4G LTE Makes a Difference

Long Term Evolution, the fourth generation mobile network air interface that has become the global choice for 4G, makes a big difference.


In the Kansas City market, which RootMetrics last tested in August 2011,  AT&T's average download speed was about 4.1 Mbps. In the latest test, after AT&T launched its LTE network, average speed rose to 16.3 Mbps in the downstream direction.


The average upload speed jumped from 1.5 Mbps to 5.9 Mbps, according to RootMetrics. 


Verizon’s average download speed, boosted by its LTE network, grew from from 1.2 Mbps to 17.1 Mbps. The average upload speed increased from 1 Mbps to 10.7 Mbps.


T-Mobile USA which has not launched an LTE network saw average download speed increase from 2 Mbps to 4.3 Mbps, while  average upload speed moved from 0.5 Mbps to 1.3 Mbps.


Sprint, which likewise has not yet launched its LTE network saw average downstream speeds decrease to 3.1 Mbps from  4.6 Mbps in August 2011.