Apple's new iPad has had its network speeds tested around the globe, but the results aren't too rosy for the UK -- hit play on the video above to see quite how dismal our networks look compared with the rest of the world.
Brave CNETeers from our San Francisco, London, Singapore and Sydney offices took the new iPad outside to conduct a series of speed trials, in order to determine which nation affords iPad owners the fastest network speeds. And it sure as sausages ain't us.
First we used the Speedtest.net iOS app, which gauges Internet speeds. While the US and its potent 4G network won this test with a download rate of 28.47Mbps, our own iPad, complete with a Vodafone micro-SIM card, managed just 0.64Mbps.
Ouch. That's some truly sluggish data, and well below the theoretical speeds of up to 28.8Mbps in major cities that Vodafone reckons it can deliver to the new iPad.
Our buddies down under came second in this test, mustering 16.06Mbps over their Telstra dual carriage HSPA+ network.
Next up, we indulged in a spot of real-world testing by seeing which nation could buffer this 5-minute 33-second YouTube video. Australia won the test, loading the clip in a mere 49 seconds. By the time CNET Australia's iPad had completely buffered the video, the UK iPad had managed to buffer only about a fifth of the clip.
It's not detailed in the video above, but I can tell you that loading that YouTube video was a long and painful experience, with the clip frequently halting as it buffered ever so slowly.
Despite the new iPad containing 4G-capable components, it doesn't get 4G speeds in the UK because we don't have those networks yet. And even when we do get 4G here, we won't be using frequencies that the new iPad supports. For more on this, read our new iPad review.
Of course, there are a lot of variables to consider when evaluating these speed tests. We picked Vodafone simply because it had the closest shop selling micro-SIM cards on the day we tested, and we could have come up with a different result had we trialled our iPad at another time of day, somewhere else, or using an alternative network.
Seeing our speeds compared with the rest of the world's networks is a galling reminder that when it comes to mobile Internet, the UK lags behind. Orange and T-Mobile plan to roll out 4G-speed networks to the UK by the end of the year, but that plan is awaiting the final go-ahead from regulator Ofcom.
And no surprises, Vodafone and O2 have been complaining that Orange and T-Mobile shouldn't be allowed to start rolling out those networks until the proper spectrum auction, which due to legal threats from operators, has been delayed until "2013 at the earliest".
What kind of network speeds does your iPad manage? And do you think the UK deserves speedier mobile broadband? Tell me in the comments or on our Facebook wall.
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Comments 24
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anonymous 27 March, 2012 13:07
this is such a pointless comparison, far too many variables, i just got 3.6Mbps on my nexus while in a field outside a little village
killerpants 27 March, 2012 13:27
If you don't want your brain fried! Better stay away from America. God save our Queen, the great nation in the world, United Kingdom.
anonymous 27 March, 2012 13:29
I think killerpants needs a killer tinfoil hat
Benjamin Higham 27 March, 2012 13:50
You can go to parts of Africa and get a better and faster 3g signal than in London... I think it's time for the mobile operators here to fall on their swords...
anonymous 27 March, 2012 13:52
"Look at me, look at me, I've got a new ipad, and it's got 4G which makes me really cool and important, right.....oh, no 4G in the UK you say? But surely......it'll come soon, right? It won't, you say? But it's an Apple, the government will have to change their frequencies, I mean it's a frickin' Ipad for chrissakes. They won't? So I just paid £700 for a better screen? But it's a new Ipad though, look at me, I'm really important with my new Ipad...............no?"
anonymous 27 March, 2012 14:03
I don't know, I can't wait to get my hands on the new iPad
anonymous 27 March, 2012 14:25
Cnet - When did you become such a frustrating + flimsy website? This is a ridiculous article. Luke Westaway should be sacked for such useless journalism....0.64? Really? Did you not think before you printed this story 'Do you know what, this cant be right, I know ive seen better speeds than this on many a devices'. Please never let this guy write another article on this site again, its writers like him who are ruining what was once my fav website!
Rich Trenholm 27 March, 2012 14:48
@anonymous We were just as surprised and disappointed as you by the results, but them's the results we got. As we note in the article there are a lot of variables, but from our experience testing hundreds of phones across all networks 3G is often disappointing - and judging from the feedback we get from many readers we're not alone in feeling that.
This was a quick-and-dirty real-world test rather than a comprehensive scientific survey, so we feel it's representative of the 3G situation over here compared to other countries. We hope you continue to enjoy reading, and keep the feedback coming!
jayce35 27 March, 2012 14:48
on 3 network. I get 5439kbps download and 1821kbps upload so next time time you want to do a test don't use the worst network
Tboneuk 27 March, 2012 18:00
Yeah I got the new iPad 64GB with 4G, the new apple tv and a new 4S 64GB as my new iPad and old iPhone don't match colours because I'm rich and don't have any bloodsucking children or relatives.
