3G & 4G Speed | 2010 Sprint Mobile Broadband Review

For the most recent info, see the 2011 Sprint 4G Speed Tests

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Last year Sprint mobile broadband consisted only of 3G speeds. Now, they’ve got 4G speeds courtesy of Clear’s WiMAX. What’s the difference between 3G & 4G speed?

Plenty.

Here’s how to put those numbers in perspective. The average high speed internet user in the United States gets about 3.9 Mbps. That’s closer to the low-end of what you can get with 4G speed and its wireless (i.e. not stuck in your house).

Let’s drill down even further. Let’s find out how fast the connection you’ve got right now is. Then you can see for yourself how it compares to 3G & 4G speeds.

How To Make Sense Of The Mobile Broadband Speed

People who get the fastest speeds in the United States average about 3.9 Mbps. If you read the fastest mobile broadband review, average 3G speeds are about 1 – 1.4 Mbps.

While that may seem a lot slower than the cable internet speeds you might be used to, it helps to have a real way to put it in context.

Use this speedtest tool to see what speed you have right now. That way, these number will make a lot more sense to you. You’ll see if mobile broadband is half your current speed, about the same or even more.

Find Out Your Current Speed

After finding out your current speed, keep the number in mind so that you can compare it to the other numbers mentioned in this article. It’ll help put things in context.

The Speed Sounds Good But How Fast Is It For Actual Users?

Advertised speeds are one thing. Real world speeds are another. First up, let’s take a look at what real-world 3G speeds for Sprint mobile broadband looks like:

3G Speed Test Results

Gizmodo.com		PCWorld.com
Average Download Speed	Average Upload Speed	Average Download Speed	Average Upload Speed
	950 kbps	350 kbps	795 kbps	375 kbps

For the full details on how they fared against other providers, reliability testing and 3G speeds in specific cities, check out Who’s Got The Fastest Mobile Broadband?

But What About Real World 4G Speed?

There’s conflicting information on this. In some cases, you have reviews that get more than the average advertised download speeds like the one below:

TheStreet.com tests Sprint mobile broadband 3G and 4G speeds. Both do just as advertised.

On the other hand, users over at DSLReports.com give Clear (formerly Clearwire & operators of Sprint’s 4G network) a 6 month rating of 69%. Garnering 57 positive reviews and 63 negative (at the time of this review), opinions are mixed. Several users report problems with coverage as well as advertised speed.

As I recommend heavily to Mobile Broadband Buyer’s Guide readers, take your service for at least a 7 day test drive. If you don’t like it and it’s not living up to par in your area, return it for a full refund.

Speaking of which your area, it doesn’t matter how great speeds are if you don’t have any service.

Time to find out if you can get 3G or 4G Sprint Coverage in your backyard.

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