Consumer Reports Wireless Survey

[BigL]

I've been thinking of switching from AT&T to Verizon because of the 3G coverage map. I work a lot from home and hate it when my AT&T service switches from 3G to 2G because it pretty much prevents me from being able to work remotely. I'm one month away from my contract being over so I'm starting to look around when I saw this:

http://tech.yahoo.com/blogs/patterson/60353

Here's one about the Verizon ads. As someone who experiences the AT&T 2G service, I'll pass on that large network.

http://tech.yahoo.com/blogs/patterson/59230;_ylt=AsBtiYrkhvoLtH3WfGFjDlNCMZA5

I'm not as concerned about phone coverage or dropped calls. My concern is my internet through the wireless card because i don't have a lot of options for high speed internet at my house (wireless or satellite are my only 2). Anyone have Verizon wireless? How is their 3G service for internet?

Using http://www.speedtest.net/ I get the following speeds on my AT&T 3G network (it's in 3G while running the test).
download - .91 Mb/s
upload - .64 Mb/s

on http://www.speakeasy.net/speedtest/
download - 921 kbps
upload - 485 kbps

What speeds are y'all getting with your 3G service?

[gspbrad]

to put in perspective - my Verizon Fios at the house is:

Download: 14.58 Mb/s
Upload: 1.83 Mb/s

or

Download: 14581 kbps
Upload: 1837 kbps

My ATT wireless card (3G) from work is much slower than my home service, but hardly noticeable when surfing the web, running VPN, reading/responding to emails. I do notice a difference when downloading large files; iTunes movie, etc. That said - when the wireless card hits 2G - it sucks.

My point is - speed and bandwidth are important, but will your actual use leverage faster technology?

[BigL]

to put in perspective - my Verizon Fios at the house is:

Download: 14.58 Mb/s
Upload: 1.83 Mb/s

or

Download: 14581 kbps
Upload: 1837 kbps

My ATT wireless card (3G) from work is much slower than my home service, but hardly noticeable when surfing the web, running VPN, reading/responding to emails. I do notice a difference when downloading large files; iTunes movie, etc. That said - when the wireless card hits 2G - it sucks.

My point is - speed and bandwidth are important, but will your actual use leverage faster technology?

Yes I will use and leverage faster technology if I had it when i work from home but not when I'm just surfing TBH. I work in software development for stock trading software with streaming marketdata. That can be a lot of data changing rapidly. When I lived 5 miles from the office I worked from home regularly but now that I live 25 miles away, I' never work from home.

Would I use FIOS to it's fullest potential, probably not. I would like to get something that will stay in 3G more consistently than what I have now though.

[Hill1970]

I have both an ATT phone and a Verizon phone. I will tell you this, I have never seen my Verizon phone have a signal and my ATT phone not, but I have see quiet a few remote places where my ATT phone has good signal and my Verizon has nothing. If you get up around Lake Sam Rayburn or Toledo Bend the Verizon signal is very bad or none at all.

[bboswell]

I have both an ATT phone and a Verizon phone. I will tell you this, I have never seen my Verizon phone have a signal and my ATT phone not, but I have see quiet a few remote places where my ATT phone has good signal and my Verizon has nothing. If you get up around Lake Sam Rayburn or Toledo Bend the Verizon signal is very bad or none at all.

This is not at all the experiance my company has had after switching a couple hundred phones / aircards from verizon to ATT across the southern 1/2 of the US. Glad I was able to keep Verizon.

[coonazz]

I have Verizon wireless (Blackberry Storm) and I cannot stand the service/data reception. For the longest, I couldn't call Dallas numbers when I was at/near my deer lease in downtown Brownwood. I called to complain and had the worst customer service experience ever! I can use the phone now, but still no text or emails/data at the lease while all my AT&T mobile friends are texting and facebooking from their stands.

[az2tx]

at&t works great at my ranch, verison no worky

[aironeout]

at&t works great at my ranch, verison no worky

x2.

>E

[gekko man]

I was at First Point this weekend and my Verizon air card did not have a signal and my brother who had his ATT cell, was tethered to his laptop. My ATT cell worked fine.

My wife is an ATT Mobility rep (her accounts are large users) and she laughs about the commercials that Verizon runs on the tube.

It is all about where you air at the time you are wanting to use your cell or air card. As for overall coverage, ATT has it covered. I am obviously an ATT user. My company gave me the Verizon air card and I hate it.