Cellular Phones/HSDPA SPEEDS

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Expert: - 9/3/2009


Question
When we say a modem or a phone has HSDPA capability speeds of upto 1.8Mbps/3.6Mbps/7.2Mbps :What speeds should one expect when downloading in practicle but not theory as written in paper?

Answer
It's completely based on what the carrier pumps out in that area. The Mbps that you mentioned above are the top speeds and if you are too far from the tower or the carrier doesn't have the backend pipes, then the speeds will be less. I can 100% guarantee you that no GSM carrier has 7.2 everywhere. There are some places where they do and others where they don't. The amount of traffic on the network will also be a part of this bandwidth. It's just like DSL and cable modems. The theoretical is not the practical and at different times of day you will have different speeds also. You can test the speeds with various software to see what the typical speeds are where you are. That's the only way to do this. Everything else is theorectical and you pay the same regardless of speed. I hope this helps. Thanks. DebiN

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DebiN

Expertise

I can answer questions on cellular phones, the physical device, the network, contracts, billing, ordering, porting and what to look for when purchasing cell phones. I am located in the United States. I am an expert on BlackBerrys, Treos, HTC devices and iPhones as well as cellphones and aircards. I have over 15 years of experience in both the wireless and wireline world with the carriers. I have a lot of knowledge regarding the wireless providers - their services, prices and policies, both GSM AT&T and T-Mobile) and CDMA (Verizon, Sprint/Nextel). I am very familiar with the individual devices and their specifications. I can also answer questions regarding BlackBerrys, iPhones and other PDAs, both Palm-based and Windows-based. I can troubleshoot most any problem someone is having with their cellular device or with the provider.

Experience

Over 20 years in the Telecom industry working for the carriers with individuals, small business, medium business and large corporations(Fortune 500). Also worked as a professor in Maryland for 10 years teaching telecommunications.

Organizations
I belong to several organizations

Education/Credentials
Master's in Telecommunications

Awards and Honors
Received several awards for papers that I have published over the years

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