London's mobile Internet four times slower than in New York
While we may now be just a few short weeks away from the launch of the UK’s first 4G network, courtesy of EE, our poor 3G mobile internet services have again made us the laughing stock of the western world. New research carried out by RootMetrics has revealed that London’s mobile data services are four times slower than those enjoyed by tech-heads living in New York.
Mobile data averaged a measly 2.3Mbps download speed across London during a substantial 11,413 tests, compared with 8.5Mbps over 5,294 tests in the Big Apple. Uploads in London proved similarly disappointing, with an average of 4Mbps in New York and a rubbish 1Mbps in London’s “Big Smoke”.
According to the report, the UK seems to experience massive fluctuations in the quality of the service given, based on location and provider. For instance, speeds of 12.9Mbps were achieved during the fastest recorded test, with that high score awarded to the O2 network running in Blackwood Avenue, Chingford. Also impressive was the Three network test conducted in Snoland, Kent, hitting top speeds of 7.3Mbps.
Results vary from town to town, network to network; Vodafone for instance, is better in Chlemsford than anywhere else. You might want to test a mate’s network in the town you spend most time in the next time you want to try a new service it would seem.
So, overall, which network came out on top? According to RootMetrics, Three is the “clear winner”, with O2, Vodafone, Orange and T-Mobile following in that order.
