T-Mobile has been saying that its 4G HSPA+ network will boost speeds across the board regardless of whether or not the phone is capable of the full speed. So Wireless testing firm Root Metrics decided to put that to the test and found that the speed boost indeed was noticeable across the board no matter which device. In a sample of six markets, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, Oakland and Orange County, California T-Mobile was around 400 kb/s higher than the competition. However, AT&T did manage to edge out T-Mobile in Oakland but just barely. Testing took place during the August and September months and shows a stark difference between this year and last when T-Mobile was often third or last among the four big competitors.
How long T-Mobile will stay on top is anyone’s guess as Verizon prepares its own 4G LTE launch and Sprint attempts to reclaim the crown with Wimax. T-Mobile won’t sit on its hands though as HSPA+ speeds are expected to double to 42 Mbps next year.