UPDATED!
New York – AT&T’s 4G LTE
network delivers faster data downloads than Verizon’s LTE network, but
Verizon’s LTE network delivers faster uploads, PC World found in
of network speeds in 13 cities.
AT&T’s average download
speeds hit 9.56Mbps compared to Verizon’s 7.35Mbps. Verizon’s LTE upload speeds
averaged 5.85Mbps compared to AT&T’s 5.15Mbps.
AT&T’s LTE network, however,
is much smaller than Verizon’s LTE network. On April 19, Verizon Wireless will
roll out its 4G LTE network to 27 new markets, bringing 4G service to a total
of 230 markets and to two-thirds of the U.S. population. In contrast, as of
January, AT&T’s LTE network covered 74 million people in 32 markets in the
U.S. and Puerto Rico. The carrier, however, plans to double its LTE population
coverage by the end of 2012.
T-Mobile’s 4G HSPA+ 42 network
produced average download speeds of 5.53Mbps, while Sprint’s 4G Mobile WiMAX
service delivered average 2.81Mbps downloads, the tests found. Sprint, however,
will begin this year to convert to 4G LTE.
PC World also measured 3G network
speeds and classified the T-Mobile and AT&T HSPA+21 networks as 3G along
with the CDMA EV-DO Rev. A networks of Sprint and Verizon. T-Mobile’s HSPA+ 21
network was the fastest of the “3G” networks with average download speeds of
3.84Mbps. AT&T’s HSPA+21 network followed with average downloads of
2.62Mbps.Verizon was third with 1.05Mbps, and Sprint was fourth with an average
0.59 Mbps.
AT&T contends its HSPA+21
network is 4G and, when combined with its LTE network., delivers 4G service in
markets reaching almost 250 million people.
The tests used smartphones and
were conducted in Atlanta, Boston,
Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York, San
Francisco, San Jose, Seattle and Washington
D.C.
For its part, Verizon disagreed with the assessment of its LTE speed, contending that “the vast majority of highly regarded third-party studies and tests consistently place Verizon Wireless 4GLTE network and data services at the head of the pack in terms of speed, quality and reliability.”
