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Testing shows AT&T's 3G network outperforms Verizon's
Start-up mobile network performance monitoring company Root Wireless said it has mapped out the networks of AT&T and Verizon in seven major markets where both companies offer 3G service and found that AT&T's HSPA network beat out Verizon's EV-DO network in a variety of metrics, including download speeds and signal strength.
Verizon Wireless has been hammering AT&T with its 3G coverage ads featuring maps that tout its 3G coverage as being five times greater than AT&T's. AT&T in turn markets itself as America's fastest 3G network. Meanwhile, iPhone users continue to complain about the quality of AT&T's 3G network.
Root Wireless CTO Ron Dicklin said AT&T is getting a bad rap because of Verizon's aggressive ad campaigns and the high expectations of iPhone customers. "AT&T has a much more stable higher-speed average than Verizon," Dicklin told Telephony. "In general you're going to get a much more balanced experience with AT&T than you would with Verizon in areas where they both have 3G."
Root examined AT&T's and Verizon's networks in Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles-Orange County, New York, San Francisco, Seattle-Tacoma and Washington, D.C. Its data found that AT&T's average download speed ranged from 246 kb/s to 428 kb/s across the seven markets, while Verizon's average speeds ranged from 195 kb/s to 259 kb/s.
This past summer, PC World tested network performance in 13 major cities with testing partner Navarum. The test concluded that mobile broadband networks from Sprint and Verizon performed better than AT&T's in terms of reliability.
For more:
- check out this Telephony article
Related articles:
Putting 3G networks to the test
Another test puts AT&T last in mobile broadband performance
AT&T outlines plans for increasing HSPA data speeds and bandwidth
Comments
Posted by Anonymous | December 7, 2009 - 9:38am
So in little nobody company worked in seven whole markets to show ATT had better 3G speeds than Verizon? Really a whole seven markets... impressive.
Speed is great... if you're in an area serviced by 3G with enough backhaul. Verizon's point is ATT just doesn't have enough of them...
ATT's recent commercials on talking while surfing.. well that only works if you're in a 3G area... which goes back to Verizon's point... there just isn't enough of them.
Posted by Dan K | December 7, 2009 - 9:56am
In my experience, AT&T offers unacceptable levels of performance in NY, Boston, San Francisco and Orlando. This isn't based solely upon the observed speed of the connection. This is based upon dropped connections, extremely slow connections and, on many occasions, it is not possible to make a network connection on AT&T at all.
Posted by Mike Samke | December 7, 2009 - 9:57am
They payed them, to say this. All I can say is that in Chicago Att just blows. Verizon works 15 times better then Att and signal strength in Chicago from Att is so bad that my words cant even express it.
Posted by Anonymous | December 7, 2009 - 10:13am
In St. Louis, AT&T completely blows. I have had more problems over the past three months than when I have started being their customer over 4 years ago. I currently have a very high rate of dropped calls (over 75%), data connections that quit constantly, and lucky if I can get over 200kbps. Obviously, this company didn't do a thorough job of investigating wireless networks.
Posted by Anonymous | December 7, 2009 - 10:22am
After five years with AT&T in NTC Metro I'm switching to Verizon. The network has become unusable with anywhere from 4 to 15 dropped calls a day in Manhattan. When my laptop card connects, I'm lucky to get 200k. It's been almost a year since it went from terrific to horrible for me. It goes from tolerable to bad on a weekly basis. Maybe losing subscribers will wake them up.
This is just what killed AT&T ten years ago.
Posted by Anonymous | December 7, 2009 - 10:26am
I will also confirm that AT&T sucks in NYC/Manhattan. I get dropped calls all the time and I'm lucky if I can get signal in my apartment consistently. I also think it's funny that there is an assumption that iPhone customers have higher expectations. I don't think that wanting to minimize dropped calls and be able to connect to the network while in my apartment are high expectations, do you?
Posted by Anonymous | December 8, 2009 - 11:13pm
I beg to differ I'm located in NYC/manhattan and da connection on my iPhone is not that bad wen I download movies with download manager I get an average of 230kb/s
and I have only had 2-3 dropped calls since I got da phone (2 months ago) so I think your jus hatin on AT&T and tryin to
make them look bad unless ur phone is broken or sumthin
Posted by SUCKSFORATT&T | December 7, 2009 - 10:40am
I own an Android my girlfriend has an Iphone. We are on them constantly. I can tell you first hand experience that when we travel, I can download apps, run GPS, stream live music all while on a phone call. The Iphone, while impressive, loses all singal once out of the Nashville area and you can froget downloading so much as even one app. UNREAL how much AT&T SUCKS. The sole reason I stayed with Verizon afer years of Iphone envy.
