Mobile Broadband Test Results

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JohnButt

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#140580 13-Feb-2014 15:26

TrueNet tests of Mobile broadband shows Vodafone improving over the last year to top the performance stats:

https://www.truenet.co.nz/articles/mobile-broadband-review-2012-2013

We have included a pretty cool interactive map, take a look. Sorry cannot post the map here

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#986825 13-Feb-2014 16:22

Hi John

Do you use a dual carrier device for testing?

John

wongtop

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#986829 13-Feb-2014 16:27

johnr: Hi John

Do you use a dual carrier device for testing?

John

Don't think so. In the text they say they used a 21Mbps device

johnr

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#986864 13-Feb-2014 16:46

That is a no then to a dual carrier device,

JohnButt

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#986916 13-Feb-2014 17:54

We use Sierra Wireless mc8700

see here for technical details - https://www.truenet.co.nz/articles/truenet-releases-mobile-broadband-study

johnr

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#987032 13-Feb-2014 21:45

JohnButt: We use Sierra Wireless mc8700

see here for technical details - https://www.truenet.co.nz/articles/truenet-releases-mobile-broadband-study

Any reason for not using a dual carrier device? This does not really reflect the speed the networks are capable of using a 21Mbps device when networks support 43Mbps

eXDee

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#987051 13-Feb-2014 22:22

From looking at the dates the testing goes back, perhaps they didnt have a suitable DC device (or it wasnt within their budget or supported by their testing system) back then, and they have wanted to keep consistent testing.

Or it could be to indicate a mainstream low to medium range user rather than higher end or newer phones.

sbiddle

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#987094 14-Feb-2014 06:22

Not using a dual carrier device is a bit like using an ADSL1 only modem to test an ADSL2+ capable service. IMHO it's a highly flawed testing methodology and creates test results that are pretty much worthless.

If you're not going to use decent hardware for testing then you shouldn't be bothered with testing.

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JohnButt

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#987128 14-Feb-2014 08:46

From the link I posted:

"Sierra Wireless’s new AirPrime MC8700 quad-band 3G/HSPA+ intelligent embedded modules take advantage of the fastest mobile broadband networks available worldwide, offering 21 Mbps download speeds. These new speeds enable OEM customers to expand their industrial and enterprise product development into applications requiring higher bandwidth, such as video monitoring.

The MC8700 module also offers quad-band UMTS/HSPA and quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE network access for roaming worldwide. From point-of-sale devices to ruggedized laptops, the MC8700 will turn hardware devices into powerful communications tools.

Key Features

3G/HSPA+
Peak downlink speeds up to 21 Mbps and peak uplink speeds up to 5.76 Mbps
World class product performance, quality and reliability
Flexible driver strategy with NDIS support and non-NDIS abilities
Sierra Wireless EMPOWERED"

A bit like using VDSL to measure ADSL?

No it will not do 43Mb/s, but the maximum speed we see at lunchtime on sunny days is a squeak over 7Mb/s.

johnr

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#987130 14-Feb-2014 08:56

You are seeing just over 7Mb/s due to the device not supporting dual carrier, I can walk down Queen Street Auckland CBD and get over 20Mb/s on 3G or sit at a cafe in Warkworth and see almost 30Mb/s on 3G

sbiddle

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#987140 14-Feb-2014 09:24

JohnButt: From the link I posted:

"Sierra Wireless’s new AirPrime MC8700 quad-band 3G/HSPA+ intelligent embedded modules take advantage of the fastest mobile broadband networks available worldwide, offering 21 Mbps download speeds. These new speeds enable OEM customers to expand their industrial and enterprise product development into applications requiring higher bandwidth, such as video monitoring. The MC8700 module also offers quad-band UMTS/HSPA and quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE network access for roaming worldwide. From point-of-sale devices to ruggedized laptops, the MC8700 will turn hardware devices into powerful communications tools. Key Features

3G/HSPA+
Peak downlink speeds up to 21 Mbps and peak uplink speeds up to 5.76 Mbps
World class product performance, quality and reliability
Flexible driver strategy with NDIS support and non-NDIS abilities
Sierra Wireless EMPOWERED"
A bit like using VDSL to measure ADSL?

No it will not do 43Mb/s, but the maximum speed we see at lunchtime on sunny days is a squeak over 7Mb/s.

I actually take back that comment. It's not quite like using an ADSL1 modem on an ADSL2+ line, because that ADSL1 modem will always get 7616kbps on an ADSL2+ capable DSLAM. Due to the way DC-HSDPA works it won't just mean doubling of single carrier speed, because of the way the downlink scheduler works it will typically mean that throughput will be significantly more than double. I don't take back my comment however that your testing is fundamentally flawed.

During some testing I was doing before Xmas for a project with a Mikrotik I was seeing typically seeing typical speeds of around 10-11 Mbps around most of the Wgtn CBD and DC speeds of around 24-25Mbps on Vodafone. At times where speed dropped below that I didn't get a chance to repeat the testing with Telecom at that time or test at lunchtime. I'm keen to do further testing again for myself (because the performance is something that really interests me) but that's not something that'll happen soon with my workload.

Because there are a lot of 4 (and even some 5 carrier sites) around there is a lot more to factor in than simple testing using a non DC device. Outdoors you'll typically see a device still connecting to 2100Mhz and very little chance of connecting to 900, whereas indoors you have a greater chance of being on 900Mhz. Vodafone are only deploying dual carriers on 900Mhz vs the 3,4 or even 5 carriers on 2100Mhz.

At the end of the day however it's like testing any broadband connection and a simple speed test can mean very little if the end user QoE is crap.

sbiddle

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#987146 14-Feb-2014 09:31

Here's a good Qualcomm paper showing lab and real world results of a single carrier and dual carrier device and the very significant performance gains from using a dual carrier device.

http://www.qualcomm.com/media/documents/files/dual-cell-hsdpa-application-performance.pdf

Kirdog

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#987571 15-Feb-2014 00:22

What i can say.

Its becomes harder to play ingress with telecom (mobile data) every week. Sometimes even impossible, waiting up to 3 mins to load data. Very sad...

Sorry about my English guys :>

eXDee

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#987662 15-Feb-2014 10:39

Kirdog: What i can say.

Its becomes harder to play ingress with telecom (mobile data) every week. Sometimes even impossible, waiting up to 3 mins to load data. Very sad...

I assume telecom's aware of the issue that seems to be nationwide, and that if they don't do something about it, people will leave.

For example i'm probably going to swap to 2degrees soon if things don't improve. The swapping between voda and 2degrees networks is a tad annoying as is the lack of low frequency 3G in many areas, but in the majority of cases it's still going to be better than what i'm experience on telecom with my Nexus 5.

johnr

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#987666 15-Feb-2014 10:51

@eXDee not yet but completed in the coming months 100% of our sites will be U900 Dual carrier and U2100 dual carrier or even tri or quad carrier

John

coffeebaron

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#987703 15-Feb-2014 11:40

johnr: @eXDee not yet but completed in the coming months 100% of our sites will be U900 Dual carrier and U2100 dual carrier or even tri or quad carrier

John

100% NZ wide?

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