There has been some talk in the support forums over at Solavei about the lack of 4G speeds and certain devices not getting a true 4G experience. Even stranger is the fact that some of the complaints are coming from users of the ZTE Origin that was purchased directly from Solavei. Here’s what you need to know and what you can expect as far as network support from Solavei and of course, it’s carrier partner.
There is a bit of a debate about whether or not an HSPA+42 network should be considered a 4G technology or not. HSPA+42 has a theoretical speed of a 42Mbps downlink. The original definition of 4G was a 100Mbps downlink. The issue in the US began when Sprint launched their WiMAX network at a 10Mbps downlink and called it 4G. The network was about 1/2 the street speeds of the Verizon LTE network and was still able to be called 4G as the theoretical speeds were fast enough even though the actual user speeds were not. We then fast forward to AT&T and T-Mobile who were using their 3G HSPA network that was capable of delivering 14.4Mbps downlink and street speeds in the 7-9Mbps downlink range. T-Mobile and AT&T both expanded this HSPA network to a faster HSPA+ network that first when to 21Mbps downlinks and finally ended up at 42Mpbs downlink speeds.
Now, with all the technical jargon out of the way, what does this mean to you? Well, first off, you have to compare Solavei 4G against those pesky LTE networks rolling out everywhere. It would be nice to assume that Solavei will get T-Mobile LTE when it becomes available, but let’s not expect it. In fact, the only carrier that has allowed any MVNO on to their LTE network is Sprint. Sprint has allowed Virgin Mobile and Boost Mobile on to their higher speed network, but you have to remember that Sprint owns both those MVNO’s. Without that LTE connection, what speed should Solavei uses expect from their HSPA+42 connection? Here’s the answer you will hate, “It depends.”
Solavei runs a nationwide 2G connection with excellent roaming partners and coverage. Coverage is pretty solid from east to west and north to south over this lower speed voice network. This is due in part to the agreements that T-Mobile has that were passed on as part of the negotiated Solavei coverage. When you up the speed to 3G/4G, the coverage map online shows the same coverage, but with personal testing, I have to say it is dramatically different. With the same Lumia 810 in two hands, T-Mobile and Solavei had different levels of coverage in the exact same area. My T-Mobile Lumia had 3 bars of 4G in one area while my Solavei Lumia had 5 bars of 2G. Obviously, there is a difference, but your voice and 2G data coverage is very extensive.
For the majority of your mobile browsing and social networking that 2G connection would serve you well. The 2G ‘throttle’ speed is set to 128kbps, or about twice the speed of your old dialup modem (or if you are old enough to remember your first DSL line.) The speeds won’t let you stream music or videos, but it will do a decent job of keeping you in contact. The 4G speeds are really where the action starts to get good though. In a suburb of Seattle, speeds topping 12-15Mpbs are normal. This registers just under the LTE connections of AT&T and Verizon in the same spaces. The maximum speed that I have personally experienced on a mobile network is 32Mbps down and 6Mbps up. This will vary based off your location, but you should see 4G speeds of 7-12Mbps on average on the 4G network.
Now that we know how fast the 4G network is, the original question was why did Solavei offer “3G” phones like the ZTE Origin? Simply put, the Origin is a very inexpensive device that was able to get users in to a device for an extremely affordable price. The Origin only featured an HSPA radio that maxed out at a 7.2Mbps downlink. This is commonly referred to as an HSDPA 7.2 radio. There is nothing wrong with the 1-3Mbps data speeds on these radios, but it won’t let you really take advantage of the HSPA+42 network. This can also be a serious issue with many unlocked AT&T and international devices as well. When phone shopping, you will pay extra for the faster radios, but with devices like the Blu Studio II 5.3 for $229.99, it’s hard to justify $600 for a similar device with a faster radio.
The bottom line on network speeds is that first, you have to have a solid coverage area with a strong HSPA+42 network to use the latest devices. Second, you need to have a device that supports it. Third, you need to make sure your APN’s are set correctly to take advantage of those high speeds. If one of the three aren’t right, your data and MMS experience on Solavei will leave you wanting more. If you don’t have a solid HSPA+42 network in your area, be prepared and prepare those around you for “3G” speeds.
Posted from my Nokia Lumia 810
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