iPhone 5 HSPA+?

[zephxiii]

Are there any major advantages that LTE has over HSPA+ besides speed? If not, and I were ATT then I would be inclined to focus on deploying an HSPA+ network that can match Verizon in coverage. Beat them at their own game. In the long run, nobody is going to care if you're getting 42 mbps down vs. 60 mpbs. We are years away from having modern day internet utilize all that on mobile devices.

Well an advantage of LTE is that it is deployed in clean unused spectrum which can take some of the data congestion from the HSPA network.

Other than that, at this point in time there isn't any advantage other than speed. This is primarily because LTE is really new and they don't even have voice running over it yet. A disadvantage is that it will more than likely consume more energy.

Until LTE is fully rolled out and voice is working over it so that we are just primarily using LTE on our phones for everything, I am more inclined to stick with HSPA.

If i get real hungry for data while out and about, then I may consider getting something LTE capable, but that isn't the case right now for me.

 

[mnsportsgeek]

Ya, I keep getting the impression that today, the ideal use for LTE is with USB modem's which is currently all that is available.

 

[brock2621]

One can only hope...

 

[alent1234]

Are there any major advantages that LTE has over HSPA+ besides speed? If not, and I were ATT then I would be inclined to focus on deploying an HSPA+ network that can match Verizon in coverage. Beat them at their own game. In the long run, nobody is going to care if you're getting 42 mbps down vs. 60 mpbs. We are years away from having modern day internet utilize all that on mobile devices.

it's supposed to get the carrier ready for true 4G by changing how the device interacts with the network and allow the carrier to start getting rid of the old telco switches

 

[treyjustice]

There's a reason why the iPhone 4 blows a lot of phones away on upload speeds, and download speeds to a lesser extent.
AT&T caps ALL other phones at 300kbps upload speeds except the for iPhone.
A lot of people, myself included are pissed off that our 4G phones don't even get 3G upload speeds. Hell, many barely get 3G download speeds.
They have completely disabled HSUPA on the new Atrix and Inspire 4G phones.
It is also disabled on their Windows Phone 7 devices as well.
Users can enable it on the Samsung Focus via the test menu and the HTC Surround via a radio update.

I'd like to know what kind of deal they have with Apple that has them neutering all their other devices.

link?

 

[rjohnstone]

link?

Start here...
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=955933
21 pages on XDA with lots of info and some links.


Endgadget

We've chatted in the past few days with a source who offers an interesting explanation: AT&T currently requires that all handsets that it sells "handshake" with the network as 3GPP Release 5 devices, the last official set of 3G specifications that lacked support for HSUPA. That feature -- also known as EDCH, or FDD Enhanced Uplink -- was added in Release 6. Though AT&T is apparently working on permitting the bulk of its handsets to handshake Release 6, presently only the iPhone 4 (and presumably all of its recent data devices like USB modems, which may also use Release 7) are allowed. Neither we, nor our source, know why this is. Our source believes that the Release 6 certification may happen within a "month or two," which would explain why some AT&T sales reps in live HSPA+ areas are telling customers that the "4G network" isn't live yet.

http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/23/atandts-brewing-hsupa-gate-the-inside-story/

 

[mpossoff]

Are there any major advantages that LTE has over HSPA+ besides speed? If not, and I were ATT then I would be inclined to focus on deploying an HSPA+ network that can match Verizon in coverage. Beat them at their own game. In the long run, nobody is going to care if you're getting 42 mbps down vs. 60 mpbs. We are years away from having modern day internet utilize all that on mobile devices.

I would agree however what impresses me about VZW LTE is that it's expected to have 2/3 of the US blanketed in LTE by 2012.

How much of the US does AT&T have blanketed in 3G coverage?

 

[George Knighton]

Some are getting upwards of 16Mbps download speeds in Atlanta, Georgia.

I wonder what devices are out there that support that kind of speed.

Would it be easier to convert 3G into hspa+?

AT&T is (IMHO) in a good position relative to Verizon, because they can get their 3G HSPA+ network up to Verizon's initial LTE speeds while spending a hell of a lot less money than Verizon.

It is also going to cost AT&T less to get onto LTE when it does it, too.

I would agree however what impresses me about VZW LTE is that it's expected to have 2/3 of the US blanketed in LTE by 2012.

How much of the US does AT&T have blanketed in 3G coverage?

This will start the typical Verizon vs AT&T diatribes.

Verizon can boast the biggest geographical area, and AT&T will say that it doesn't matter because they cover 90% of the population regardless of geographic coverage.

 

[wordoflife]

We are in Clearwater right now for Spring Training and the ATT iPhone 4 speeds down here are incredible 4.5 down/1.25 up. ATT works very well in Clearwater/Tampa. Thought it worked well in Philly.

AT&T works really good down here, throughout Florida.

I kind of expect Apple to put HSPA+ into the iPhone, but I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't.

 

[fabianjj]

Wow. The iPhone 4 is capped by its own hardware to 7.2 mbps, so what you're getting is amazing. You must be on a very good array with few people on it.

I've gone over 4 a few times, but I can't recall ever getting 6.


I don't care...as long as our iPhones work the best.

I don't understand the LTE thing. We have a long way to go with the HSPA+ upgrades first, it seems to me.

I understand the potential of LTE, but when you factor in the huge expense it will involve for Verizon to basically change their field technology, it's just...a horrible economic situation.

If AT&T carry HSPA+ to its full potential, namely 21 mbps, it's still going to be destroying most Verizon arrays in practical use in the field.

And if you think you have a problem now, switching from an 850 MHz array to a 1900 MHz array on 3G AT&T, just wait until you're trying to switch from a Verizon LTE array to a Verizon 3G array.

I have no idea how they think they're going to work that out, but I am glad it's somebody else who has to think about it.

I usually get up to 6 mbit/s, I've hit 6.3 once. But the carriers in Sweden advertise the 7.2 theoretical speeds as up to 6 as that seems to be the practical limit that you can hit in real world usage under good conditions.

 

[Pink∆Floyd]

HSPA+ in 2012, LTE in 2013

Um no...

HSPA+ this year and LTE next year.

 

[SilvorX]

Sweet, what are your down and up speeds?

Also, this may be a dumb question but what other cities have speeds around 6-7 down in north America? Hasn't AT&T already rolled out HSPA+ in a few trial markets?

For my tests here in Canada, I was getting around just over 4000kbps download, 3500kbps upload. It depends where you are of course. Being in the middle of nowhere has its perks.

For me, I'd love to see a HSPA+ compatible (as in 21mbps) iPhone, but with having a maximum data cap of 6GB/month, I wouldn't want to reach the limit sooner. 7.2mbps is very much quite nice for me.