HSDPA squares off with EV-DO Rev. A

Wireless broadband is an ever increasing market, with all almost all major cellular carriers bringing something unique to the table. Sprint and Verizon both offer Ev-DO Rev. A on their networks, which promises speeds of up to 3.2 Mbps, while Cingular features UMTS and HSDPA frequencies, promising a peak of 7.2 Mbps on their HSDPA-capable devices. T-Mobile is the notable missing piece, though their recent spectrum acquisitions should ensure a Pink-T broadband network before too long. These bandwidth quotes are fascinating, but what can a real world user expect while accessing these networks? How does coverage affect browsing speed? Is HSDPA really better than its Ev-DO counterpart? Crunch Gear has been wondering the same things, and have decided to perform a real world comparison test. The results were more or less predictably weighted in Cingular’s favor. It seems that while Cingular’s claim of 7.2 Mbps is somewhat unrealistic, real world tests yielded much higher bandwidth than Sprint’s. The biggest problem, however, was with Cingular’s 3G coverage, which leaves something to be desired. The reviewer notes that Cingular’s network is faster, but Sprint’s is more reliable and consistent by leaps and bounds. The final verdict basically comes down to coverage. If you get sufficient Cingular coverage in your primary usage area, then their service is far faster. If you’re planning on traveling a lot (as many potential wireless broadband users are), it may be more practical to stick with the slower, but more reliable service offered by Sprint or Verizon. In the end, the choice comes down to preference and practicality, but it goes to show that sometimes the newest, shiniest toy on the block isn’t always the best.

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