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Which of the major mobile provides has the fastest transfer speeds? We’ve seen a number of attempts to nail this down, and it seems that each time we get a different answer. A Gizmodo survey said Sprint. Another said AT&T. So which is it? PC World got into the game, and has found that AT&T is the fastest. This isn’t by any insignificant margin, either. Their average download speed is 60 percent faster than the next closest competitor, Verizon, and the average upload speed is 78 percent faster
We’ve seen a number of 3G routers released over the past year or so, mostly tied to specific carriers. This latest one, from NETGEAR and Ericsson, could be among the best. It combines an internal 3G radio with a traditional wireless router to provide customers with a primary or backup option for their Internet needs. After the jump, we’ll touch on some of the specifics.
One of the most difficult aspects of launching a 4G network is the transition. How does a carrier get its customers, already equipped with 3G devices, to sign up for 4G plans? Sprint thinks it has the answer. They’ve been releasing hybrid devices that can capture both 3G and 4G signal. This not only opens up 4G for more customers, but it allows customers in 3G markets to prepare for a 4G upgrade. Their latest, the Overdrive, is more than that. It’s a mobile hotspot, much like the MiFi that Verizon launched earlier this year. The device can send a 3G or 4G signal to up to five devices. It requires a contract, though — a two-year commitment to a service plan of $59, plus $99 for the device after a $50 mail-in rebate. It will be available January 10.
When shopping for a 3G mobile broadband package, consumers should expect two things: high prices, low caps. It’s not an ideal scenario, but it’s the situation we’re stuck with. That’s why we view the new DataJack mobile broadband plans with a twinge of skepticism. The company will launch the service at CES with an initial price of $39.99 per month, or about $20 less than the big carriers. While that by itself might be conceivable, the further details are not. There is no usage cap, and it doesn’t require a contract. So how is DataJack going to get away with this?
Every price decrease has to start somewhere. For mobile broadband, it might have started with T-Mobile. The last major U.S. carrier to offer mobile broadband services, T-Mobile stuck with the industry-wide cap of 5GB, but undercut its competitors by $10 per month, offering theirs at $50. They’re officially the cheapest of the Big Four now, and when one company lowers its price, the rest usually follow. So why haven’t we seen AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint knocking down their $60 monthly plans? Because T-Mobile, in terms of 3G, isn’t yet on the same level.
One of the biggest stories in the cellular world over the past few weeks is the spat between Verizon Wireless and AT&T. It started when Verizon ran ads mocking AT&T’s 3G coverage, noting that they cover much, much more of the country with 3G than AT&T. The two sides argued, with AT&T eventually filing suit against Verizon. In question is the definition of 3G coverage. Technically, by the accepted definition of 3G, Verizon did not lie in their ads. The truth, however, is not as clear cut.
As it currently stands, 3G wireless services are used mainly on two devices: cell phones and laptops (including netbooks). This is mainly due to limitations of 3G networks. Yes, they can cover large areas, but they’re limited in speed and capacity. This has led to a number of restrictions on their usage — companies limit both the types of devices which can connect to the network and the consumption levels of end users, usually capping them at 5GB per month. That could all change with more widespread 4G technology.
Despite worldwide financial shakiness, mobile broadband remains a growth industry. While that rate isn’t quite as high in America, across the Atlantic people are signing up for mobile broadband plans faster than ever. A recent study shows that mobile broadband subscriptions are outpacing their fixed line counterparts. This is no insignificant number: mobile broadband subscriptions project to around 600 million worldwide by the end of the year, while fixed line connections should number 500 million. Europe brings up the number, as around 1 in 5 people have mobile broadband connections. This signals the possibility of even greater growth over the next five years than originally projected.
Despite the downturn in the economy, revenue from cellular services continues to rise. It was up 13 percent from 2007 to 2008, and it could go up around 29 percent between 2008 and 2010. The biggest gain could come from 2009 through 2013, when broadband revenues are forecasted to more than double. With new technologies like WiMax and LTE entering the fray, operators could have a shiny new source of revenue. The only issue will be keeping the networks up and running at high capacity. If they can do that, carriers will be rewarded with billions from customers looking for an always-on, always-available Internet signal which replicates desktop broadband speeds.
It wasn’t long ago that we heard of MiFi, a pocket device which could convert a 3G mobile broadband signal into a Wi-Fi hotspot. That was for Verizon at the time, and now Sprint is coming back with some similar devices of its own (though Sprint does have the MiFi as well). Pictured above is the Sprint Personal Hotspot PHS300S, a device about as small as the MiFi and with similar capabilities. It can take EV-DO or WiMax modems and send out a Wi-Fi hotspot to up to four devices. Sprint also announced the Cradlepoint MBR-1000, which is a bigger version which can connect up to 32 devices. It also has the ability to create secure hotspots, a bit selling point for enterprise customers. The personal one goes for $159.99, and the 32-user one will be $249.99. Of course, there’s the charge for the data plan on top of that.