Posted by Anonymous | December 7, 2009 - 3:39pm
I call BS on this, first of all, it is not technically possible to surf and speak on CDMA network. One at a time sir. For you gf service, who cares, she has an iPhone.
Posted by Anonymous | December 10, 2009 - 9:06pm
You're thinking of 1xRTT. If you've got an EVDO Rev A device AND are using EVDO Rev A then you should be able to do both voice and data at the same time.
I know I was really surprised when I was using data and had a call come in and was able to continue using data while talking on the phone.
As long as you have an EVDO rev A connection you should be good for both. As usual for AT&T, a day late and a network short while trying to steal another dollar from the customer's pocket.
Posted by Anonymous | December 7, 2009 - 2:12pm
I would love to see how Sprint performed in these markets in comparison to AT&T. Based on my own experience and reading the PC World, Gizmodo and Boy Genius testing I would think Sprint would come out on top.
Posted by Anonymous | December 7, 2009 - 3:41pm
One would expect Sprint to be the best because they are servicing 47 million people on a network that can potentially handle 80 million. AT&T is running a network that hasn't caught up to it speed in mergers and acquisition, yet. Not to mention, the iPhone.
Posted by Anonymous | December 7, 2009 - 4:05pm
Non of the carriers knew the impact the iphone would have on a mobile network. If any of the carriers were to have the iphone it would have place a similar strain on the network.
AT&T actually had the most bandwith and backhaul than any other carrier prior to iphone. The iphone uses as much data as 4 Blackberry devices. So if they sold 2 million iphones that is = to 8 million and it was overnight.
If AT&T wasn't the best fit for the iphone do we think Steve Jobbs would have trusted his baby(iphone) on it. There was extensive research done prior to AT&T won the bid for iphone. That product is a luxary all about quality thus why AT&T was chosen.
Posted by Anonymous | December 7, 2009 - 4:21pm
Really... all about ATT's 'amazing quality' and not about how much money ATT was willing to give Apple per handset. Riiiight. What's funny is ATT's CEO actually thinks it's the network that keeps people with ATT and not the handset. Hopefully we'll put that to the test soon.
Posted by Anonymous | December 10, 2009 - 9:24pm
He didn't go to AT&T, he had to settle for second best network because Verizon wanted to take too much control and lock/limit functionality and play their games and Steve wouldn't go along with it. Ultimately, Verizon (IMO) screwed up by not taking the iPhone, but - then again - by skipping on it and letting AT&T have it, they learned at AT&T's expense the true network impact such a device has on a network when it takes off like the iPhone did. Hopefully they've used the time to build up and prepare.
I'm a verizon customer NOT for their phones, but for their customer service and their network, two things that (for me at least) no other carrier has come close to matching verizon in terms of quality and performance. The rare times I have an issue, or just a question, I can usually get it take care of with one phone call, to one person, in just a few minutes. I rarely have network problems, and when I do they usually end up being the phone's fault for one reason or another.
All of that said, Verizon's practice of crippling phone features, nickel and diming us for every little conceivable item, and related shady dealings have been enough to get me to almost leave several times. I don't because ultimately every carrier does something reproachable, and for me, in the grand scheme of things, crippled phones are the least evil of the bunch (most of the time).
Posted by CMC | December 7, 2009 - 4:34pm
Remember when Cingular was touting "the fewest dropped calls" and nearly EVERYONE was dropping calls all over the country? Remember also, that during that same time, people were suing Cingular like crazy and filing significant complaints with the FCC? How funny that AT&T is now touting it's network when it is so widely known that in many cities, it is absolute rubbish. Their 3G technology is by far superior to EVDO but it's unfortunate that it's just not available in even many large cities. Technically, it's there, but considering it barely works. Forget about making a call at peak time. It's a joke! Even non-peak times is tough.
Posted by Anonymous | December 7, 2009 - 5:19pm
I have both an iPhone and the Droid and I live in Chicago. Not even close in network speeds. Verizon Kills AT&T. Maybe if you are standing right next to both towers the AT&T speed is faster but I hardly have a full 3G signal anywhere in Chicago with AT&T.
