PCWorld: Mobile Data: 4G vs. 3G Speed Tests
The author tested data transfers over Sprint’s 3G and WiMAX-based 4G networks and found the 4G connections significantly faster. “A breath of fresh air for mobile workers,” Nadel says.
“Mobile workers who need always-on Internet access — and who don’t want to rely on public Wi-Fi hot spots — often turn to a cellular network for connectivity, using either a 3G-equipped notebook or an external 3G modem. Now carriers are touting faster fourth-generation wireless networks as the next phase of mobile computing. But to make use of the new networks, you have to buy a 4G-capable device or modem and a new, often more-expensive service plan.
Is it worth the hassle and expense of upgrading to 4G? To answer that question, I pitted Sprint’s WiMax service — the first 4G service available in the New York metropolitan area, where I live — against its 3G network in a series of real-world tests (see “How I tested”).”