LTE Matters, But Our Experiences?

[AustinIllini]

We get a lot of "LTE speeds by network" posts here and nearly every post in each thread is "I get ____ up and ____ down so you're just not right."

One thing most of us can agree on for sure is that LTE does matter. iTunes match won't need to stream music with LTE, as the downloads are so fast. Browsing will, for the first time, be limited by the phone capability as LTE speeds increase.

But what about our experiences LTE speeds today is relevant for September 21st? How likely is it that data speeds after millions of LTE iPhones remains the same? I guess I'm trying to ask why people think their experiences are relevant at all.

 

[orangebluedevil]

This makes my head hurt.

 

[daveishere]

Only 1 network in the UK have announced their 4G network, and i'm not with them

 

[SR71]

Verizon has already gone through growing pains associated with millions of people accessing their LTE network, but AT&T hasn't and nor has Sprint. I think their LTE networks will buckle under the load of the new iPhone's.

 

[mactumors]

Browsing will, for the first time, be limited by the phone capability as LTE speeds increase.

Fixed: Browsing will, for the first time, be limited by which data plan you can afford.

 

[Agent OrangeZ]

This is in Phoenix on AT&T:

 

[bogatyr]

This is in Phoenix on AT&T:

Image

And without tethering, what difference does that make over a 10Mbps connection? None. Your pages aren't loading any faster once you reach a certain threshold. Your videos will only require minimal speed to hit 720p or 1080p reliably - and that is less than you think.

 

[Spectrum Abuser]

And without tethering, what difference does that make over a 10Mbps connection? None. Your pages aren't loading any faster once you reach a certain threshold. Your videos will only require minimal speed to hit 720p or 1080p reliably - and that is less than you think.

Go back to 384Kbps then. Unless you want to stream video that's all your precious little user experience needs.

 

[Applejuiced]

This is in Phoenix on AT&T:

Image

Very nice speeds.

 

[bogatyr]

Go back to 384Kbps then. Unless you want to stream video that's all your precious little user experience needs.

I specifically mentioned video streaming, still doesn't require 50Mbps. Nor 10+. This is a phone we're talking about - not your laptop.

 

[Fernandez21]

Go back to 384Kbps then. Unless you want to stream video that's all your precious little user experience needs.

Qua? I think he meant that anything past 10mb/s and you wont notice a difference on your phone. No need to be mean.

 

[Orange Furball]

I don't get LTE so I don't care

HSPA+ is OK for now, text and video load fine and my battery life is good.

 

[Applejuiced]

And without tethering, what difference does that make over a 10Mbps connection? None. Your pages aren't loading any faster once you reach a certain threshold. Your videos will only require minimal speed to hit 720p or 1080p reliably - and that is less than you think.

Well put.
The average phone user wont notice any difference between 10mpbs and 52mbps for example.
Unless you're tethering to a laptop or multiple devices downloading big files.

 

[linkgx1]

If they can raise our data lmits, then I'd care.


But, does anyone now how much data online gaming takes? Like if I play online with the 3DS..or hell.. my Xbox 360? Curious of L4D2's data hungryiness!

 

[Spectrum Abuser]

I specifically mentioned video streaming, still doesn't require 50Mbps. Nor 10+. This is a phone we're talking about - not your laptop.

Cellular connectivity will replace the wireline. That's why the speeds need to keep climbing to higher levels. Just imagine a few years from now. You could live away from the noise of urban/sub-urban living and still receive blistering fast speeds. Not as fast as direct fiber lines, but much quicker than current solutions that America is offered.

 

[Agent OrangeZ]

Cellular connectivity will replace the wireline. That's why the speeds need to keep climbing to higher levels. Just imagine a few years from now. You could live away from the noise of urban/sub-urban living and still receive blistering fast speeds. Not as fast as direct fiber lines, but much quicker than current solutions that America is offered.

But... LTE is only an air interface. The fiber still needs to reach the cell towers.

 

[Spectrum Abuser]

But... LTE is only an air interface. The fiber still needs to reach the cell towers.

Fiber reaching the cellular towers[which is already happening with the boom of UMTS] is not direct lines to your home. I didn't know I had to be clear on that.

 

[Agent OrangeZ]

Fiber reaching the cellular towers[which is already happening with the boom of UMTS] is not direct lines to your home. I didn't know I had to be clear on that.

Uh.... but you are talking about people living out in the sticks... how much range do you think a cell tower has? If they are running fiber out to rural cell towers, they might as well run it to homes...

 

[bogatyr]

Cellular connectivity will replace the wireline. That's why the speeds need to keep climbing to higher levels. Just imagine a few years from now. You could live away from the noise of urban/sub-urban living and still receive blistering fast speeds. Not as fast as direct fiber lines, but much quicker than current solutions that America is offered.

Which will be great - when they make it affordable. Currently, paying a couple hundred bucks to get 20GB isn't affordable for most. Those who still have unlimited data also cannot get tethering (ATT) or have to pay for unsubsidized devices to keep it but can get tethering (Verizon).

What you're speaking about is a long ways out - by years. Today, the speed difference matters little once you can stream your videos on your phone without pauses.

 

[Spectrum Abuser]

Uh.... but you are talking about people living out in the sticks... how much range do you think a cell tower has? If they are running fiber out to rural cell towers, they might as well run it to homes...

A cellphone tower broadcasting an LTE signal on a low frequency could push the signal for miles in any direction. That's a lot more financially forgiving compared to giving everyone their own fiber line.