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Verizon’s next-generation 4G LTE network went live yesterday, and for those of you wonder, yes. It is fast. We’ve just been forwarded some initial speed test results for the Washington DC metro area (just a hop, skip and a jump from our Baltimore home) and the numbers put Sprint’s WiMAX network to shame. The highest downlink speed achieved was 10.6 Mbps, while the lowest was 6.59Mbps. Compare that to Sprint’s highest of 2.62Mbps, while the lowest is hard to determine because it seems their WiMAX 4G coverage was a bit more sparse than Verizon’s LTE.
We have yet to verify these results, but rest-assured: we will be doing our own speed tests in the very near future. Too bad there is not a single handset available on the seemingly zippy network until sometime next year. But if you are craving some quick mobile broadband, with these results as any indication you may want to invest in one of Verizon’s two 4G modem devices.
6-10 Mbps without any load on the network doesn’t seem like a success to me.
Hard to believe you’re seeing 2.62MB on Sprint. In CMH the slowest I’ve seen is just over 6Mbps and as high as 11.5Mbps. Typically I’m seeing around 8Mbps (for example: http://flic.kr/p/8YPrD4)
I’m with zorxd on this one. If these speeds can be maintained when they actually have some devices on the network, then I’ll be impressed. As it is now it wouldn’t be crazy if these tests were run as the only person on that network node at the time.
I live between DC and B’more and spend time on Sprint’s WiMax network in both areas. I’ve yet to have a complaint about the speed in either area, but I do wish the coverage was a little more fleshed out (especially right around my house).
I’m with zorxd also. Lets wait and see how it does when people are actually using it.
My best speed test in Houston is 9.4 mbps on Sprint 4g.
FAIL. They have a long way to go before they hit 100mbps. :-/
Verizon is gonna charge $50 for a 5gb plan. I told my boss sprint only charges $10 more for 4g and is unlimited. Now he got two evos and he is paying less and with 4g
I was going to say… 2.6mbps on Sprint is their highest? Maybe in the area they tested… with virtually no load… but KNOW Sprint can and does do better than that in some areas…
@Bela I think you mean a fully loaded network
Curious what device is receiving these speeds…is this a device that customers will use or is it a device that only Verizon will have for test purposes with more capabilities then the average phone…then as said earlier there is no load on the network…even so it would have to truly blow my mind to pay those prices Verizon is talking
That’s funny it’s not t mobile has a ton of people on their new hspa+ and you don’t see speeds nearly that good.
Tblow will soon be laid to waste by sprint and verizon
I’ve gotten 13.9 Mbps in Laurel, MD on Sprint WiMax
sprints 2.62mbps seems really low.
i can achieve 2.2-2.4mbps on 3g with my nexus in the philly area. gf’s my touch 4g get between 3-4 mbps usually
3rd with zorxd that speed isnt saying much without anyone using the network,
Thats pretty good speeds. Honestly anything above 3-4mbps is all you need on a mobile device. You can stream any video with that, and its not like you’re going to be downloading GB files with your mobile.
What about the Latency though? Sprints WiMax has awful ping times, TMobile HSPA+ is pretty good with ~ 60-90ms.
Why do bloggers continue to write these posts and NOT point out that 4G is a myth.
The quoted speeds are a 10th of what they should be for 4G, and the carriers are charging a premium for it.
This is nothing more than 3G over clocked. Instead of adding to the hype and misinformation, warn your readers they are getting ripped off.
I’ve gotten 7.22 so far on sprints wimax
I’m (partially) with Justin. 4-3mbps is more than enough for the majority of smartphone users who just browse, stream music and videos and use apps. but there are other users like me who also tether and use that network for gaming, downloading files, video conferencing, remote assistance, etc and of course the faster the better. I’ve been using TMO’s 3G and when coverage isn’t choppy, it isnt half bad and now that i’m in that upgrade/switch time frame, i’m looking forward to trying out LTE, HSPA+ and WiMax (though i doubt i’ll switch to a carrier where i cant get a reasonably piced unlimited.)
3.2 – 5Mbps on a regular old NON-4G Samsung Vibrant in KC
@Bobert. There are plenty of people on Tmo’s nework. Even the original G1 can take advantage of HSPA up to 7.2. Thats whats nice about their upgrade path, lots of existing hand sets can take advantage. My Galaxy S which is HSPA 7.2 has gotten a high of 5.73 MBs down. Thats pretty close to its max. And like Justin said, 3-4 mbps is all you need to run well.
getting 17mbps here in okc on LTE… quite impressed personally!
I work in orlando and they have HSPA+ there and i have reached 10.6 mbps here. and it is pretty sweet. But i wonder how LTE will compare. and also anyone here ATT commercials saying they have the fastest mobile network and claiming all the other companies are just lying?
My good friend manages several wireless contracts for his company as an IT manager type. He has some executives on Sprint in Charlotte NC and he says that the 3G is actually faster than the WiMax. Pretty pathetic.
Looking forward to how the 4G works in Orlando.
I have a G2
Anything above 2mbps is higher than my DSL connection. I’ll take it.