Posted by Anonymous | December 7, 2009 - 5:49pm
Well I have T-Mobile and its slow everywhere! Wait you are talking about real networks! Sorry!
Posted by WilliamC | December 7, 2009 - 9:21pm
These claims by these the top four carriers has everyone in an uproar. This is what happens when you fall for those slick advertisements in print, mail and tv. THE IPHONE HAS PLACED A BURDEN ON AT&T'S NETWORK PLUS THOSE FREE PHONES WITH FREE ACCESSORIES AND WHAT EVER SLICK DEALS THEY CAN DREAM UP. THIS IS THE END RESULT WHEN YOU RUN TO THEM. VERIZON IS THE SAME WAY. THEY THINK THEY ARE THE GREATEST AT EVERY THING. NO ONE ELSE COMES EVEN CLOSE. THIS IS WHY THOSE TWO HAVE A STRANGLEHOLD ON TELECOMMUNICATIONS IN AMERICA. CONSUMERS FALL FOR ANYTHING THEY SAY. WE HAVE TO LOOSEN UP THEIR GRIP!!! GIVE YOUR BUSINESS TO ALL CARRIERS LARGE OR SMALL. HELP YOUR CELLULAR CARRIER TODAY BUY A SERVICE OR PRODUCT - NOT JUST A PHONE AND A PLAN.
Posted by Anonymous | December 7, 2009 - 9:45pm
"I would love to see how Sprint performed in these markets in comparison to AT&T"
In the competitive drive in my market, Sprint came in second above Verizon, but below AT&T.
"Remember when Cingular was touting "the fewest dropped calls"
Yes, and any claims made such as this are verified by third party testing, and are severely scrutinized before being made. At one time, Cingular did have the fewest dropped calls. You don't see Verizon disputing AT&T's claim of the fastest network, do you?
One thing that needs to be remembered is that most peoples' perceptions of any network is seen through their handset. NOBODY thinks their phone is at fault until it simply won't power up. Somehow, people think their equipment is always perfect and the network is at fault. How does anyone know? Sure, you and your friend's phone may behave the poorly in the same area, and no matter what there will be problems. But, keep in mind, any customer's look into the quality of service is solely through the handset. Not all handsets are created equally...even the newest ones.
Posted by Anonymous | December 11, 2009 - 1:24pm
So much for Root and their CEO's credibility with statements like AT&T is getting a bad rap. There is a reason why AT&T is getting a bad rap and it is their own fault.
Posted by Fred | February 1, 2010 - 11:22pm
I have been an AT&T cell customer since 1996. I very rarely get any dropped calls and only have a normal phone (not a smart phone). I live in Orange county NY where coverage does stink though. But were I do have coverage I dont get dropped. Now as far as 3G there is none here yet.
Now, my son has the iPhone and HE has problems so it does seem that it's the iPhone fault with all those dropped calls because he never had any problems before he bought the iPhone. My other son has a Blackberry and also does not get any dropped calls. But the bottom line is that AT&T needs to upgrade and add towers quickly in Orange county NY!
Posted by Anonymous | February 6, 2010 - 12:59pm
wow seriously. iv had verizon for a couple of years now and the only time i ever didnt have service is when i went 75 feet underground! i live in tucson arizona and i have amazing 3g service while my atnt friends sitting right next to me have NADA!
Posted by TrinitiComm | February 9, 2010 - 1:56am
I had at&t since 2002 until last week. Since 2004 I have had about 5 Blackberries with my last one being a Bold 9700. I did not have a dropped call issue at all on at&t. In fact I was very impressed with their network performance. One time in a north suburb of Detroit I called my wife when I walked out of my client's door. I talked to her all the way home during a 4 hour drive, and even went inside my home and didn't drop a call once. I was blown away. My problem with at&t is that they suck and couldn't care less about their customers. But I can say that I was not impressed with their 3G service I had on my aircard. It dropped signal like crazy in areas with 4 or 5 bars. And a lot of places didn't have 3G at all that you would think should have it. That sucked being on the flintstone connection when I needed to get things done quickly. Since they don't value their customers and their 3G was grossly inadequate for my needs, I decided to leave and go to Verizon. I have a Storm2 and can't wait to see if their network is as good as "they" say. Signal strength is definitely lower here in Canton, OH but no complaints yet in terms of performance.
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