PC Mag reviews Cingular's HSDPA network

It's difficult to make an accurate general assessment on something so, well, large as a cellular network -- even one rolled out in just a few cities -- but PC Mag put Cingular's newly minted Broadband Connect HSDPA network through the paces out East against its two competitors (Verizon's and Sprint's respective EV-DO networks) and found it to be, ehh, alright (3/5 stars, to be exact). HSDPA's simultaneous voice and data channels open up some attractive applications (like smoother videoconferencing, for one), as well does its 384Kbps (max) upload speed, but the Mag wasn't too stoked on Cingular's real-world average of 584Kbps downstream and 128Kbps upstream cap (which is still about that of EV-DO), as well as its still spotty coverage and service. What's the cure for the condition? Well, let's just say we'd agree with their general assessment of the problem; the network just won't always be as bad, Cingular just happens to be in the early stages of commercial rollout. Check back in 6 months, a year, two years, and we'll assuredly see almost a completely different service.

[Thanks, Dave]

[Mike @ Jan 30th 2006 7:28AM]

so when are we going to see some HSDPA phones for use on the network? Maybe the Palm 700P to launch it? BTW, Cingular was pushing SLVR w/iTunes flyers this week in DC.

[eflyersteve @ Jan 30th 2006 9:04AM]

Huh? Who writes this stuff at PC Mag? Ability to talk during data, interoperability around the world does not beat EV-DO?

And I've seen many more reports of over 1MBps speeds than those of less than 1MBps. As for the buzzing sound - whomever tested needs to get a better PC with better shielding. I don't get the buzzing sound with headphones. You do sometimes get the GSM buzz on other devices though.

[Sascha @ Jan 30th 2006 10:23AM]

I write the stuff, actually, and if you want to ask me about the reviews, feel free.

Remember I'm not reviewing HSDPA technology in the abstract -- I'm reviewing Cingular's specific implementation of it, right now. As I said in the review, there are no global UMTS roaming agreements yet; when they come along, they'll definitely be an advantage. And as the only devices Cingular currently supports are PC Cards, there is no ability to talk during data yet, as there are no phones to talk on.

Regarding the speeds, I can only tell you what I saw. I actually didn't get a single result over 1 Mbit/sec. But as I said in the review, I think the problem was weak signal strength; when Cingular brings more towers on line, I fully expect those speeds to ramp up.

[Desides @ Jan 30th 2006 10:53AM]

I am really getting tired of hearing about services that are only available in a few places. I'm sure it's a nice network with nice tech and all, but... who cares? It'll take years before most of us have access to this.

[zorg @ Jan 30th 2006 10:58AM]

I asked a Cingular rep about HSDPA in my area. He laughed condescendingly and said that what I really want is UMTS, that HSDPA is just a side-effect. Whatever, when can I get it on my Cingular Treo 650? I asked. UMTS is only for PC cards, grasshopper, he replied with another condescending chuckle. There are no lowly palmos devices with processors fast enough to keep up with UMTS. It's really going to be for bigger faster hotter machines.

He said there was no way to tell if it's available in my area except to call back in a couple of months and hope I get to talk to somebody fun like him. Please, anyone, is there another way?

[Thought @ Jan 30th 2006 11:46AM]

Cingular right now is really behind the curve with regards to rollout of 3G services.

One wonders how many subscribers they are losing to Verizon and Sprint, as people tire of waiting for their 3G to arrive.

No doubt that over time that Cingular will play catchup...but in the meantime they are just losing customers.

[TonyTK @ Jan 30th 2006 1:19PM]

Verizon.....Check
Sprint.....Check
Cingular....Check

T-Mobile.....????

Where is T-Mobile's HSDPA network?

[Ryan @ Jan 30th 2006 1:29PM]

Actually, #7, they really aren't losing customers. 4th quarter results show Cingular added 1.8 million new customers to Verizon's 2 million. Sprint's results haven't been announced yet but are expected to be in the 1.5 million range. The average cell customer just does not care about high speed data at this time.

#6 - Not sure if you are being sarcastic or serious. Assuming serious, the processer speed of the device has nothing to do with whether it can handle UMTS or HSDPA. UMTS is for phones as well as PC cards, and the first UMTS devices will be released in the next month or so. There is no way to upgrade your Treo 650 to be compatible with UMTS - EDGE is the best you are going to get with that device.

[Xultar @ Jan 30th 2006 1:30PM]

Well I have the service and I agree with Sascha.
The service is spotty. In Houston weekly for business I'm rarely able to use the service @ HSDPA from inside buildings downtown. The airport is mighty grim too. I wonder if it is because Sprint sells wifi? Hum....

Well it appears that the signal just isn't strong enough. There aren't enough towers online. It is dissapointing @ best.

The best Cingular can say is that they met the deadline. They need to offer substansial discounts and hope that people don't go away and stay away. I think Cingular is banking on customers from Dell with the integrated HSDPA to bring in new customers. Let's hope by then that word of mouth hasn't put the squash on it.

[mike @ Jan 30th 2006 2:17PM]

i just switched from Cingular/ATT to Verizon this weekend. Paid the termination fee, bought the New Verizon XV6700. I have EVDO almost everywhere I go except in buildings with bad service and it goes down to 1X which still seems to run as fast as EDGE if not better.

