Which is the Best 3G Network in the U.S.?
The spread of 3G networks in the U.S. has taken off at long last. The four major players in the U.S. 3G game, Verizon, AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile, all offer 3G services, and those who are considering stepping up to the 3G plate have to make a big decision when in comes to carrier choice. Our friends at Engadget have published a good analysis of the four carriers as far as 3G goes, and that is the first place that prospective 3G customers should turn. Their findings are quite good, but it is imperative that 3G customers remember the three things that matter most as far as 3G coverage is concerned: location, location and location. If you doubt that, see what happened when Kevin forgot that maxim.
There are actually two locations that factor in the most when it comes to 3G coverage: where you are and where you go. You can get widely different test results from all four carriers just sitting in one spot no matter where in the U.S. you might be. The only thing that really matters is how a carrier performs where you use it most, and then how it performs everywhere you are likely to roam. Unfortunately, it’s not always the same carrier that does best in all of those locations, and that’s what makes it so hard to claim a victor in the best 3G network contest.
My own experience is pretty stable for me, strictly based on where I have used 3G over the years. I find that Verizon almost always performs well in the places I use it most, both home and while traveling. I have encountered numerous 3G connectivity issues with AT&T, both in my home town and traveling to large cities. Sprint performs well when coverage is good, but it doesn’t always turn up with good coverage everywhere Verizon does. T-Mobile is the new kid on the block and, in my own experience using it, its coverage is worse as a result.
I actually thought that this was an absolutely horrible comparison. They don’t say anything about the locations that they tested in.
It’s slightly dated now, but Gizmodo’s was much better.
http://gizmodo.com/5111989/the-definitive-coast+to+coast-3g-data-test
I agree with Joe’s comment. The Engadget comparison was pretty poor and paled in comparison to the one that Gizmodo do a few months back. My experience with Verizon, Sprint, and AT&T was very similar to yours. I’m surprised that they performed no real world tests and basically relied on stat sheet information to create their comparison.
Interesting. In Australia we have the Big Ex government company Telstra then the “smaller” competitors. My phone is with Optus, my wireless broadband is with Vodafone. I am astounded at the poor service and coverage of both of these. My sone deserted Optus ercently and returned to Telstra and his speed, reliability and coverage went up dramatically. Telstra is more expensive but in this case you definitely pay for what you get.
For the sake of disclosure I am working under contract to Telstra.
I had the T-Mobile 3G USB dongle for two weeks and returned it. Even though T-Mobile is HQed here in Seattle, coverage was iffy. I now have the MiFi from Verizon, and it works brilliantly. 5 days of use = about 75 megs of data. I take it and use it everywhere.
Download speeds per Speak Easy are 1.2-2.0 Megs. Upload ranges from 400k-600k.
Highly recommended so far..
I’m in Youngstown, OH, and I have the same experience as you…. Alltel/Verizon coverage is pretty solid (I just dislike the way Verizon overcharges for gimped phones), and Sprint’s is right in line here, since it can at least roam to the Verizon/Alltel towers.
Meanwhile, AT&T and T-Mobile absolutely suck here.
Your friends over at Engadget need to stay off the crack-pipe. Engadgets so-called test are completely manufactured.
The variability of 3G takes some getting used to. In the UK, if you’re serious about mobile connectivity, you really need to have accounts with more than one operator. In the days when you could only get subscription accounts, that was too expensive for ordinary mortals. But as the prices have tumbled a lot and pat-as-you-go deals have been introduced by most operators, it’s not unreasonable to have PAYG dongles from different operators, which increases your chances of getting something usable when you’re out and about.
All the same, once you’re out of urban areas, all you’re likely to get is GPRS, and that’s almost unusable.