4 ms·

This was clearly paid for by ATT. Also, they need to look at their methodology. No way they got a true 40mbs over cellular - most likely something is happenin

This was clearly paid for by ATT. Also, they need to look at their methodology. No way they got a true 40mbs over cellular - most likely something is happening with caching or compression.

deleted 15y ago
[deleted]
johnnygood 15y ago
That's quite an accusation. It's incredibly unlikely that PC Magazine is risking the FTC going after it by publishing something paid for by AT&T without disclosing it. Frankly, that was an unjustified attack to discredit without providing a compelling counter-argument or other evidence. Moreover, 40Mbps isn't unrealistic on an empty network for an absolute maximum. Average speeds of 22Mbps seem realistic given Verizon's 16Mbps performance and the fact that Verizon probably has a couple million customers on its LTE network. Likewise, Verizon's absolute maximum is 50% more than their average speed. On an empty network, I'd expect more divergence in speed from average to maximum making AT&T's ~85% difference believable. Likewise, if you visit wireless forums, you'll find plenty of Verizon users posting their maximum rates over LTE and seeing similar speeds. And these tests were being done using Speedtest.net run by Ookla and endorsed by the FCC. While I don't know the specifics of how it works, it is the standard in testing broadband speed. Without evidence that it can be tampered with, I'd listen to the FCC. The real question is how AT&T and Verizon's networks will hold up as more customers come on board. Last quarter, Verizon sold only 1.2M LTE devices. AT&T has just started selling LTE devices. We might see the speeds of both networks lowered as the number of customers on the networks increases. Many people dislike AT&T. PC Magazine is testing an unloaded AT&T LTE network and a mostly unloaded Verizon LTE network. These numbers seem very reasonable given those conditions. It doesn't mean that AT&T will remain at these speeds or remain "better" than Verizon (if your purpose is to defend a cherished carrier). It's simply an initial test of an unloaded network that shows promise for the network. Whether that promise will be realized or not we'll have to wait and see.
yxhuvud 15y ago
Heh. My reaction to them topping at 40mbps was 'only 40? How crappy'. The most dominant mobile operator here tops at 80mbps... EDIT: Where 'here' = Sweden EDIT2: Uh, after reviewing the speeds, they actually top slightly over 100mbps.
- maukdaddy 15y ago
  That's good to know! I'm moving to Sweden soon :)
- libraryatnight 15y ago
  Can you adopt me? I don't eat much and require only a small room. But seriously, why the stark contrast? That's a huge difference.
  - yxhuvud 15y ago
    There is actual competition in the market that makes the ISP's and telcoms push the tech capabilities. As for adoption, I doubt that is necessary. Get a job here, apply for temporary work permit or citizenship and you're in. Jobs are dead easy to get if you are in IT - almost every company is actively looking for people now.
    - libraryatnight 15y ago
      Wonder if I can convince the special lady friend a big move is needed ;)

This was clearly paid for by ATT. Also, they need to look at their methodology. No way they got a true 40mbs over cellular - most likely something is happening with caching or compression.

deleted 15y ago

[deleted]

johnnygood 15y ago

That's quite an accusation. It's incredibly unlikely that PC Magazine is risking the FTC going after it by publishing something paid for by AT&T without disclosing it. Frankly, that was an unjustified attack to discredit without providing a compelling counter-argument or other evidence. Moreover, 40Mbps isn't unrealistic on an empty network for an absolute maximum. Average speeds of 22Mbps seem realistic given Verizon's 16Mbps performance and the fact that Verizon probably has a couple million customers on its LTE network. Likewise, Verizon's absolute maximum is 50% more than their average speed. On an empty network, I'd expect more divergence in speed from average to maximum making AT&T's ~85% difference believable. Likewise, if you visit wireless forums, you'll find plenty of Verizon users posting their maximum rates over LTE and seeing similar speeds. And these tests were being done using Speedtest.net run by Ookla and endorsed by the FCC. While I don't know the specifics of how it works, it is the standard in testing broadband speed. Without evidence that it can be tampered with, I'd listen to the FCC. The real question is how AT&T and Verizon's networks will hold up as more customers come on board. Last quarter, Verizon sold only 1.2M LTE devices. AT&T has just started selling LTE devices. We might see the speeds of both networks lowered as the number of customers on the networks increases. Many people dislike AT&T. PC Magazine is testing an unloaded AT&T LTE network and a mostly unloaded Verizon LTE network. These numbers seem very reasonable given those conditions. It doesn't mean that AT&T will remain at these speeds or remain "better" than Verizon (if your purpose is to defend a cherished carrier). It's simply an initial test of an unloaded network that shows promise for the network. Whether that promise will be realized or not we'll have to wait and see.

yxhuvud 15y ago

Heh. My reaction to them topping at 40mbps was 'only 40? How crappy'. The most dominant mobile operator here tops at 80mbps... EDIT: Where 'here' = Sweden EDIT2: Uh, after reviewing the speeds, they actually top slightly over 100mbps.

maukdaddy 15y ago
That's good to know! I'm moving to Sweden soon :)
libraryatnight 15y ago
Can you adopt me? I don't eat much and require only a small room. But seriously, why the stark contrast? That's a huge difference.
- yxhuvud 15y ago
  There is actual competition in the market that makes the ISP's and telcoms push the tech capabilities. As for adoption, I doubt that is necessary. Get a job here, apply for temporary work permit or citizenship and you're in. Jobs are dead easy to get if you are in IT - almost every company is actively looking for people now.
  - libraryatnight 15y ago
    Wonder if I can convince the special lady friend a big move is needed ;)