When will Verizon’s blistering 4G LTE slow down?

By on Jun 28, 2011 at 1:15 PM
Featured June 28, 2011

Let’s face it… not all 4G is created equal. When Verizon Wireless’ LTE launched in its first few markets last year, bloggers and media saw blazing fast data speeds in their tests that put other 4G networks to shame. So did we. In fact, on numerous occasions and in numerous device reviews, we called Verizon’s LTE the fastest cellular data service we had ever tested. But a common sentiment rang throughout the Internet: Verizon’s 4G LTE is fast now, but that’s because the network is empty. And Verizon Wireless’ competition mirrored the opinion, of course. In a private conversation about the discrepancy in performance between Sprint’s 4G WiMAX and Verizon’s 4G LTE, a Sprint executive told me that Verizon’s network was so fast because it was empty. “Wait until it fills up,” the exec chuckled. “Then we’ll see if the ThunderBolt still deserves its name.”
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Yes, post-3G cellular networks are important for a variety of reasons; just ask AT&T why it is currently trying to spend $39 billion to acquire T-Mobile USA. I covered some of these reasons in a recent feature. But speed is still of the utmost importance, of course, and Verizon is the undisputed king right now. It also has the youngest 4G network among major U.S. carriers, which include Sprint’s 4G WiMAX network and HSPA+ networks belonging to AT&T and T-Mobile. In my testing in New York City, where I live in Bergen County New Jersey, in San Francisco, in Dallas, and in every other 4G city I’ve visited, Verizon’s LTE network makes the competition look like dial-up.

In the beginning, the congestion argument was a good one for Verizon’s competition to make. Verizon Wireless’ LTE was brand new while other carriers had hundreds of thousands of 4G subscribers. But fast forward to today, and Verizon Wireless 4G is just as fast as ever. I performed about 20 speed tests with a Novatel Wireless 4G MiFi in and around New York City ahead of publishing this piece, and Verizon’s network is just as fast now as it was when it launched in this region. Download speeds ranged from about 6Mbps to over 22Mbps depending on the website I used to test my data speeds, and upload speeds hovered between 2Mbps and 5Mbps. Here are the results from a few of the LTE tests:

So when is the network going to slow down?

We’re half way through 2011 right now and Verizon has been unrelenting in its 4G build-out. The HTC Thunderbolt was a big seller for Verizon, racking up 260,000 activations in the first quarter of 2011, and now Samsung’s DROID Charge is one of the more popular smartphones sold by the carrier. BGR has also confirmed with multiple authorized Verizon Wireless retailers that its 4G mobile hotspots and 4G laptop dongles are among the most popular broadband accessories it sells. Long story short, the network has traffic.

Other U.S. carriers will find a million different ways to argue that their 4G networks are just as good or better than Verizon’s. Maybe Verizon doesn’t have quite as many 4G subscribers… Maybe Sprint’s network performs better in other regions… Maybe AT&T’s 4G network was having a bad day… Maybe I wasn’t sitting in the right spot wearing an aluminum foil hat and facing east when I tested T-Mobile’s HSPA+ network and that’s why peak speeds weren’t higher… Fair enough, but let’s not forget that these same carriers are currently making big investments in 4G LTE. AT&T has confirmed on numerous occasions that it will launch LTE in several markets starting this summer, and now even Sprint is reportedly beginning to invest in 4G LTE as well.

If their current 4G networks are so great, why bother?

Just as Verizon took its trailing position in the smartphone race and turned it on its head to offer what is arguably the best smartphone portfolio in the country, the nation’s top carrier is now doing the same thing with its network. CDMA was old and slow two years ago, and now it’s practically laughable. There’s nothing laughable about a 4G LTE network that consistently outperforms my wireline broadband service, however, and Sprint, AT&T and T-Mobile are stuck playing follow the leader.

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  • http://twitter.com/lgtspecb Stewart Gateley

    I tested WiFi (Wireless N at 2.4Ghz, 30Mbps FIOS), Sprint 3G, Sprint WiMax and Verizon LTE (via Mobile Hotspot) today. I had a great connection to all (full bars for wifi, 3g and wimax, and green lte light on hotspot). I gave each one 5 minutes to connect to the best tower before performing each series of tests and I did 5 speed tests of each and averaged the results.  All tests were done using a Sprint HTC Evo 3D from my desk in Portland, OR.

