Having monitored 1,300 mobile broadband users for six months, the industry research firm Epitro claims download speeds were running at an average of 0.9Mbps--only a quarter of what most providers promise in their advertising.
The company installed monitoring software on 1,300 handsets spread across all six major UK service providers. The application recorded activities such as downloading, web surfing, streaming video, online gaming and VoIP calling, and, during the six-month period, were able to collect over 1.4 million test results, finding that most users were given just 24 per cent of the average 3.6Mpbs advertised.
Separately, Vodafone Portugal made great play of its new service that promised to boost mobile broadband speeds to 21.6Mbps using HSPA+. However, the company admitted the speeds obtained were theoretical rates only, and only available in the capital, Lisbon.
The Finnish operator, DNA, claims it will use HSPA+ to provide 21Mbps next month, and is committed to boost this to 42Mbps next year.
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