3G survey: Sprint and Verizon neck-and-neck, AT&T lags in reliability

Tue Jun 30, 2009 12:08PM EDT

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The editors at PC World teamed up with wireless testing firm Novarum to take a "single-day snapshot" of nationwide 3G wireless performance. The results? Verizon Wireless gets the "speed demon" award and Sprint leads the pack in reliability, while AT&T suffers from a dependability gap.

First of all, hats off to PC World for taking the time and effort for such a thorough wireless study, which encompasses three of the biggest U.S. carriers (no results for T-Mobile, unfortunately), 13 cities, 283 testing sites, and nearly 5,500 individual tests. Many of us wireless reviewers only have the resources to test reception by waving a test phone around our back yards, so it's refreshing to see a systematic, coast-to-coast survey.

Anyway, PC World has a chart rating the average download and upload speeds of each carrier for specific cities, along with a percentage reliability rating. The results vary from city to city, naturally, with Verizon dominating in the eastern and central states and Sprint coming out ahead in the West.

Overall, though, PC World gave Verizon high marks for its "good mix of speed and reliability," plus a chart-topping average download speed of 951Kbps. But while Sprint's average download speed of 808Kbps "wasn't flashy," the carrier wins out in dependability, scoring an overall 90.5 reliability ratings.

Then there's AT&T, which placed second to Verizon in terms of average download speeds (812Kbps) but lagged badly in the reliability department—just 68 percent. Ouch.

AT&T's relatively poor reliability score in the PC World survey will certainly fuel the fire of U.S. iPhone users—myself included—who regularly complain about spotty 3G reception. Indeed, I've lost track of how many times my iPhone (showing five bars of reception, mind you) stubbornly refuses to pull down a Web page, while a test Verizon or Sprint phone manages to surf just fine from the exact same location.

Speaking of "more bars in more places," the PC World editors have some interesting things to say about signal-strength bars—namely, that they have little do with whether you'll get good 3G performance. That's because the bars only tell you if your phone has a good connection to a nearby cell tower, not whether your carrier's "backhaul" system is pulling a steady flow of data from the Internet at large, PC World explains. (Now you tell me.)

Make sure to check out PC World's full survey, along with complete results for all the 13 test cities.

So, how's the 3G performance in your area? Who's your carrier? Let us know.

Related:
A Day in the Life of 3G [PC World]


Comments on 3G survey: Sprint and Verizon neck-and-neck, AT&T lags in reliability

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  • 6 Posted by purpose122122 on Wed Jul 1, 2009 2:19AM EDT Report Abuse

    Verizon is never a problem for. Would love an iphone for features, but I am concerned about the feedback on dropped calls.

  • 7 Posted by gwinters3 on Wed Jul 1, 2009 2:48AM EDT Report Abuse

    This just shows why the exclusive agreements with phone makers hurt consumers. AT&T would be quick to improve it's performance if Iphone users were able to take their phones to another network.

  • 8 Posted by goofyliltony.0027 on Wed Jul 1, 2009 7:36AM EDT Report Abuse

    Im a Sprint customer and my 3G signal as never fail and I travel alot thruout the U.S

  • 9 Posted by lorenrutherford on Wed Jul 1, 2009 8:24AM EDT Report Abuse

    What is really frustrating is that Verizon really does have amazing coverage, but AT&T phones are better phones. Problem is you never get to experience the better quality because their service sucks so much. Sprint just doesn't have the bandwidth to compete and they are not a world phone. If Verizon ever decides to switch to a world phone and get better products I would switch back in a heart beat. Also they need to add a SIM CARD (tough concept I know)!! Until then I am chained to god awful AT&T.

  • 10 Posted by rbh1684 on Wed Jul 1, 2009 9:43AM EDT Report Abuse

    I have AT&T and 3G in my area is very good (Raleigh, NC). I can go anywhere around the city and get it. Other parts of NC I get Edge. Hopefully AT&T will expand their 3G coverage in the future. I don't care much for Verizon because a couple years ago, I briefly switched to Verizon from AT&T and had less signal bars in the same area where I got all the bars with AT&T.

  • 11 Posted by scribler on Wed Jul 1, 2009 9:51AM EDT Report Abuse

    I am on Sprint, have been for over 9 years, and have had 3G for almost four years and have always been happy with the performance. Sprint is way underrated.

