# Cell phone data speeds with different bands? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 23, 2007, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cell-phone-data-speeds-with-different-bands/389110 "2007-01-23T16:37:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2007, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cell-phone-data-speeds-with-different-bands/389110/1 "2007-01-23T16:37:16Z")
I have done some checking, but I have not been able to find any decent info. My current phone uses GPRS. I find that my data speeds are like slow-ish dialup. If I had to guess a comparison I’d guess around a 19.2 connection. A phone I am looking at is a 3G (G3? Stupid one-tab browser). What kind of speed difference am I looking at in this situation? What is the supposed speed, and what is the actual speed? -Joe ---
**Author:** ![groman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/73ab20/32.png) [@groman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/groman)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2007, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cell-phone-data-speeds-with-different-bands/389110/2 "2007-01-23T16:55:26Z")
3G can be a whole bunch of things, but if you’re in the US it is most likely [UMTS](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umts) 3G which is a high speed standard with a medium speed implementation (theoretical maximum of 14 mbit/s, and practically implemented up to 384 kbit/s). The faster substandard that allows higher throughput called HSDPA has the following status in US [according to Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Deployed_HSDPA_networks) : > [@](#): > > ``` > * Cingular is operating a 3G/HSDPA network, called BroadbandConnect, currently in 16 U.S. markets covering 52 cities and is expected to be online in most major markets in the U.S. by the end of 2006. In the U.S., it provides average download speeds between 400-700 kilobits per second (kbit/s), with bursts to more than one megabit per second (Mbit/s). > o Cingular faces competitive pressure from operators such as Verizon Wireless and Sprint who use a competing 3G technology, 1xEV-DO, and who have already deployed a similar high speed data service. > o In April 2006, Dell released two notebooks, the Latitude D620 and D820, with onboard HSDPA wireless data capabilities from Cingular, enabling it to connect to Cingular's BroadbandConnect 3G/HSDPA service. > > * T-Mobile US, the fourth largest wireless carrier in the U.S., spoke for the first time on Oct 16, 2006 about its plans for the spectrum it acquired in the AWS (Advanced Wireless Services Spectrum) auction and detailed the rollout of its 3G network. Deutsche Telekom, T Mobile US’s German parent, said it would spend a total of $2.64 billion on a 3G network in the U.S. that it would start to deploy in the fourth quarter of 2006. The company said most of the work on the 3G network would be completed in 2007 and 2008. > > ``` ---
**Author:** ![Aceospades](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Aceospades](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aceospades)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2007, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cell-phone-data-speeds-with-different-bands/389110/3 "2007-01-24T15:56:51Z")
[QUOTE=Merijeek] I have done some checking, but I have not been able to find any decent info. My current phone uses GPRS. I find that my data speeds are like slow-ish dialup. If I had to guess a comparison I’d guess around a 19.2 connection. A phone I am looking at is a 3G (G3? Stupid one-tab browser). What kind of speed difference am I looking at in this situation? What is the supposed speed, and what is the actual speed? -Joe [/QUOTE] i have a a900 from sprint. connected to my laptop here are some results on some speed tests i just ran: speakeasy:Last Result: Download Speed: 395 kbps (49.4 KB/sec transfer rate) Upload Speed: 123 kbps (15.4 KB/sec transfer rate) bandwith speed test:Communications 310.5 kilobits per second Storage 37.9 kilobytes per second 1MB file download 27 seconds Subjective rating Not bad Explain results Info Date & time Wednesday, January 24, 4:48PM\* Test type IDT4 Free Connection type Wireless: 1xEV Region Delaware Data size 1024KB [speedtest.net](http://speedtest.net): 1/24/2007 3:51 PM GMT 474 kb/s 121 kb/s 400 ms New York, NY \< 50 mi [cnet.com](http://cnet.com): 383.6 Kbps - You the best part about it is that all i pay is the $15 power vision basic package that allows unlimited data on my phone.