10.3mbps on sprint in houston
I’ve had T-mobile (for right about 10 years) and HSPA+ speeds were respectable usually hitting around 2mbps (I always questioned people that claim much higher). I switched to Verizon and regular 3G speeds are 2-2.5mbps. Verizon’s network is huge, I don’t see that having it loaded down with their customers will slow it as much as people want to say it will. I also don’t mind waiting on a phone for it because one thing I learned about Verizon is that they take their time and do things right. I dont care that its not 4G and most people dont. What matters is that it is faster than the competition.
HSPA+ for the win!
Bottom line is do research in your area Sprint T-mobile or Verizon now could be the fastest in your area for me I am in CHicago area and T-mobile blows everyone outta the water in speeds I have tested friends Evos and Epics and My Vibrant gets better speeds without being fully compatible with hspa+
And yes T-mobile can talk and surf web at same time part of the requirement to be 4G I dont think Sprint can yet not sure about Verizon LTE and none of the actual speeds for it yet.
@ Drizzle if you switched to Verizon you most likely were never on hspa+ network since they are upgrading all the time now you were using regular hspa and yes 1-3 were average for that now I am averaging about 5 or higher.
Tad,
Sprint’s Wimax is a slow pig here in MD and most of the time, you can’t even access it when indoors. Wimax does offer speeds that are faster then Sprint’s 3G, but on average, Sprint’s 3G is faster and is available indoors.
I’m thinking Wimax can be always faster then it’s 3G when one can get a good connection, but you have to be outside for that. Maybe that’s why Sprint’s 4G (Wimax) sux! I think the problem is the frequency Wimax runs on; it’s to high in the spectrum at current power levels.
Actually reached double digits in NYC. Another factor is the more people connect to LTE, the more the numbers decrease. It is impressive right now, but I want to see those numbers when AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, possibly Sprint/Clearwire, US Cellular, and MetroPCS all connected to LTE.
Highest I’ve seen on Sprint’s Wimax network via my Evo was 13.5 Mbps. Where are you getting 2.whatever?
Yea I get higher speeds on my 3G on sprint then I do on my home DSL…on 4G w/ Sprint I’ve hit 8 MBs down
Sprint has terrible coverage and the Evo is a terrible phone; I would suggest switching from Sprint or Verizon to ATT and get an iphone. Even an old 2g is better than most android phones, i’ve had two Evo’s(black and white) and while i can definately say that the White Evo has better conenctivity than the old black one, neither can hold a candle to my iphone
screw u matt
LTE will be akin to WiMax at first in that as long as you are getting LTE reception you can talk and surf at the same time. T-Mo has always has limited roll-out and they were just dropping their 3G network not long ago. Here in Houston if you even remotely leave the city proper, you don’t even get 3G on T-Mo anymore much less HSPA+. At least with Verizon you’d get LTE in the city and 3G everywhere else.
bah, got me
@NoKal62 First of all, take a look around before you start talking all that jazz. lol you are barking up the wrong tree. Secondly…Hate much?? Evo is terrible and Iphone 4 is better? LOL! Sure. Just make sure you dont hold you phone while you are talking on it…might not get signal. On top of that the white Evo is the same exact phone. haha IE my red Mustang is faster than your Blue one. lol Not to mention that compared to the awesome screen and power of the Evo your iphone is nothing more than a candle. What a fan boy. rofl knife
lol, scroll up champ i was just messing with another poster…
i see that now…now i feel like a chump not a champ. all in fun :D
NoKal62 = dumb….are you serious…you lost all credibility when you said iphone, then you just looked dumb when you said the white one connects better that the black one…then you just looked plain ignorant when you said they can’t hold a candle to an iPhone….fanboys like you really show just how shallow and pathetic your gene pool really is….now go put on your Ed Hardy shirt and matching skinny jeans and run into oncoming traffic!! thanks for stopping by!
HSPA+ for the win! also that being said show me these same numbers again when they get capable devices using the network. LTE is still fairly new and not many utilize LTE give it till next summer and those speeds aren’t gonna be so high as they are. Remember on average Verizon planned for LTE to get 5-12mbps and thats pretty much what it is gonna look like with the network loaded with LTE handsets and Laptop usb’s and cards accessing that same network.
I’m laughing at NoKal expaining himself, the other poster admits he didn’t catch on, and the next poster flames NoKal again. Reading Comprehension is one amazing gift.
AT&T isn’t even competing and as far as competition goes with speeds and AT&T, T-mobil is whooping your asses.
*T-Mobile
lol…sorry all who are reading NoKal62’s baseless posts…he’s just a coworker that’s messing with me cause he knows how much i’ll defend android over apple…lol. All in fun, don’t bash him too much ;p
seriously folks, ATT is terrible and apple can’t touch what Android is doing to this industry..
VIVA ANDROID (cept for the iphone 2g, it’s still the best!)
Too bad this 4g will only be in major cities
i get 6.2 mbps down and 3mbps up on atts network
NoKal62
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I’m really sorry to see the major carriers, who I assume, are members of ITU-R brand their products as 4G when that body has an agreed upon spec (IMT-Advanced) for 4G having download speeds bursting to 1GB/sec.
