Review: Sprint 4G WiMAX wireless service in Philadelphia

Sprint's Overdrive 3G/4G Mobile Hotspot in Center City

Photos courtesy of Neal Santos.

Since Clearwire launched its 4G WiMAX network in Philadelphia in October, we’ve been itching to get our hands on a device that would let us utilize the high-speed wireless network.

With promises of speeds that blow away 3G connections that one might be used to on a mobile phone or USB modem, why not?

So we’ve taken the opportunity to test Sprint’s Overdrive 3G/4G Mobile Hotspot, a compact mobile WiFi router that lets up to 5 people simultaneously connect to Sprint’s WiMAX network.

It should be said that though Sprint, Clear and Comcast all utilize the same 4G WiMAX pipes, performance has been known to vary depending on the device. So while our tests here may indicate one speed, another device could produce a better or worse connection. We hope to test Clear and Comcast devices as the year goes on. [Full Disclosure: Clear is currently a Technically Philly advertising partner]

It should also be noted that the WiMAX network is being upgraded on a regular basis, so new towers are being installed in problem-areas where connection rates may have been poor during our tests produced earlier this year, officials tell us.

That said, we think our review is an interesting look at the network’s capability throughout Fairmount, Center City, Old City and Fishtown (complete with an interactive map of detailed throughput recordings). And we hope you’ll let us know how your 4G connection—whether on Sprint, Clear or Comcast—fares in your own neighborhood.

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Friday Q&A: AT&T regional VP and General Manager Dan Lafond

As we wrote in a column last week, AT&T is championing its mobile stability in the region. And Dan Lafond, AT&T’s vice president and general manager in central and eastern Pennsylvania, wants you to know about it.

The wireless carrier has received its fair share of criticism since the iPhone launched in 2007. Though the smartphone galvanized the mobile industry, AT&T—which, for now, exclusively sells Apple’s iPhone—has been beaten into the ground for network capacity concerns. A report released in October said that more than half of iPhone users would jump to another network if given a chance.

But the carrier has also responded with substantial infrastructure investment. In Pennsylvania alone, $725 million has been spent on capacity. And it seems to be paying off.

But, as Lafond notes in the interview below, in San Francisco and New York where the network is most congested, there exists the most news outlets reporting on technology, hence more negative coverage. Here in Philadelphia, he says, AT&T has reason to brag.

After the jump, we discuss with Lafond AT&T’s infrastructure investments in Pennsylvania, how mobile is affecting the digital divide and of course, the impact of the iPhone and what will happen if Verizon cuts a deal with Apple, too.

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