download speed
Latest
Xbox tests a 'suspend my game' button to speed up downloads
One click can make your Xbox Series X download games and updates much faster.
Comcast increases Xfinity internet speeds across the northeast
If you're an Xfinity internet customer in the northeast, it might be worth running a speed test. Comcast just announced that it's bumping download speeds for internet users in a total of 14 northeastern states, from Maine down through Virginia. Each of the four internet tiers Xfinity offers will increase, though by how much will vary. The two higher-speed "Blast" and "Performance Pro" options increase from 200 and 150 Mbps to 250 and 200 Mbps, respectively. The basic "Performance" tier, meanwhile, jumps from 25 to 60 Mbps, and the modest "Starter" tier moves from 10 to 15 Mbps.
Kabel Deutschland sets record with 4.7Gbps download speeds
About a year ago, Arris teased a system capable of 4.5Gbps downloads, and while that technology was in the proof-of-concept phase last June, it's beginning to look more like a real possibility. German network provider Kabel Deutschland just notched a new download speed record using Arris' C4 CMTs and Touchstone CM820S cable modems: a mind-blowing 4,700 Mbps (4.7 Gbps). The cable operator set that world-record rate in the city of Schwerin, where it recently updated its network to 862 MHz. The network may be capable of delivering those 4.7Gbps speeds, but the company noted that current laptops and modems can't even process such blazing data transfer rates. And before you North Americans get too excited, note that KD uses the EuroDOCSIS specification on the 8MHz channel, while the DOCSIS uses the 6MHz scheme in the US and beyond. Still, that's not to say that other cable providers like Verizon FiOS have been slacking lately -- 300Mbps downloads are nothing to scoff at.
Pando Networks trumpets global download data
Whether you're a fan of Pando Networks or you're still trying to scrape its last vestiges from the dark corners of your poor, beleaguered computer, there's no arguing that it collects some interesting usage data while doing... whatever it does that MMO companies can't seem to do on their own. In fact, Pando has released to us an eye-catching infographic and interactive chart to illustrate its compiled statistics on download speeds gleaned from 27 million downloads on 20 million computers across the globe. The victors won't surprise most gamers. "South Korea has a faster download speed than Great Britain, Turkey, Spain & Australia combined!" declares the chart, letting it slowly dawn on the reader that the United States doesn't fare quite as well as we might hope. Pando's also included a handy map breaking down speeds by state, the better for you to go forth and mock your neighbors. There's a whole host of socioeconomic and political reasons for these data over which armchair gameologists can salivate, but we should note that Pando is by definition tracking only game-related downloads, not the greater internet. Why not click past the cut to check out the charts for yourself?
How fat are your tubes? Pando Networks studies average US net speeds
Pando Networks, a content delivery provider for a variety of free-to-play MMOs such as Lord of the Rings Online and MapleStory, has released a study on the average download speeds across the United States. To do this, the company tracked the download speeds of 4 million gamers' games and patches from January to June 2011. So what were the findings? Well, the fastest state in the US was Rhode Island, with an average of 894 KBps. The slowest state, with a download speed nearly a third of Rhode Island's, was Idaho, which came in with a rather paltry average of 318KBps. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the study also found that download speed averages tended to be highest in "fairly affluent, metropolitan suburbs," such as the prosperous Andover suburb of Boston. On the other end of the spectrum there are cities such as Yuma, AZ, Mission, TX, and Pocatello, ID, where speeds don't break 290 KBps. The study also got a look at the average speeds of major ISPs, with Comcast at the top spot with an average speed of 890KBps, and with Verizon (788KBps) and Cox (757KBps) coming in close behind. Roadrunner is the caboose of the group with a download speed average of 673KBps. Curious about how fat the interweb tubes are in your city or state? Jump past the cut for some spiffy interactive maps courtesy of Pando.
Verizon, AT&T iPhones load web pages at same rate, firm reports
Verizon's network may reach areas that AT&T doesn't, but people stuck with AT&T have told themselves at least AT&T's data network is faster. While this is indeed the case, it doesn't make web pages load any faster on AT&T than on Verizon, according to a phone testing firm. Metrico Wireless confirmed that data speeds on Verizon's CDMA network are indeed just half those on AT&T's network, but that this made no difference when it came to browsing the Web. Users will only notice the difference if they're downloading large files on their iPhones. Verizon boasts that its network is more reliable than AT&T's, and Metrico's testing confirmed this. But, without revealing exact percentages, the firm said that the difference in terms of dropped or unconnected calls wasn't that great. Metrico tested with 4,000 calls and 10,000 web page downloads in New York, Seattle, Washington, Baltimore, Chicago and Dallas and surprisingly found that the Verizon iPhone was 10 percent less reliable than the AT&T model when downloading a file in a moving vehicle.
Study finds AT&T iPhone downloads twice as fast as Verizon's
We reported this morning on Verizon's iPad data rates crushing AT&T's, but if you're looking for raw download speed instead of cost savings, it might be worth checking out AT&T. Network World reported that studies from Metrico Wireless in five US cities showed that the iPhone 4 downloaded at twice as fast a rate on AT&T than Verizon. The AT&T phone had faster download speeds while moving, but the Verizon iPhone had the better upload speed when the phone was stationary. For those following this since the Verizon iPhone's release, this is nothing new. A TUAW hands-on last month showed slower data for the Verizon iPhone in Los Angeles. Considering that CDMA is an older technology to begin with, the result of the survey is really no surprise. It is worth noting, however, if you're considering an iPad 2, since the Verizon models will also be CDMA.
