3G or HSDPA — most mobile users would not mind the difference these two have when it comes to connecting via mobile 3G internet. This is mainly because most people think 3G in the Philippines is slow anyway. I looked into this to see if the difference between 3G and HSDPA speeds really matter.
3G (3rd Generation of Telecommunication Standards) is a standard of cellular connectivity which allows for speeds of up to 384 Kb/s downstream and 64 Kb/s upstream.
3G HSDPA is a 3G enhancement — HSDPA (High-Speed Downlink Packet Access) is a new mobile data protocol and is sometimes referred to as a 3.5G. Theoretically, HSDPA speeds can reach 3.6 Mbps downstream and 348 Kbps upstream.
My 3G vs. HSDPA test included the ff.:
Smart SIM
Nokia E51 (for HSDPA)
Nokia E63 (for 3G)
Standard Nokia USB Cable
Desktop PC on Windows XP + Nokia PC Suite
SpeedTest.net & 2Wire.com (on Google Chrome Browser)
Using SpeedTest.net (to target a local server) and 2Wire.com (a US server), I took 11 samples for each phone (one on HSDPA and the other on 3G). I dropped the highest and lowest scores and averaged the remaining 9 test results.
Results are as follows:
3G (on Nokia E63)
Download Speed: 448 Kbps (SpeedTest) / 306 Kbps (2Wire)
Upload Speed: 226 Kbps (SpeedTest)
Latency: 274ms
HSDPA (on Nokia E51)
Download Speed: 1,534 Kbps (SpeedTest) / 650 Kbps (2Wire)
Upload Speed: 346 Kbps (SpeedTest)
Latency: 94ms
The numbers might not be definitive but the speed difference is significant between 3G and 3.5G (HSDPA). The speeds will be noticeable especially when you’re downloading torrents as the 3G will hit a speed cap at around 50KB/s while you can still go up to 400+KB/s on HSDPA.
The more surprising result was the latency (response delay) between the two. Latency is significantly lower on HSDPA compared to 3G which means playing network/online games will be much better on HSDPA.
Hope this test results will help you in your next phone purchase with a 3G or an HSDPA. Of course, results will vary depending on the network you are on (in this case, I used Smart 3G).
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I’m very happy with my Sun Mobile Broadband. Thank god there’s HSDPA signal where I’m at and I’m able to easily hit 3.6 Mbps during off peak hours.
… I didn’t even expect Sun’s HSDPA to support 3.6 Mbps, I thought they’d start with 1.8 Mbps then move up from there.
Lucien, what’s sun’s average speed during peak hours?
That’s pretty neat.
I’d like a Globe VS Smart comparison
speed really does matter. I don’t want to waste time by waiting for something to finish downloading. I don’t have that much patience… my bad…
sana hinde lag sa garena.. para di ak ma first blood
pretty nice but basically it really depends upon your location since it’s a wireless technology there would be a lot of attenuation.
During peak hours I usually get around 700 kbps…
I think my connection was about 300 kbps the other day though but it only lasted for like an hour then I was back to HSDPA speeds. I usually experience HSDPA speeds more often than non-HSDPA speeds.
where are you when you got those speeds?
They are significantly different. With mere 3G, you’re sometimes getting speeds which are worse than dial-up. Their ad is frankly misleading.
I own an E51 and it is quite good using an HSDPA with speeds comparable to PLDT DSL at home with prices quite cheap.
cool… But I think it really depends upon the location… Considering the attenuation and interference. Thanks for the info! Great blog… More power!
Visibility anywhere in Katipunan sucks. -_- Should’ve gotten Smart Bro na lang, if not for the hassle of needing a Smart Phone/Sim to reload the credits. Grr
Hi Abe and others,
I’ve been a DSL user until I realize I have to get wireless esp on HSDPA.
You’ve mention about using Smart. Is it the ordinary sim that they have or I need to acquire a special sim for HSDPA?
I have sony ericsson w760i phone capable of HSDPA…hopefully I can harness its functionality.
Thanks in advance guys.
@ferdz – you can sue the ordinary SIM card from Smart, Globe and Sun Cellular as long as you have an HSDPA-capable handset to use with it.
@techie – Makati area.
useful info, have you tried N95?
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Hi, i have a nokia 5800. It says it has 3G HSDPA. I don’t know what that actually mean but how will you know (using your laptop w/c is connected to your phone) if your using the 3G network or the HSDPA network? Thanks.