B, good enough for video chat or gaming."
Re:Gaming...? (Score:5, Interesting)
Agreed.
There is nobody on AT&T's network.
Its easy to be fast when your company currently offers virtually zero devices to run on its brand spanking new LTE network.
Give it a few months then the Movie streamers show up.
Then again, who can possibly use this speed when the current usage caps are so tight? Is it really that important to get
that email or that tweet that much faster? Forget movies, forget video-chat. No one can afford it with the tiers they have
set up.
Lets hope AT&T applies all $39 Billion bucks they will save by not being allowed to buy T-Mobile, adds in the $19 billion [pcmag.com]
already planned, and builds a first class LTE network that can actually carry the load.
Uncongested (Score:5, Interesting)
From the article:
Of course, we're comparing a loaded Verizon network full of Droid Bionics and HTC Thunderbolts to a brand-new AT&T system just out of the wrapping paper.
Fact is, AT&T has screwed up, without exception, every single aspect of my life they've managed to touch. I had their cable service for a little while when my former provider sold out to AT&T. Fortunately, I moved shortly after that. Their residential phone service is woefully expensive. Their cellular service cuts out consistently, and I can barely get a signal (which is an improvement that only happened in the last two years--before that, I was SOL trying to use my company-issued AT&T phone) where I work in downtown Atlanta. I had 1.5 Mbps DSL at my house, as they didn't have any speed faster than that, until I figured out one day that Comcast had 16 Mbps service for a lower price.
Right now, AT&T has exactly zero--zero--LTE smartphones on its network, so yeah, I don't doubt it's fast. I simply do not trust the network to hold up to a real-life data load, though, so no thanks.
who can use this speed with the current usage caps (Score:4, Interesting)
Exactly. Assume the 250MB cap. At the 24Mbps quoted in TFS, that's 2 minutes.