att vs verizon speeds

[Encyclopedia_b]

heres an interesting article ... i really dont know where the truth fits ... but more fuel to the fire:

AT&T Takes the Blame, Even for the iPhone’s Faults
By RANDALL STROSS
I LOVE my iPhone. I just wish it were matched with Verizon Wireless, the carrier with the most envied reputation as fast, ubiquitous, reliable, nigh perfect.

Consumer Reports has just released its annual survey of cellphone service, and its respondents collectively agree with me about the rankings: AT&T occupies the bottom and Verizon, the top.

My sense of Verizon’s superiority is confirmed every time I see a “there’s a map for that” Verizon commercial, graphically showing how far more extensive Verizon’s 3G network coverage is in less populated areas. And it is reinforced when AT&T executives publicly confess — as Ralph de la Vega, the chief executive and president of AT&T mobility and consumer markets, did last week at an industry conference — that the company’s wireless service in New York and San Francisco was “below our standards.”

When I set about looking for independent data, however, to confirm the superior performance of Verizon’s network, I was astonished to discover that I had managed to get things exactly wrong. Despite the well-publicized problems in New York and San Francisco, AT&T seems to have the superior network nationwide.

And the iPhone itself may not be so great after all. Its design is contributing to performance problems.

Roger Entner, senior vice president for telecommunications research at Nielsen, said the iPhone’s “air interface,” the electronics in the phone that connect it to the cell towers, had shortcomings that “affect both voice and data.” He said that in the eyes of the consumer, “the iPhone has the nimbus of infallibility, ergo, it’s AT&T’s fault.” AT&T does not publicly defend itself because it will not criticize Apple under any circumstances, he said. AT&T and Apple both declined to comment on Mr. Entner’s assessments.

Neither AT&T nor Verizon was willing to reveal its internal data on performance. But Global Wireless Solutions, one of the third-party services that run network tests for the major carriers, shared some of its current findings. The service dispatches drivers across the country with phones and laptops equipped with data cards. They have covered more than three million miles of roads this year, while running almost two million wireless data sessions and placing more than three million voice calls, said Paul Carter, the president.

The results place AT&T’s data network not just on top, but well ahead of everyone else. “AT&T’s data throughput is 40 to 50 percent higher than the competition, including Verizon,” Mr. Carter said. AT&T is a client and Verizon is not, he added.

More evidence that AT&T’s data network is head-and-shoulders above Verizon’s comes from Root Wireless, a start-up in Bellevue, Wash., that is developing software for consumers to install on their smartphones to do continuous network tests. This generates empirical data for consumers who “today are buried under opinions and advertising slogans,” said Paul Griff, the chief executive. Root Wireless has no business relationship with any carrier.

This year, Root Wireless ran 4.7 million tests on smartphones for each of the four major carriers, spread across seven metropolitan areas: Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles/Orange County, New York, Seattle/Tacoma, the San Francisco Bay Area, and Washington. In every market, AT&T had faster average download speeds and had signal strength of 75 percent or better more frequently than did Verizon. (A Verizon spokesman declined to comment about these test results or those of Global Wireless Solutions.)

I asked Ron Dicklin, chief technology officer at Root Wireless, how these results, showing AT&T as the clear leader, could be reconciled with the negative appraisal of Consumer Reports’ respondents. He explained that his company’s tests of AT&T’s data network were done with handsets other than the iPhone, which does not allow non-Apple programs like his to run in the background.

AT&T’s besting of Verizon in these tests is all the more remarkable considering the sudden jump in the volume of mobile data that its network has had to handle with the introduction of the iPhone 3G in 2008: approximately 4,000 percent.

Chetan Sharma, a telecommunications consultant whose clients have included AT&T and Verizon, said that when the network and the handset were improved, customers “just used it all the more.” AT&T didn’t anticipate the rate of growth and didn’t upgrade fast enough in some markets, he said. “Other operators have the luxury of watching and learning from AT&T,” he said, “which has the most number of next-generation smartphones, with full browsers and built-in video players.”

The data seem incontrovertible: AT&T, while meeting 4,000 percent growth in data use, has acquitted itself quite nicely. But the company is saddled with an awful public image as the perennial laggard.

AT&T and Apple could both gain by swapping talent.

Apple, send your marketing wizards to lend your partner a hand. It sorely needs help.