They say money doesnt buy you happiness but it bloody well helps
Life is good :).......
Tboneuk 27 March, 2012 18:03
And on wifi (virgin media superhub 100mb) I'm getting 42mb (with an iPhone 4S and another iPad running on the same network) and 3G 02 I'm getting 4.8mbps download and 1.8mbps upload.
Can't complain with those speeds really.
Ultraman1966 27 March, 2012 18:19
On a good day with the wind in favour I can get 3.7Mbs down and 0.5Mbs up. T-Mobile, despite their cries of innocence, are throttling my upload speeds. This can be proved by my dozens and dozens of speed tests which, although DL can vary, will always come out with same max UL rate.
Anyway, I think even if they hadn't picked Vodafone (one of the biggest networks) and gone for 3 (the smallest "major" network) you'll still only push about 6 to 7 Mbs which is still short of what they can get in the US and Australia.
Also, true 4G won't just bring better bandwidth but decrease latency which is important if you want to use your mobile broadband for gaming or just want something that doesn't have huge lag built in.
anonymous 27 March, 2012 22:12
Pretty much what I have come to expect from an article by this writer. While I would agree entirely that the speed found in London was rubbish.....the comparison is far fom well thought out. San Francisco is one of the most 'connected' cities you can go to.......but travel a little way outside...say 30 miles....still within the bounds of a major population centre....and you will have lost your cellphone signal several times and god help you if you wander more than a few yards from a freeway and want to make a call. Overall speeds are one important factor but so is coverage and for that lrage areas of the US fall way behind the UK.
anonymous 27 March, 2012 23:10
" And even when we do get 4G here, we won't be using frequencies that the new iPad supports."
Ah, just like DAB, we'll follow our own quaint little system that'll be more expensive, less feature rich and take 3 times as long to deliver.
The British policy of splendid isolation lives on with tech.
anonymous 27 March, 2012 23:29
You only tested using Vodafone. What a pathetic comparison. So you get single variable from one provider and base your final answer on that? Come on CNET. There's no need for it. You should know data in the UK isn't the best, so you shouldn't expect amazing results anyways.
anonymous 28 March, 2012 09:33
Here in the Bahamas there are pushing off a crappy 3g service as 4g, promising 8g download when in fact you're getting between 100k- 2mb
anonymous 28 March, 2012 12:42
I have got over 7mb on my 4s with three
anonymous 28 March, 2012 18:50
killerpants 27 March, 2012 13:27
If you don't want your brain fried! Better stay away from America. God save our Queen, the great nation in the world, United Kingdom.
---------------
Our Queen is German, didnt you know that?..........Uk is the biggest rip off of a country if Ive ever seen one. Soon as I finish my 22 years in the forces im outta here.
killerpants 29 March, 2012 15:29
@anonymous 27 March, 2012 13:29: tinfoil hat for me, iron pants for you.
@anonymous 28 march : didn't you know everyone is a wanna be plastic Brit. We so crap we invented the best sports and all our best athletics are from Africa.
The UK speed test is inaccurate, we will get 20x the speed during the Olympics London games.
Naryan 29 March, 2012 16:31
Why were you surprised? The UK has absolute crap for networks. We're the laughing stock of the western world. Of course you won't hear it from the network themselves but it's absolutely disgraceful for one of the worlds most developed countries in the year 2012.
The fact that we're CHARGED AT ALL for it is criminal.
Naryan 29 March, 2012 16:34
At the very LEAST they should all be sued to hell for telling people they'll get approximately x10 more product than they deliver.
mec6c 29 March, 2012 23:36
Mobile networks should run at speeds that will fully facilitate the usage patterns of users. So no buffering of video, smooth, stutter-free streaming, superfast internet browsing AS A MINIMUM STANDARD. I would suggest a standard allocation to each user of 10Mbps download and 5Mbps upload over the mobile network. It would be easy for operators to arrange this minimum standard. After all, they charge through the nose for their services; we have a right to expect a reliable high quality service all the time!
AddyWaddy 3 April, 2012 11:52
I find it strange that you didn't use a HSPA+ network link '3' in the uk? I'm regularly getting above 10mb download and 2+ mb upload. Also the contention on Vodafone on the south bank in London is probably 100,000 to 1.
anonymous 22 April, 2012 08:26
UK has worst connectivity in Europe by far.
even our land lines are pathetic.
No wonder when users like Tboneuk are delighted to pay for 100mbps and receive 40...!!!
Sell a Bently deliver a Scoda... Smile and pass the Vasseline...
What is the point of OFTEL?
Sweden (9 million people on twice our area) now have 4G coverage of 70%+ of the population.
Why are we waiting?