4G is supposed to be leaps and bounds faster than 3G not an incremental bump. I wonder what they will call a 4G product when they finally produce one.
@ David Snow – 4G is representing a 4th gen of data. ITU-R just recently decided by looking at 6 current technologies, that Wi-Max 2 and LTE-Advanced are worthy of a 4G name, not what the carriers are currently advertising it as. I understand where you are coming from, but the problem is, no one cares. We are looking at much higher speeds compared to 3G. Every major carrier are already calling the speeds 4G. It will never change. It will only harm consumers by confusing them later if they change it to something else. ITU-R standards/goals are too high for our economy and for our real-life usage and needs. ITU-R needs to accept the new speeds as 4G and change their requirement to 5G.
@latoso – Did you also tell your boss that $50 for 5GB on Verizon is only for USB modems, so your comparison to Sprint’s $10 4G fee is completely irrelevant? Sprint’s 5GB data plan for USB modems is actually $10 more than Verizon. Thanks.
I use Sprints network Alpharetta Georgia, a suburb to Atlanta, I average 7-8Mbps on Sprints 4g network on my EVO..Highest was 10.10mbps…I have never seen anything as low as 2.6. But so far for me, Sprints 4g network has been just something to tinker with for kicks. It uses way to much battery life, and in atlanta, sprints 3g network is sufficient for facebooking, twitter, google reader, quick searches etc.
Only true benefit I have seen is on a computer that is using a DSL connection.
@Garet nope I was on HSPA+ with T-mo. Trust I know what I’m talking about. Much happier on Verizon 3G. Not only that, I got 3G anywhwere I go. T-mo second I left the city, back down to Edge or worse. For someone that travels alot, didnt work well for me.
I tested out some of the new VZW LTE USB adapters at the store down the street on Sunday evening (roll-out day). I’m quite sure that I was probably the only person on the surrounding towers using LTE this early on, so the results are obviously skewed.
I tried two different demo HP Netbooks in the store and ran quite a few tests on each. The highest speedtest.net or speakeasy download result I saw was 21.88Mb/sec. Average seemed to be around 15-17. Highest upload speed I saw was 15.37Mb/sec, with the average being around 10-12.
Needless to say, I’m impressed and can’t wait for the LTE Android phones to start rolling out. It will also be interesting to see how this new network stands-up to heavy usage.
One thing is for sure: the LTE coverage area that VZW activated in Middle Tennessee yesterday is really impressive. They now have LTE well outside of the boundaries of where AT&T and the others even have 3G service (go figure) and slapped the two-month-old Sprint/Clearwire WiMax coverage area in the mouth. Damn shame too, as Clearwire has been operating this network in Middle Tennessee for nearly three years now.
@mytwocents….David Snow is absolutely right and it is ludicrous that you would even think of suggesting that the ITU-T which is the Global standards body should tailor standards to suit the whims of some over-eager sales people in the US. This is the sort of arrogant and ignorant thinking that gives the US its bad name. Remember that %95 of the people on Earth do NOT live in America.
My speed test was 18.6 down 5.7 up at 60mph. :-)
But can they do voice and data at the same time?
Teckel: How are we supposed to test voice on a USB laptop adapter? :)
When the phones come out, they will be able to use voice and data simultaneously. This has been well documented for several months now.
The biggest problem with Sprint WiMax that I’ve seen is the band range. The 2.4ghz spectrum seems a little weak against building barriers. For instance, in my house I have almost no signal except for atop my cabinets in my kitchen near the side of my house. My RSSI there isn’t bad, but my CINR is horrible (about 18-19) (plus I lose connection when my microwave turns on lol)but as soon as I step outside, i get consistent speeds of 12-15mbps. At my office, inside and outside, we are consistently between 15-20mbps (close to downtown houston)
The Verizon LTE network I think runs in the 850mhz band and they claim it will have better building penetration at that band than WiMax.
Either way, its a new era and I’m excited about the prospects of the future as well. 10 years ago, the idea of highspeed wireless was only a dream reserved for sci-fi buffs wanting flying cars. How quickly things change… How quickly…
I got speeds up to 26.1 Mbps with 4g way faster than sprints
I got a Clearwire 4G usb, I get 5.3 mbps download, and 1 mbps upload. I pay $60 per month for a 4g home modem, and an 4g usb, unlimited usage, no data cap. About the speed, it may looks not so fast, but in the reality when you go to a site like hulu, youtube or netflix, you see no difference in the performance if you compare with verizon 4G LTE or even super fast cable internet like comcast service. In the future the winner is going to be CLEARWIRE, because they got the wimax network, and they are testing LTE also, so we will see dual mode wimax/lte devices in the future. The future is mobility, the future is now.
@ Latoso & Skylinedrifter: TOTALLY AGREE
With all these “APPS” & iTune songs & movies they cram down our throat they want us to buy and download- these speeds aren’t up to par. We shouldn’t be waiting for the technology to catch up…..100 MBS, now that’s what I would root for any day! People would buy more if we didn’t have to wait all day to download! Certainly not impressed yet.