AT&T, send some engineers to redesign the iPhone to make better use of the country’s fastest wireless network.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/13/bu...gewanted=print

[Hatecrime69]

I remember hearing of this someplace else, but the thought that came to my mind is if the problem is apple's then why doesn't it seem to be an issue in other places? I've often heard of at&t problems with iphones, but don't personally recall hearing much issue in other countries? (even more so where the iphone is non-exclusive)

Personally, the 'apple is at fault' idea would hold more water if this could be proven in countries where the iphone is avaiable on multiple carriers, and actually run the tests on an iphone, jailbreak it if you have to

[Shadowless]

The only reason VZW is the top, is because their voice coverage is better then Sprint; even though Sprint roams on VZW.

As far as speeds, I've tested air cards and smartphones from Sprint, Verizon and AT&T. Sprint was the fastest, with Verizon a very close second (30-60kbits/sec slower), and AT&T bringing up the rear, usually finishing anywhere between 20%-30% slower then Sprint and Verizon. I gave AT&T's 3G network two tries; once when it first came out under the Cingular brand, and then this past March when I got my iPhone 3G through work. Both times have left me desiring more, and with AT&T's slow 3G network I was forced to have to use my Mogul for heavy mobile web surfing 90% of the time.

I wish the iPhone would come to Sprint, because I personally can't stand Verizon and will never give them a cent of my money.

[Elysian]

Originally Posted by Shadowless

The only reason VZW is the top, is because their voice coverage is better then Sprint; even though Sprint roams on VZW.

As far as speeds, I've tested air cards and smartphones from Sprint, Verizon and AT&T. Sprint was the fastest, with Verizon a very close second (30-60kbits/sec slower), and AT&T bringing up the rear, usually finishing anywhere between 20%-30% slower then Sprint and Verizon. I gave AT&T's 3G network two tries; once when it first came out under the Cingular brand, and then this past March when I got my iPhone 3G through work. Both times have left me desiring more, and with AT&T's slow 3G network I was forced to have to use my Mogul for heavy mobile web surfing 90% of the time.

I wish the iPhone would come to Sprint, because I personally can't stand Verizon and will never give them a cent of my money.

What's wrong with Verizon? I'm enjoying my time on them very much thus far, even called customer service today to see if they had a data only plan(since I have voip calling on my Droid now LOL), but they don't, but the agent was great to deal with. Prices are a little bit higher, spending about 10 more a month than I was on Sprint, but I've adapted using Google so that I have even more functionality, including unlimited texting and calling, all done over my unlimited data from Verizon.

[Hatecrime69]

Originally Posted by Elysian

What's wrong with Verizon? I'm enjoying my time on them very much thus far, even called customer service today to see if they had a data only plan(since I have voip calling on my Droid now LOL), but they don't, but the agent was great to deal with. Prices are a little bit higher, spending about 10 more a month than I was on Sprint, but I've adapted using Google so that I have even more functionality, including unlimited texting and calling, all done over my unlimited data from Verizon.

though a minor annoyance of their 'unlimited' data plan = 5gb/month

[Elysian]

Originally Posted by Hatecrime69

though a minor annoyance of their 'unlimited' data plan = 5gb/month

I couldn't even top 4GB tethering with my Pre on Sprint, even if you're right, it wouldn't effect me.

[Shadowless]

Originally Posted by Elysian

What's wrong with Verizon? I'm enjoying my time on them very much thus far, even called customer service today to see if they had a data only plan(since I have voip calling on my Droid now LOL), but they don't, but the agent was great to deal with. Prices are a little bit higher, spending about 10 more a month than I was on Sprint, but I've adapted using Google so that I have even more functionality, including unlimited texting and calling, all done over my unlimited data from Verizon.

I have a few reasons.

• Years ago I purchased some Nextel stock. When the Patent on iDEN's Push To Talk system ran out and Verizon implimented their first awful PTT system, they sued Nextel over the use of the phrase "Push To Talk". This caused Nextel stock to take a dip.
• My ex mother in law had them and every month she was calling them up because they overcharged her. And by every month, I mean literally every month on the dot. I can't take the chance of being in the same boat.
• They tried to screw my mother out of about $200 in rebates when she got FiOS. They also disconnected the Cable line going into her house even though she specifically instructed them not to, because we still had cable service going into the house. We had to pay the cable company to come in and run a new line, and Verizon refused to refund her the money it cost to fix THEIR mistake. The cable technician that was dispatched to my house told me that the Verizon is too cheap to run new lines, so they instruct their techs to use the existing cable lines regardless.
• They are just flat out more money and less features.

[Hatecrime69]

Originally Posted by Elysian

I couldn't even top 4GB tethering with my Pre on Sprint, even if you're right, it wouldn't effect me.

yeah, it's more of a technical annoyance, don't call it unlimited if it's not even if it's highly unlikely people will max it out