AT&T has the fastest 3G, well I beg to differ; recently I switched over from Verizon to AT&T when I picked up the iPhone. The phone is great! However the data speed is not as so prominently advertised. Yes, it is much faster than the prior version of the iPhone, however not nearly as fast as any phone I tested on the Verizon network.
Recently I tried a test, I purchased a Cradlepoint wireless access point, where I can plug in my Verizon Broadband card. The idea was I could easily attach my Macbook Air and friends could share the card if needed. For the heck of it, in a setting where I had full strength on the iPhone in the 3G network. I was connected my phone to my cradlepoint, which was connected to my Verizon Broadband with 50% signal strength. All web access on the iPhone increased by 400% over the 3G from AT&T.
After further research I found that AT&T uses a very fast interface on their towers for 3G, however the majority of their towers only have 2 T1’s to cover (x) users. Most cable modems provide greater levels of capacity than a total of 3mbps, the total of 2 T1’s. Just to be sure my phone wasn’t the issue, I asked a buddy in the UK to load the same US page and his phone responded at least 4x faster.
How is it AT&T can advertise the fastest 3G network, when clearly they do not have the fastest working network in the US?
I have even tested my Verizon Broadband Card against a late model 3G AT&T card on the exact same laptop. Both having the same signal strength, however the Verizon card out performed the AT&T card in every single test. I am lost; can someone explain this to me? I have heard all of the reasons why from a top-level guy at Sprint, that knows this stuff inside and out.