Verizon Beats Sprint in Set of 1000 4G Speed Tests
Verizon Beats Sprint in Set of 1000 4G Speed Tests
Posted 04/01/2011 at 2:47pm
| by Ryan Whitwam
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Sprint had a good long run being the only carrier in the US with a real next generation 4G network. But with the launch of Verizon's LTE network, Sprint's WiMAX waves are looking a lot less wondrous. BTIG Research analyst Walter Piecyk performed 1000 speed tests using the HTC Evo 4G (Sprint) and HTC Thunderbolt (Verizon) in New York to see which network delivered the best 4G speeds. The result: Verizon destroyed Sprint.
The tests were done in a building, seeing as most mobile use happens indoors. Tests were run near a window, as well as situated more centrally in the structure. Verizon's LTE network delivered Average speeds of 9.1Mbps down, and 5.25Mbps up. Sprint could only manage 1.14Mbps down, and 0.66Mbps up. Ouch.
The likely reason for this is that Sprint's WiMAX network uses a 2500MHz band for data, and that high frequency does not penetrate buildings particularly well. Verizon's LTE is running on 700MHz, allowing better indoor service. The numbers might have been closer if the tests were performed outside, but the results are still not looking good for Sprint.
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Matarsak
April 04, 2011 at 10:08pm
I frequently get better than 1.14Mbps/0.66Mbps on my EVO... on 3G (EVDO). Something's fishy here.
davidflory
April 04, 2011 at 8:43am
Sounds fishy to me...I have the EVO with WiMAX and have tested inside and outside. True, outside is far better than inside. I have tested it and have gotten speeds up to 6Mbps for downloads and 2Mbps for uploads. My firend who has Verizon cannot even get LTE in this area at this time so I have no comparison except that he cannot even break 1Mbps up or down with his 3G speed. Essentially, to have an accurate test and evaluation, you have to run the tests in various locations, not just in one building.
Glorfindale
April 03, 2011 at 12:33pm
I do agree with both points about Evo and the network, but these results aren't surprising. The 700mhz spectrum was used for public television and has excellent building penetration. Also it allows the waive to bounce off buildings with minimal loss.
lordmidnight
April 01, 2011 at 9:21pm
I'm not so sure about this. Those are the kinds of speeds I get on EVDO. WiMax is only testing in a small area in my town right now, but the speeds on my wife's EVO are way faster than what I get on my Samsung Moment. Is it possible, maybe, that cell breathing played a factor in this? After all, the Thunderbolt just launched, but the EVO has been out for almost a year. There are probably a whole lot more people in New York using EVOs than Thunderbolts. They admit that the bands may have been a factor, and the results would have been different outside ... yet, they didn't test outside. It's almost as if they wanted to say "Verizon wins!" and just leave it at that, rather than find out how the two really stack up.
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