Has anyone got more than 7.2Mbps D/L on 3G outside urban areas ?

Forums › New Zealand Mobile and Wireless › Has anyone got more than 7.2Mbps D/L on 3G outside urban areas ?

xlinknz

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#138886 20-Jan-2014 20:36

I'm on holiday Wed [Golden Bay] and going to buy some prepaid mobile board band but it appears that despite 21Mbps capable [or higher speed devices] bandwidth speed seems to be always be below 7.2 Mbps in rural or semi rural areas

I tried a 21Mbps device in Otane [between Waipawa and Hastings] and despite the [TCNZ] coverage maps saying the area had the best coverage for 3G I never got more than 4Mbps [peak] over 2 days using their own bandwidth tools

Seems buying a 21Mbps device is a waste of time

What has been other peoples experiences ?

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#970274 20-Jan-2014 20:39

Saying a area has good 3G coverage is very different from the speed the serving cell site delivers,

Most Vodafone NZ rural sites are Dual carrier 43Mbps and I have seen some very good speeds well above 20Mbps DL

xlinknz

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#970292 20-Jan-2014 20:59

johnr: Saying a area has good 3G coverage is very different from the speed the serving cell site delivers,

Most Vodafone NZ rural sites are Dual carrier 43Mbps and I have seen some very good speeds well above 20Mbps DL

Thank you for the prompt reply

Well I have a 2D 3G handset [3G 2100Hhz] and was informed that data at Patons Rock [Golden] bay was so so...[even on VFNZ network]

I had a look at VFNZ's coverage maps and it is 'one bar' on the VFNZ 3G 900Mhz extended network [no 3G non extended coverage] I assume being on 2D I cannot use VFNZ's extended network ?

Feel free to advise if otherwise

johnr

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#970296 20-Jan-2014 21:03

Does your handset not support 3G 900Mhz?

coffeebaron

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#970307 20-Jan-2014 21:24

I get 25Mbps in Putaruru :)

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xlinknz

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#970312 20-Jan-2014 21:28

johnr: Does your handset not support 3G 900Mhz?

Yes it does but 2D say here that outside their areas they use VFNZ 2100 for 3G so do VFNZ stop 2D using 3G on 900MHz ?

If that is the case? I guess I could always get a VFNZ SIM, that said the coverage is 'one bar' on the VFNZ 3G extended network at that location and appears not to have according to the VFNZ website dual carrier

johnr

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#970314 20-Jan-2014 21:33

I thought they could connect to the 3G extended network just not the 4G network,

johnr

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#970315 20-Jan-2014 21:35

coffeebaron: I get 25Mbps in Putaruru :)

On Vodafone or Telecom?

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coffeebaron

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#970342 20-Jan-2014 22:24

johnr:
coffeebaron: I get 25Mbps in Putaruru :)

On Vodafone or Telecom?

Vodafone, though Telecom is now dual carrier here too.

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grant_k

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#970353 20-Jan-2014 22:58

xlinknz:
johnr: Does your handset not support 3G 900Mhz?

Yes it does but 2D say here that outside their areas they use VFNZ 2100 for 3G so do VFNZ stop 2D using 3G on 900MHz ?

If that is the case? I guess I could always get a VFNZ SIM, that said the coverage is 'one bar' on the VFNZ 3G extended network at that location and appears not to have according to the VFNZ website dual carrier

2D's info is out of date. In my area of the Far North, there is no 2100MHz coverage according to BarTender's map of cellsite locations. However, there is 900MHz 3G Extended coverage provided by a Vodafone 43Mbps DC site 12km away. This cellsite gives me the following:

12-13Mbps download speed via Vodafone's RBI service using a Huawei router and external Yagi aerial
7Mbps download speed via 2 Degrees mobile broadband using a Nokia Lumia handset

I get faster download speeds on my handset in places like Kerikeri where I have a stronger signal.

So I can tell you for sure that VFNZ do not stop 2D using 3G on 900MHz.

wibble

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#970423 21-Jan-2014 08:54

The 2D network has 3G 900 & 2100 and GSM 900 everywhere in their network (& a bit of GSM 1800).

Roaming on to VF is not restricted by radio bearer type, so you can use whatever VF has available on 2G & 3G (but not 4G)

johnr

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#970426 21-Jan-2014 08:57

wibble: The 2D network has 3G 900

How many carriers on 900Mhz?

Handsomedan

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#970459 21-Jan-2014 09:20

I got a decent speed on Vodafone at Mangawhai heads last week - 21.85

Can't complain about that in a wee holiday town at the beach.

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scheduler

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#970470 21-Jan-2014 09:32

Admitatly fairly late at night biut I was getting 12Mbps on my 21 Mbps device at Ngongotaha on Vodafone.

wibble

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#970568 21-Jan-2014 12:26

johnr:
wibble: The 2D network has 3G 900

How many carriers on 900Mhz?

A mix of single carrier and dual carrier I believe, with DC in the centre of major cities.

wongtop

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#970600 21-Jan-2014 13:05

I'm pretty sure 2D will only have single carrier at 900. They only have 10MHz of 900 spectrum and will need to use some to support GSM. They are likely to have dual carrier 2100 though.

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