Mobile broadband internet has never been more popular than it is now.
More and more people today long for 24/7 connectivity not only with their personal social networks, but also with information.
Gone are the days when mobile phone use is limited to making calls and texts.
Instead, it has evolved to sending email, updating Facebook statuses, sharing photos, and even getting directions.
Thankfully, the telecommunications industry has responded to this demand by introducing several mobile broadband options.
What are these technologies, and how does one differ from another? Let us take a look at the different services offered by the top 3 telecommunication companies in the United States.
HSPA+ from AT&T and T-Mobile HSPA+ stands for High Speed Packet Access.
Contrary to popular belief, HSPA+ is not a 4G service.
It is merely a new and improved 3G service provided by AT&T and T-Mobile.
The confusion comes from AT&T's marketing efforts.
Because the company plans to introduce a 4G service called LTE in the near future, its marketing executives thought it would be a wise move to brand HSPA+ as 4G, for smooth transition.
Those who know better would know that HSPA+ is, in fact, not 4G, but merely improved 3G.
On the other hand, T-Mobile uses "largest nationwide coverage" as their selling point to overpower their lack of a 4G service.
While the services of AT&T and T-Mobile both have their own advantages, they may be lagging a bit behind when it comes to offering cutting edge broadband technology.
LTE Technology from Verizon LTE Technology stands for Long Term Evolution Technology.
LTE is a 4G network used by Verizon.
Unlike T-Mobile, Verizon has yet to provide nationwide coverage of their 4G network.
Nevertheless, Verizon wins in terms of speed.
The LTE technology supposedly provides an upload speed of 50Mbps and a download speed of 100Mbps; however, actual upload and download speeds experienced by Verizon users vary depending on their location and the distribution of Verizon's bandwidth.
According to public speed tests, LTE networks give an average actual speed of 30Mbps.
Of course, it is also highly recommended that Verizon users use mobile phones that are compatible with 4G, in order to maximize what the network has to offer.
After all, what good is a 4G network if used with a poorly performing mobile phone? WiMAX Network from Sprint WiMax stands for Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access.
WiMax is a 4G network used by Sprint.
Like Verizon, Sprint does not provide nationwide coverage of WiMax; instead, they offer 3G mobile broadband services for cities lacking WiMax access.
WiMax supposedly provides a download speed of up to 128Mbps; however, public speed tests show that Sprint's WiMax network averages with a speed of 4 to 5 Mbps.
This may be due to the heavy load that the network carries.
And the winner of the battle is...
The LTE Technology from Verizon and it takes no genius to guess it.
If you are like the millions of others who are always on-the-go and in need of a mobile broadband internet connection, there is no reason for you not to avail of this service from Verizon if they do offer it in your area.
More and more people today long for 24/7 connectivity not only with their personal social networks, but also with information.
Gone are the days when mobile phone use is limited to making calls and texts.
Instead, it has evolved to sending email, updating Facebook statuses, sharing photos, and even getting directions.
Thankfully, the telecommunications industry has responded to this demand by introducing several mobile broadband options.
What are these technologies, and how does one differ from another? Let us take a look at the different services offered by the top 3 telecommunication companies in the United States.
HSPA+ from AT&T and T-Mobile HSPA+ stands for High Speed Packet Access.
Contrary to popular belief, HSPA+ is not a 4G service.
It is merely a new and improved 3G service provided by AT&T and T-Mobile.
The confusion comes from AT&T's marketing efforts.
Because the company plans to introduce a 4G service called LTE in the near future, its marketing executives thought it would be a wise move to brand HSPA+ as 4G, for smooth transition.
Those who know better would know that HSPA+ is, in fact, not 4G, but merely improved 3G.
On the other hand, T-Mobile uses "largest nationwide coverage" as their selling point to overpower their lack of a 4G service.
While the services of AT&T and T-Mobile both have their own advantages, they may be lagging a bit behind when it comes to offering cutting edge broadband technology.
LTE Technology from Verizon LTE Technology stands for Long Term Evolution Technology.
LTE is a 4G network used by Verizon.
Unlike T-Mobile, Verizon has yet to provide nationwide coverage of their 4G network.
Nevertheless, Verizon wins in terms of speed.
The LTE technology supposedly provides an upload speed of 50Mbps and a download speed of 100Mbps; however, actual upload and download speeds experienced by Verizon users vary depending on their location and the distribution of Verizon's bandwidth.
According to public speed tests, LTE networks give an average actual speed of 30Mbps.
Of course, it is also highly recommended that Verizon users use mobile phones that are compatible with 4G, in order to maximize what the network has to offer.
After all, what good is a 4G network if used with a poorly performing mobile phone? WiMAX Network from Sprint WiMax stands for Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access.
WiMax is a 4G network used by Sprint.
Like Verizon, Sprint does not provide nationwide coverage of WiMax; instead, they offer 3G mobile broadband services for cities lacking WiMax access.
WiMax supposedly provides a download speed of up to 128Mbps; however, public speed tests show that Sprint's WiMax network averages with a speed of 4 to 5 Mbps.
This may be due to the heavy load that the network carries.
And the winner of the battle is...
The LTE Technology from Verizon and it takes no genius to guess it.
If you are like the millions of others who are always on-the-go and in need of a mobile broadband internet connection, there is no reason for you not to avail of this service from Verizon if they do offer it in your area.
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