The wireless industry’s current infatuation with touting LTE supremacy has led to mass confusion for consumers left to wade through the various claims. Looking to add some light on the subject, Root Metrics released an information-packed infographic that breaks out what’s behind current LTE deployments and what consumers can expect to experience performance-wise from those deployments.
The graphic includes a brief explanation of spectrum used to power wireless networks, differences between TDD and FDD versions of LTE, and how adding spectrum can boost the speed of LTE services. Heck, they even through in a quick tutorial on multiple input, multiple output antenna technology and attempt to explain what a radio network controller is.
Following these explanations, Root Metrics then goes on to place these details into context of domestic LTE deployments, lining up the various technologies used by each nationwide operator. That explanation includes showing AT&T Mobility relying on 10×10 megahertz and 5×5 megahertz spectrum configurations across the 700 MHz and 1.7/2.1 GHz bands; Sprint using 5×5 megahertz spectrum configurations across the 1.9 GHz band; T-Mobile US relying on a mix of 10×10 and 5×5 megahertz spectrum configurations across the 1.7/2.1 GHz band; and Verizon Wireless using 10×10 megahertz configurations across both the 700 MHz and 1.7/2.1 GHz bands.
As for the results, Root Metrics noted that its drive testing during the first half of the year across 137 markets AT&T Mobility had the highest download speeds of 19 megabits per second, with upload speeds of 9.1 Mbps; T-Mobile US posted the highest upload speeds of 10.1 Mbps and corresponding download speeds of 16.6 Mbps; Verizon Wireless’ network showed average download speeds of 14.9 Mbps and upload speeds of 8.3 Mbps; while Sprint pulled up the rear in both measurements at 7.4 Mbps on the downlink and 3.5 Mbps on the uplink.
Earlier this year, Root Metrics released a report on network speeds showing AT&T Mobility’s network posting average download speeds of 18.6 megabits per second and average upload speeds of 9 Mbps; Verizon Wireless providing average download speeds of 14.3 Mbps and average upload speeds of 8.5 Mbps; Sprint posting average download speeds of 10.3 Mbps and average upload speeds of 4.4 Mbps; and T-Mobile US, which had yet to launch LTE services for the late-2012 test, posting HSPA-based 3G network speeds of 7.3 Mbps on the downlink and average upload speeds of 1.5 Mbps.
Of course, network speeds have a lot to do with network usage and with Verizon Wireless having more than a year head start in offering its LTE network, that carrier is also supporting significantly more usage across its LTE network. Verizon Wireless has in fact stated that its LTE network was transporting more than half of its total network data traffic.
Root Metrics’ graphic did not attempt to dive into the tricky issue of actual LTE coverage, something that Root Metrics does compile and share via its website, though with the billions of dollars spent by carriers to tout their superiority it’s assured that consumer confusion will continue.
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