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Is your mobile broadband up to speed?
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Vodafone tops mobile broadband speeds
Garnet Roach garnet@consumerchoices.co.uk
Vodafone is the fastest, most reliable mobile broadband network according to a recent study (16-06-08).
LCC International, an independent wireless engineering company, carried out 28,000 network tests over March, April and May 2008, looking at both file download speeds and website loading performance and ranking Vodafone - which funded the research - top of the list.
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"Vodafone’s mobile broadband network is statistically significantly faster and more reliable that other operators"
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Average Download speeds for a 2MB file:
Neil Smith, Vice President of LCC International, said: “When we responded to Vodafone’s tender it was made very clear that this test was to be done in independent conditions. We have been rigid in our methodology and did not disclose anything to Vodafone UK until the trial was completed. We have designed one of the most comprehensive assessments of its kind in order to generate a statistically sound report. As a result, we have been able to conclude that Vodafone’s mobile broadband network is statistically significantly faster and more reliable that other operators to both download files and load web pages.”
The news comes only a month after Vodafone announced that it would stop concentrating on theoretical - but unachievable - maximum speeds, dropping the 7.2Mb claim from some adverts, and make actual speeds clearer to customers.
Although mobile broadband isn’t set to threaten fixed-line operators just yet, recent research by YouGov has predicted that in only 24 months - the length of the current longest broadband contracts - mobile broadband services will be dominating the market an overtaking fixed-line connections.
The study found that 1 in 10 people already use mobile broadband to get online and Marek Vaygelt of YouGov said: “The mobile broadband market is a gold-rush at present.”
Michael Phillips, BroadbandChoices.co.uk product director, said: “The recent code of conduct drawn up by Ofcom to regulate fixed-line broadband speeds doesn’t currently extend to mobile broadband operators.
“However, it’s good to see that mobile broadband operators are now taking their own initiative and choosing to advertise their speeds in a more responsible way, as today’s results clearly show that like home broadband connections, there is still a big gap between advertised and actual speeds.”
Related article - Mobile broadband.
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