PHILADELPHIA – Is there anything more exciting than a network speed test? We here at RCR Wireless News think not and to prove that we decided to conduct such a test during our recent visit to Philadelphia as part of the RCR Wireless News Global Tour.
The testing looked to compare real-world network speeds from Sprint Nextel Corp./Clearwire Corp.’s WiMAX network and Verizon Wireless’ LTE network. The testing was conducted smack dab in the middle of downtown Philadelphia where both carriers’ networks provided robust signal penetration in the midst of the concrete and glass jungle. The testing was also conducted early in the afternoon, which should take out any network congestion issues caused by the lunch-time crowd or evening commuters.
(It should also be noted that the test was run just days after Clearwire, Sprint Nextel and their cable partner Comcast Corp. announced enhancements to their Philadelphia WiMAX coverage. In addition, this test is leaving out the other “4G” services as I still can’t with a straight face acknowledge that those enhanced 3G network are just that.)
Both devices used were powered by 1 GHz Snapdragon processors and were running Google Inc.’s Android 2.2 operating system. The application used was the Ookla Speed Test application, which provides for three results: latency, download speed and upload speed.
The network latency results showed a clear win for the Verizon Wireless network, which posted an astonishing 66 milliseconds that is close to what wired broadband connections provide. Additional testing in market showed a greater variation on latency, ranging from 53 milliseconds up to nearly 300 milliseconds in a few instances.
The WiMAX network posted an also lightning quick 104 milliseconds of latency, which if not for the LTE-enabled devices sitting next to it would have been an impressive result. Additional testing in market showed similar latency results ranging from just under 100 milliseconds up to around 150 milliseconds.
Winner: Verizon Wireless
The next test was the download test. Again, the Verizon Wireless LTE network showed a clean pair of heels to Sprint Nextel/Clearwire’s WiMAX offering. The LTE network posted a speed of nearly 9 megabits per second, which is well into the claimed speeds of 5 to 12 Mbps advertised by Verizon Wireless. Verizon Wireless’ LTE network did post some speed readings in excess of 9 Mbps, , with just one instance of a download speed below 2 Mbps.
The WiMAX network on the other hand posted a download speed of just under 2 Mbps, which is below the 3 to 6 Mbps advertised by Clearwire and Sprint Nextel. It should be noted that additional testing of the WiMAX service while in Philadelphia did provide download speeds ranging from 1.9 Mbps up to nearly 4 Mbps.
Winner: Verizon Wireless
Upload speeds showed strain from both networks, with Verizon Wireless’ LTE network straining to just over 1.6 Mbps and Sprint Nextel/Clearwire’s WiMAX network petering out at around 650 kilobits per second. (Pretty heady times we live in when we can complain about wireless data networks providing only 1.6 Mbps, huh?)
Those recorded upload speeds were on the low end of other results recorded while in market, with the LTE network providing speeds regularly in excess of 2.5 Mbps, with a few bursts in excess of 6 Mbps. For the WiMAX network, upload speeds typically caped out at around 1 Mbps, which is the built-in cap instituted by Clearwire and Sprint Nextel on the network.
Winner: Verizon Wireless
Well, if speed is what you are after then obviously Verizon Wireless’ LTE network has it all over Sprint Nextel/Clearwire’s WiMAX network. Sure there might be some arguments that the WiMAX network was more heavily loaded than the LTE offering seeing as it has been on the market for a longer period of time. But, those arguments mean very little for those customers on the street that are paying for their service.
In the end, it looks like this speed test showed a clear win for Verizon Wireless and its LTE offering.
