AT&T is crowing about its mobile broadband network, as it’s pointing to independent studies which find its 3G network to be 20-60% faster than the nearest competitor. But will AT&T get left behind as Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon quickly move to 4G?
The second-largest carrier said that a Global Wireless Solutions study checked out 400 U.S. markets covering 88% of the population and this found that AT&T’s 3G network was significantly faster than similar networks from the competition. The study found that AT&T’s network was 20% faster, on average, than the nearest competitor, which it did not identify.
What this means in real-world terms is that downloading a 40 megabyte MP3 album on the second-largest carrier would download about a minute faster than on other 3G networks.
“We’re very pleased with the nationwide results of GWS drive testing, which demonstrate that we’re delivering a superior mobile broadband experience on a nationwide basis,” said John Donovan, AT&T’s chief technology officer, in a prepared statement. “Our top priority for the weeks and months to come is to continue our focus on network enhancements and improvements to ensure continued access to fast mobile broadband speeds and reliable voice service.”
AT&T has always had a strong 3G network … if you could get it. The problem has always been the congestion in major markets like New York and San Francisco which make the theoretical limits not matter.
Additionally, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon competitors are making a strong push for the next generation of mobile data networks, or 4G. Sprint has been offering this for more than a year now and it has multiple devices which can take advantage of it (EVO and Epic).
Verizon is pushing out its 4G LTE network in December and this should provide about 6 to 8 Mbps on average. T-Mobile is touting its HSPA+ network as 4G and this is delivering 21 Mbps to users.
AT&T also has an HSPA+ network which it plans to invest billions in and it will begin rolling out its 4G LTE network in the middle of next year.
[Via AT&T]