Rogers iPhone speeds among fastest in the world: report
Last Updated: Monday, August 25, 2008 | 4:43 PM ET
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Canadian 3G iPhone users are experiencing some of the fastest network speeds in the world, according to a study by Wired magazine's website.
In an admittedly unscientific poll of more than 2,600 3G iPhone users around the world, Wired.com found that Rogers and Fido customers in Canada had an average download speed of 1,330 kilobits per second on their device. That ranked just behind the 1,822 kilobits experienced by T-Mobile subscribers in several European countries, including Germany and the Netherlands.
Rogers and Fido customers reported better speeds than their U.S. counterparts, who averaged speeds of 990 kilobits on AT&T's cellphone network. The worst speeds were reported by Australians on the Optus and Virgin networks, with about 390 kilobits.
Wired.com put the study together by directing 3G iPhone customers to a website that tested their download and upload speeds, and then allowed them to report back their findings. A total of 152 Canadians took part along with 1,638 Americans and 233 Australians. Most of the remaining 613 respondents were in Europe.
The differing speeds were the result of the various stages of rollout of 3G networks by cellphone carriers, Wired said. While recent reports — including a study by a Swedish technical magazine — have blamed 3G iPhone connection problems on the device itself, Wired's study was meant to show that any problems are the result of carriers' networks.
"In our view, this data is a strong indicator that performance of the mobile carrier's network is affecting the iPhone 3G more than the handset itself," wrote Wired's Brian X. Chen. "Altogether, this furthers our thesis that it's highly unlikely that Apple is going to wave a magic wand and say, '3G problems, be gone,' with a software update."
The speed report is good news for Rogers, which provoked a wave of negative publicity before launching the 3G iPhone earlier this summer. An online petition protesting the company's rate plans attracted more than 60,000 signatures, forcing the company to offer a temporary plan with lower fees.
That temporary offer is set to expire at the end of August, whereupon the Rogers iPhone again will be the most expensive offered by carriers which launched the device on July 11, according to CBCNews.ca's iPhone iNdex. A spokesperson for Rogers did not immediately return a query as to whether there are any plans to extend the temporary offer.
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