I also used 3G and 4G connections on a moving commuter train and as a passenger in a car and averaged all the results together. I returned to each location at three different times over a 10-day period and repeated all the tests on both 3G and 4G networks. I measured each result three times and then repeated the tests with the 3G network. Finally, I watched an online HD video and listened to an Internet radio station. After noting the signal strength of the connection, I used Ookla's utility to measure latency and download and upload speeds. At 10 locations in New York and New Jersey, I fired up my ThinkPad W510 and connected to the 4G network. To see how Sprint's 3G and 4G networks compare, I used a Sierra Wireless AirCard 250U modem that works with both the 3G EV-DO and 4G WiMax networks. Next: Software, service plan and speed tests
Setting up the 250U on my Lenovo ThinkPad W510 with Windows 7 took about 10 minutes it connected to the network on the first try.
The 250U works with systems running Windows 7, Vista or XP, or Mac OS X 10.5 or 10.6. The device has a list price of $250, but it's free with a two-year Sprint contract. across, can rotate and swivel up and down to get better reception. The disk-shaped receiver, which measures about 2 in. The Sierra Wireless AirCard 250U modem that I used for testing weighs just 1.9 oz., connects to a laptop via a USB port, and can be folded up to less than an inch thick when not in use. The second part of the 4G puzzle is the connection device. Although it's not available in my suburb, Verizon LTE has been rolled out to some parts of the New York metro area, and I hope to test it in multiple locations soon. The company says the network will be complete nationwide in 2013.
Meanwhile, Verizon has just launched its own LTE network on a trial basis with limited coverage in 38 cities and 60 airports. AT&T is also busy rolling out HSPA+ and is testing LTE (Long Term Evolution) technology for a planned commercial 4G rollout over the next two years. In contrast, T-Mobile currently offers an upgraded High Speed Packet Access (HSPA+) 3G network. Sprint says that over the next two years, it will fill out a national 4G network. It's available in all 50 states, although - as is the case with other 3G networks - there are huge holes in the upper Midwest. When you can't get a 4G connection, the fallback is to use Sprint's 3G network, which is based on EV-DO (Evolution Data Optimized) technology. The network provides adequate coverage on the coasts ( see map), but it's hit or miss in the middle of the country, and there are 12 states with no Sprint 4G service at all. is known as Clear and is operated by Clearwire it's based on the IEEE 802.16e specification. Available in 62 cities, from Everett, Wash., to Tampa, Fla., Sprint's WiMax wireless service in the U.S. As is the case with any wireless service, you need three things to get access: a network, a device for connecting and a service plan.