3UK 14.4mbps

Just after christmas I upgraded my phone to an iPhone 4S, and being the kind of personI am I did a speedtest on my 3G connection as there is a 3 mast nearby.

6.56mbps, not bad I thought.

Never managed to get it higher since. So I'm thinking that the mast I am connected to is a 7.2mbps site.

The iPhone 4S is a 14.4mbps handset, but do 3 have any 14.4 mbps sites? and if so, how do know if they are or not?

On sitefinder my postcode (AB25 1GS) shows a 3 site nearby, UMTS. But they don't state which HSDPA standard they are running,

I would really like to try this phone on a 14.4 connection and see what I could get. At those speeds it's just a couple of meg below my home DSL!

3 are actually deploying 21 MBPS mobile broadband across their network at present. I am a 3 customer also in the AB12 area. I live about 250 metres from the three mast at Portlethen and also get around 6 MBPS presently.

They are not too forthcoming with informatiion on which sites they will be upgrading but the blog at blog.three.co..uk is promising an update on progress soon. The blog is actually quite informative on other areas of the three network and is a good source of information.

21Mbps would be nice. Shame most phones are only capable of 14, but I suppose the could be upgraded with firmware.

TBH, i've always been impressed with 3's speeds. and coverage.

I drive all over the North-East of Scotland for work and find myself getting 3G signal in places where I can;t even get FM Radio!

I've tried getting this information out of Three before. It's like pulling teeth ("Which cells have what capacity/speed?")

I gave up trying to find out and went for a fixed antenna and a Solwise router which can only do 7.2Mbps so as to make the kit permanent (no need to keep putting the modem outside)

The day that arrived my E367 modem went from around 5Mbps average up to 8Mbps average and 11Mbps tops. So, the cell was upgraded.

Now I have the kit installed, I'm stuck at about 6 meg down 1.6meg up and have to wait for an HSPA+ router to come on the market, just couldn't find one (the type you put the SIM in) to get the higher speeds back again.

So the upgrades do happen, but trying to get any news or specifics from Three isn't easy.

In reply to a post by connormill:

21Mbps would be nice. Shame most phones are only capable of 14, but I suppose the could be upgraded with firmware.

Most phones are 3.2 or 7.2, only 1 or two that i know have 14.

Usually the HSPA Ones are 14 (Not hsdpa i meen HSPA)

i can't comment on a 4s but i have a mifi and i get 21mbps down and 5mbps up on it. i only get 6mbps at home!

In reply to a post by Anonymous:

I've tried getting this information out of Three before. It's like pulling teeth ("Which cells have what capacity/speed?")

I gave up trying to find out and went for a fixed antenna and a Solwise router which can only do 7.2Mbps so as to make the kit permanent (no need to keep putting the modem outside)

The day that arrived my E367 modem went from around 5Mbps average up to 8Mbps average and 11Mbps tops. So, the cell was upgraded.

Now I have the kit installed, I'm stuck at about 6 meg down 1.6meg up and have to wait for an HSPA+ router to come on the market, just couldn't find one (the type you put the SIM in) to get the higher speeds back again.

So the upgrades do happen, but trying to get any news or specifics from Three isn't easy.

erm.. buy a mifi? £69 quid to buy! normal sized sim and it's HSPDA+

Doesnt like living outdoors stuck to the top of the window in the rain, though The E367 went all mouldy. But then it isn't meant to go outdoors.

That was the main reason - for a permanent setup. The loss of 5Mbps is annoying though after forking out £350 for kit + install (now down to just 6Mbps from 8Mbps to 11Mbps) for the kit since it really turns a very slow basic connection into something quite usable.

OK the MiFi might produce 3Mbps or 4Mbps indoors at a push with a fair wind, but I do need all the speed I can get as it's so slow anyway.

With hindsight I'd have kept the E367, got a different antenna and got a more simple router, and wired the lot together and kept the higher speeds.

I'm sure an HSPA+ capable router box will come along at some point. When I spoke to Solwise they said there was no market or demand for it yet.

In reply to a post by FNSDan:

In reply to a post by connormill:

21Mbps would be nice. Shame most phones are only capable of 14, but I suppose the could be upgraded with firmware.

Most phones are 3.2 or 7.2, only 1 or two that i know have 14.

Usually the HSPA Ones are 14 (Not hsdpa i meen HSPA)

Most new phones are going 14.4 now. This is a slide from the iPhone 4S keynote showing all the phones that claim to be 4G (in the us anyway)

http://images.anandtech.com/doci/4943/Screen%20Shot%...

4 phones right there, and there are load more

I get 12mbs on my s2 on three.