  • 12 Posted by autopilot1964 on Wed Jul 1, 2009 10:22AM EDT Report Abuse

    I am terribly disappointed with the 3g from AT&T. but i am even more ticked about the $$$$ I am getting charged for it. having been a former verizon customer. I am not pleased with pricing of voice and data packages from any of the big 3...

  • 13 Posted by s_smith245 on Wed Jul 1, 2009 10:24AM EDT Report Abuse

    I'm an AT&T customer and I'd love to consider a switch to Verizon, except I would hate not having the option of buying unlocked GSM phones. If you buy from the provider, you get a bloated phone and the contract saps your negotiating leverage. So for now, I'll suck it up and just deal with the sorry AT&T service.

  • 14 Posted by raycja89 on Wed Jul 1, 2009 10:41AM EDT Report Abuse

    Verizon, perfect reception anywhere I travel. Rarely have any dropped calls and Internet speeds are phenomenal.

  • 15 Posted by raycja89 on Wed Jul 1, 2009 10:43AM EDT Report Abuse

    By the way, Sacramento is my area.

  • 17 Posted by sayurye on Wed Jul 1, 2009 11:30AM EDT Report Abuse

    3G and At&t is a joke, when I moved in Sept of last year I must have moved into a "dead zone" my black jack just stoped working. I called many times but only got help from a black jack site in china that I found on my own. I got a cheepy att phone from a 2nd hand shop that works just fine, I switch when I go into town, real high tek. Bottom grip? I had to come up with my own RX, att did not help me.

  • 18 Posted by hello_bor on Wed Jul 1, 2009 1:15PM EDT Report Abuse

    ...And that's why I stay with SPRINT! Sprint is always getting dissed, but clearly, this is a good carrier. Verizon is still tops in terms of coverage, but I can roam to their towers free of additional charges, and SPRINT is still CHEAPER in data. Give it a second look as a choice... also because I don't want this company to go belly up. My plan is TOO good - 500 mins, unlimited text, unlimited internet, free roaming, first incoming minute free, mobile2mobile for $30! You can't get that now, but you can get it for $60 on their SERO plan - cost twice as much, but still way less than the others. Kick. A**.

  • 19 Posted by chatterbooox on Wed Jul 1, 2009 1:53PM EDT Report Abuse

    i have Verizon and i get bad reception at my house so I'm switching to AT&T because they have service there.

  • 20 Posted by brynn0823 on Wed Jul 1, 2009 2:05PM EDT Report Abuse

    good luck on switching to ATT.....there ranked at the bottom in terms of coverage and vastly over-priced but hey do whats right for you...this is why this article was written...to ensure customers the type of coverage they're getting...... 1.VERIZON 2. SPRINT(IS MY PERSONAL LINE) 3.ATT(IS MY FAMILY LINE) SO IM NOT BIAS...BUT STILL DROPPS CALLS ALL THE darn TIME.... 4.T-MOBILE

  • 21 Posted by ashteiu on Wed Jul 1, 2009 2:26PM EDT Report Abuse

    iPhones with Verizon service would be exceptional!

  • 22 Posted by carleenmaselli on Wed Jul 1, 2009 4:35PM EDT Report Abuse

    ATT has the worst coverage of any carrier we have used. Love my iphone and we went with ATT to bundle with our internet and Dish. Right after we renewed our contract Dish bailed out of the bundle, so we are stuck for a while. I wish Apple would dissolve their agreement with ATT and let me use my phone with any network. We will reevaluate in a another year.

  • 23 Posted by pjvela242 on Wed Jul 1, 2009 4:42PM EDT Report Abuse

    No Sprint signal at my house, so I switched to T Mobile - who lied about the rebate ($140) - I had to take them to small claims court to get it. The phone sucked and the calls dropped like flies. Switched to Verizon, and been with them for 4 years. It's the only carrier that I can get a signal at when I go from the central valley to the SF bay area (actually IN the Mountain/valleys!). Now I wish they had a better choice of phones, but since I only call/text I'm ok with it. The Nokia phones suck and had many MANY problems with the MOTO Razr.

  • 24 Posted by dickrokit on Wed Jul 1, 2009 4:43PM EDT Report Abuse

    i have a iPhone 3G I do not like AT&T spotty service and believe at the premium we pay we need to have better service. PERIOD. Or lower the data bill.

  • 25 Posted by zoezafrique on Wed Jul 1, 2009 5:13PM EDT Report Abuse

    How dare they not test T-Mobile too! I see by the comments here that among the other 3 semi-literacy is right up there.

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