As all four of the big US carriers board the 4G LTE train it would be only a matter of time before a comparison study involving them came to be. While Verizon has the upper hand in the LTE market with roughly 95% of its 3G network covered with LTE speeds, AT&T is quickly rolling out its LTE service. They’re doing that while maintaining their quick 4G services as well. However as carriers focus on their LTE services the use of 3G networks are still prevalent. So the handoff between 3G and 4G networks is important.
A Galaxy Note II was used to measure the LTE speeds while an iPhone 4S was used to measure 3G speeds as both those devices are offered on all four networks. Hit the break to see how everyone ranked.
As you can see from the average download speeds T-Mobile had the best 3G speeds and AT&T had the best LTE speeds. Verizon barely trumped T-Mobile in LTE data speeds, however the handoff is where these numbers actually shine. AT&T’s average drop from 13.15 mbps to 2.97 mbps came to about 77%. Verizon’s drop was a bit more significant with its 9.61 mbps down to 0.80 mbps coming to 92%. Sprint didn’t have as big of a handoff but that’s because its network speeds were much lower than that of everyone else.
This is all well and good but what it boils down to is usage. With varying coverages and network speeds your milage may vary. If you’re wanting the full nitty gritty you can hit the source link below. Enjoy.
source: TechHive
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