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What AT&T's 7.2 Mbps HSPA Looks Like In the Real World

dlewis23

dlewis23

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Oct 23, 2007
1,164
1,916
So I was poking through the stats of my iPhone speed test app today came across something interesting. After some research I'm 99.9999% sure this is a AT&T 7.2 Mbps network test.

The results:

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A "fast" 3.6 Mbps HSPA result looks like this:

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From doing a little research, the IP used is a AT&T mobile IP, the host name is used for AT&T mobile data, the users iPhone was on 3G when he/she took the test and the user was on a iPhone 3GS.

I can not tell where the test was taken because the IP pulls to New Jersey and a lot of the IP's AT&T uses pull to New Jersey even tho the user is not in NJ. And my app does not get GPS location.

When I get home shortly I am going to dig around a little more with another script and will post more of these scores.
 
Interesting. I'd be happy with 800 kbps. 3G at my house has dropped dramatically over the past few months to 200 kbps.
 
So after some more research using some other scripts of mine I found a few other tests where the user was on a iPhone 3GS and connected to the AT&T 3G network.

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I was only about to find 3 others that matched the IP info from the first one, so I'm also really sure these are using AT&T's 7.2 Mbps network.

I would have expected speeds to be a little faster (Around 4.5 - 5 Mbps) but this could be just the beginning stages of it and they might get better over time as there 3.6 Mbps network has.
 
On my 3G in Dallas, I use to get around 2.5Mbps...haven't tested my 3GS yet, but it feels faster in everyday use.
 
dlewis23 said:
So after some more research using some other scripts of mine I found a few other tests where the user was on a iPhone 3GS and connected to the AT&T 3G network.

... many network speed tests snips ...

I was only about to find 3 others that matched the IP info from the first one, so I'm also really sure these are using AT&T's 7.2 Mbps network.

I would have expected speeds to be a little faster (Around 4.5 - 5 Mbps) but this could be just the beginning stages of it and they might get better over time as there 3.6 Mbps network has.
Click to expand...

The iPhone 3G can only take up to 3.6Mb/s if I'm not mistaken. So seeing those results means there is a bright future for iPhone 3GS owners as AT&T is obviously keeping their bargain on bringing their network up to speed. Slow and steady, but they are getting there.

ltldrummerboy said:
Here in AK we get about 10kb/s. It's dismal. I'm looking forward to 3G coming to our area, especially with results like these!
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10Kb/s or 10KB/s?! I would much rather think you have the latter meaning you have the low end EDGE connection. High end EDGE connections from AT&T can reach well up to 30KB/s or its 240Kb/s equivalent.
 
Doesn't one have to remember that there aren't that many user making use of that speed yet.. Won't more customer slow it down like it is with 3G???


James
 
That would be absolute welcome news. I just did a 3G test and got my top speed ever of 2.6Mbps. I honestly don't know what good the extra speed would be with my use of mostly the news apps, but for $30/month you sure do want that needle hittin' as high as it can.
 
jav6454 said:
10Kb/s or 10KB/s?! I would much rather think you have the latter meaning you have the low end EDGE connection. High end EDGE connections from AT&T can reach well up to 30KB/s or its 240Kb/s equivalent.
Click to expand...

Just re-tested and got 20 kilobits. Bit, as in, 1/8 of a byte.
 
redrox5 said:
AT&T rolled out 7.2 here in Chicago back in October. Nothing to write home about yet.
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Not really because its on very few cell sites, and its limited to who can use it. So we haven't really seen what 7.2 Mbps HSPA will look like on a mass scale.
 
i live a little outside of St. Louis, MO, and my edge speed is terrible. i get about 25Kb/s, and no 3G.
 
I think you guys are all missing a key concept here. 7.2Mbps is a theoretical maximum transfer rate for HSPA. You will NEVER, EVER get 7.2Mbps on an iPhone or any other HSPA enabled device. You first have to take into account transmission overhead. Right there you're looking at a substantial chunk of your maximum transfer rate. Then, you have to take into account the backhaul network, which you're sharing with other HSPA users. And then there's the network that you share from the CO to the internet, which you share not only with mobile users, but also other internet traffic.

Don't ever expect to see anything more than 4-5Mbps at best from an HSPA network, no matter who's network it is.
 
SHIFTLife said:
Don't ever expect to see anything more than 4-5Mbps at best from an HSPA network, no matter who's network it is.
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Thats what I was expecting to see from 7.2 HSPA. And if AT&T provides enough bandwidth to each cell site, (depending on population north of 100 Mbps) Then we should just about always be able to get around that 4 - 5 Mbps.
 
spencecb - AT&T has 7.2 Mbps HSPA out in 2 cities right now, but it is on only a few cell sites and only a small number of people can use it. They are only testing it right now to make sure it works correctly before they roll it out starting by the end of the year.
 
dlewis23 said:
spencecb - AT&T has 7.2 Mbps HSPA out in 2 cities right now, but it is on only a few cell sites and only a small number of people can use it. They are only testing it right now to make sure it works correctly before they roll it out starting by the end of the year.
Click to expand...

Ok cool. Well, let's hope it is working well!! Double the download rate would make 3G screaming fast!!
 
wow. speedtest.net on the iphone picks up a server out to Casper, WY (1886 miles) but won't give me any NJ server options.


Would love to try out that server :D
 
clearchaos said:
i live a little outside of St. Louis, MO, and my edge speed is terrible. i get about 25Kb/s, and no 3G.
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How far outside of STL are you, because I know that AT&T has pretty much the entire metro area and a good portion of middle of nowhere MO and IL surrounding it covered in 3G.


I get about 1 Mbps in downtown St. Louis, not too shabby.
 
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