I have better service, a better phone, and better customer service. thank god.. glad i left

[AustinBear @ Jan 30th 2006 4:02PM]

I am, fortunately, having a much better experience with Cingular's UMTS and my Sierra PC Card. I'm getting over 1mb/s much of the time (more than I would have thought). I live in Austin (really fast here), I fly through IAH almost weekly and have been spending losts of time in the SF Bay Area (all over). I really enjoyed the 'broadband' connection while heading from downtown SF to OAK in the back of a cab and getting good speeds all the while (I did not measure then, but was getting 700+ at OAK).

I would love to know what other metros are scheduled for '06, but I guess that's a state secret...

And, one general comment. I think I'm likely a target user for this. I'm mostly doing email with some business browsing. whether I'm getting 400kb/s or 900kb/s does not really matter. I get my work done quickly with no apparent/practical delay. If I was downloading video all day it might really matter - but who does that all the time that really needs this card.

Okay, one last comment. At home, I get 1Mb/s plus. If I did not have a wife, I'd probably ditch my DSL...

[Motorola 3G Victim @ Jan 30th 2006 4:27PM]

So I'm in Seattle and I'm still waiting for my new HSDPA compatible phones that they promised me last July I would have last November.

Well no phones yet but they threw the switch on HSDPA and screwed both of my A845's which were at least able to do voice. Now they are not so handy hand warmers. THey can't call out anymore and if you leave them on they chew through their batteries in .5 hour.

As for waiting for CIngular to improve their network. All I can say is that the same dead spots I've had for the last three years? They're still dead spots. I can't ride from Redmond to Downtown Seattle with out being dropped 5 times in exactly the same spots I've been telling them about for 3 years now.

I called them last week and asked them where the hell my phones were. They offered to "upgrade" me to a GSM phone!!!!! I told them that was hardly an upgrade and could they please tell me what the latest date was. They promised to call me back before EOB, guess whom never called back?

I've got a Verizon e815 and it totally kicks ass over what the A845's did back when the network was UMTS. As their ads say "It's the network stupid" or was that just "IT's the network"???

[Saif @ Jan 30th 2006 5:10PM]

I often wonder...how many people leaving comments here are on the payroll of Cingular/Verizon/Sprint/etc.? As biased as journalism has the potential to be, at least it's generally backed up with a baseline level of integrity.

Basically, why should any reader believe any of the personal experiences on threads like this? I get the feeling that you've got to just try it for yourself.

[zorg @ Jan 30th 2006 7:44PM]

I am not on Cingular/Verizon/Sprint payrolls. I did hate Verizon when I was on Verizon, but my wife is still on Verizon and likes it. I'm on Cingular and liked it so much better than the evil Comcast (there's a company I REALLY hate) that I was thinking of getting an HSDPA card for my laptop to replace my cable modem, leading to my comment at #6 above.

By the way, I was at least somewhat serious (ref #8), although I compressed my report of the conversation in a way that distorted it. The rep did say wrong stuff in a condescending way. But if he really knew his stuff, he probably wouldn't have been answering phones.

[Serg @ Jan 31st 2006 2:06AM]

In Dallas - one of the six HSDPA spots for Cingular, out of three Cingular retail spots I checked, none of the techs had heard of HSDPA let alone knew how to spell it....

All they know is edge - and 2 of the 3 thought it was for data cards only. What will be interesting is when HSDPA phones will marry with PTT. Then you will have a convergence product. That's what Cingular has going for it. Sprint too since they swallowed Nextel - I don't know how it will work since Nextel's PTT is on iDEN. Seems like too many chips and convergence to worry about...

HSDPA phones for Cingular will be out by the end of 06 according to Ed Reynolds, CTO for Cingular, but no HSDPA w/PTT until '07. Also no HSDPA w/ WM 5.0 until '07.

So looks like '07 is the year for HSDPA. So enjoy EVDO now and say goodbye to T-Mobile and Catherine Zeta Jizzonze

[joshman @ Feb 1st 2006 1:33PM]

#13

Technically your an ATT customer not a Cingular Customer. Those dead zones are ATT dead zones, not Cingular. You can't blame Cingular for not fixing wholes in ATT's network.

[Michael @ Feb 18th 2006 10:15PM]

It seems to me that HSDPA simply is not an established, reliable technology. While I hate to say that EV-DO is kicking butt in north america (and believe me, I hate to admit it), it simply is. The fact that EVDO is not global is a huge issue for me. Before anything else, global standardization in telecommunication is paramount. HSDPA and afterwards, HSUPA both have huge potential. We're just going to have to wait some time and settle with EVDO in North america for the next couple of years.
I live in canada and bell has just started with UMTS about 2-3 months ago. No one here even knows what HSDPA is yet. Rogers and Fido won't come out with their UMTS networks for another several months yet. So this problem with HSDPA is not really a Cingular problem, it's a development problem, albeit it wouldn't hurt if Cingular knew what they were doing and informed the public about what the hell is going on.

[Steve @ Jan 14th 2007 12:58AM]

Just FYI, I'm north of Chicago, near the Wisconsin border and I'm getting Download Speed: 850 kbps (106.3 KB/sec transfer rate)
Upload Speed: 238 kbps (29.8 KB/sec transfer rate). On my Cingular 8525