    WiFi: 41/43/42 min/max/avg ms ping, 10171/10953/10615 min/max/avg kbps down, 5874/7023/6581 min/max/avg kbps up

    Sprint 3G:  111/209/162 min/max/avg ms ping, 289/395/334 min/max/avg kbps down, 713/801/766 min/max/avg kbps up

    Sprint WiMAX: 109/182/148 min/max/avg ms ping, 6434/7174/6913 min/max/avg kbps down, 946/1093/1052 min/max/avg kbps up

    Verizon LTE: 73/92/83 min/max/avg ms ping, 5750/6137/5908 min/max/avg kbps down, 1624/1909/1709 min/max/avg kbps up

    Absolutely no outright slaughtering going on here from either, but WiMAX was 1Mbps faster down and LTE was .5Mbps faster up. WiMAX had lower variation between its fastest and average download and upload speeds, while LTE had consistently lower pings to the server.

    I am not a radios expert, I don’t even pretend to know anything about wireless radios, frequencies and spectrum, however, a radio engineer once tried to explain to me the difference and why Verizon LTE will ultimately fall flat on its face. Basically what I took out of it was the difference between Fiber and Cable internet, slower dedicated speeds (Sprint) vs high burst speeds that slow significantly when crowded (Verizon). This is apparently due to the spectrum that each own and the frequencies that WiMAX operates at compared to LTE. As I understand, Sprint also owns a lot of unused spectrum which could be switched on instantly to increase double or triple their bandwidth pool, Verizon is using all they’ve got.

  • Scotter

    Awhile back (like a year ago) I remember talk about the four big networks different approaches to 4G and how with one (?or two?) of them it was not possible to do simultaneous voice and data. Which was that? Also, with each network, is the voice call part any more or less “digital” than any of the others? My dad has Verizon and when he calls me, it just sounds more “digital” and there seems to be an issue almost like walkie talkies where we have to take turns talking. For example, if I say anything while he is talking, he can’t hear me.

  • Anonymous

    Just did a test on the North Shore of Boston, 18Mb down 8Mb up

  • Anonymous

    Just did a test on the North Shore of Boston, 18Mb down 8Mb up

  • Guest

    The actual throughput of the network may never actually slow down.  The use and sharing of bandwidth is another matter.  Even with the brisk sales, the currently limited footprint is a factor as well, most people probably aren’t on the 4G network 100% of the time.

    Either way, I’m betting that VZW is narrowly focused on averting any “AT&T/iPhone” type of deal on their new network.  Based on that hypothesis, I’m guessing the answer to your question is, “We won’t see it slow down that much, if at all.”

  • MikeW San Diego

    Gee, those speeds are as fast as I get on Time Warner Cable’s highest Road Runner tier.

  • Justaguy

    I work for the Globe Company and I kinda agree with the article! I will add this though… HSPDA+ is not even a “4G” network. It’s just a bumped up 3G network for 4G “like” speeds. Nothing about it is 4G at all. In comparison with with actual networks AT&T does have the upper hand for speed for 2G/3G networks. There is nothing to actually compare with AT&T 4G with Verizon’s 4G because it does not yet exist. I was stated clearly in the article that AT&T plans to launch LTE in the summer. Once that happens in the five major markets( Washington D.C./Maryland/Virginia not included) then actual LTE capable devices will magically begin to surface. What devices are advertised with 4G at the end are just really strong 3G devices and nothing more. Subscribers mean nothing if your the only carrier in the to have the technology, but kudos to them for being the first because their 3G was from adequate.

  • Luvinlunch

    Epstein is a moron

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_OIPCKRYNNF7Z77UNZOQYTX4UOM dcdttu

    Verizon has one major advantage over all other ’4G’ technologies being used: frequency. While other carriers such as Sprint are running their 4G services on 2500mhz, 1900mhz, and 850mhz (AT&T), Verizon’s 4G network gets full access to their 700mhz spectrum.

    The lower the frequency, the better the building penetration and the better the propagation from the tower.  I have never been able to get a signal using Sprint’s 4G on my Evo anywhere where the coverage map says I should have the ‘best coverage’ simply because the 2500mhz frequencies it runs on basically suck.  If I go outside, I get a signal.  Well, sorry Sprint… I usually use my phone indoors.

  • Scott Diener

    Yea and atts network is always crappy and gets dropped calls and barely has 3g coverage year after year after year. and it was just voted least reliable network. haha

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