First, a direct translation: AT&T's upgraded (or more accurately, upgrading) 3G network claims data download rates of 7.2 megabits per second. Though that's the lingo used to describe bandwidth, it's important to remember that those are not megabytes. AT&T's impressive-sounding 7.2 megabits would yield somewhere closer to .9 megabytes (900 kilobytes) per second, and that's only if you're getting peak performance, which you never will because...

That 7.2Mbps is theoretical, and due to technical overhead, network business, device speed and overzealous marketing, real world speeds are significantly lower. UPDATEDEven looking at the old hardware on the current 3G network—the networking guts in your iPhone 3G is technically capable of reaching the 3.6Mbps downstream that AT&T's network is technically capable of pushing. There are lots of reasons you don't ever see that. For one, it's limited to 1.4Mbps to preserve battery life—the faster you download, the faster you burn that battery. Another is congestion—all the a-holes watching YouTubes around you—and backhaul—the amount of pipe running to a tower, or more English-y still, the total bandwidth the tower has available. Another is proximity—the closer to the tower you are, the faster your phone is gonna fly. So for top speeds, you should sit under a deserted tower with plenty of backhaul.

As you can see on our chart above, our tested speeds for everything from EV-DO Rev. A to WiMax ran at anywhere from one half to one sixth their potential speed. Accordingly, Jason found AT&T's network to run at about 1.6Mbps with the iPhone 3G S—about a third faster than with the 3G, though he was probably still connecting at 3.6Mbps rates—the 7.2 rollout won't be complete until 2011, according to AT&T.

AT&T-style HSDPA is expected to reach out to an eventual theoretical speed of 14Mbps, which will undoubtedly make the current 3G networks feel slow, but won't necessarily blow them out of the water. That's the thing: the iPhone, and indeed just about all high-end handsets on the market today, operate at speeds that are reasonably close to the limits of 3G technology. In a funny sort of way, the iPhone 3GS is already a bit out of date.

So what's next? And what the hell are those really long green bars up there? Those are the so-called 4G (fourth generation) wireless technologies. Americans can ignore HSPA+ and EV-DO Rev B. for the most part, and given that they're the slowest of the next-gen bunch, shouldn't feel too bad. And anyway, as Matt explained, WiMax and LTE are what's next for us.

Both Verizon and AT&T are within a couple of years of deploying LTE in their networks, and WiMax is already out there in some cities. Our own WiMax tests on Clearwire's network peaked at an astounding 12Mbps—nearly eight times faster than the iPhone 3GS on AT&T. And even if WiMax is shaping up to be more of a general broadband protocol than a cellular one, this is the kind of thing that'll be in your phones in a few years, and the promises are mind-boggling: earlier this year, Verizon's LTE were breaking 60Mbps.

So in short, your brand-new, "S"-for-speed iPhone is pretty speedy—as long as you only look to the past.

The coolest thing is that you don't need a separate wireless card here. Novatel's MiFi is both a wireless hotspot and broadband modem, just one piece of hardware to lose instead of two. You of course need a plan, $60 for wireless data only. This is similar, but not identical, to Verizon's MiFi 2200 offering.

The catch, if there is one, is that this thing will cost $150 and you will get $50 through a mail-in rebate (my least favorite kind of rebate). And that discount only comes if you re-up your contract with Sprint for another two years. Here's more fine print:

At your home office, on the road or at the beach, Novatel Wireless MiFi 2200 Intelligent Mobile Hotspot connects any WiFi-enabled device to the Sprint Now Network

The Sprint Simply Everything Plan® + Mobile Broadband = $599 savings annually vs. comparable Verizon plan
Access to multiple devices by multiple users, for same pricing plan as other Sprint mobile broadband devices
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – MAY 13, 2009 – Sprint (NYSE:S) today announced plans to bring a WiFi hotspot to customers virtually anywhere and everywhere — and whenever they need it — on any WiFi-enabled device.

Sprint plans to launch the Novatel Wireless MiFi 2200 intelligent mobile hotspot device for $99.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate with a new two-year service agreement (excluding taxes). The MiFi 2200, available in the first week of June on www.sprint.com, in Sprint retail stores and other select channels, will allow users to connect to the Internet by bridging WiFi-enabled devices like laptops, MP3 players and gaming devices to America's most dependable 3G network* – the EVDO Rev A Sprint Mobile Broadband Network. Sprint will launch the service under the Sprint Mobile Hotspot name, and it will be the first in the U.S. to support MiFi's GPS capabilities, allowing users to take advantage of select location and mapping applications.

"You can hold the MiFi 2200 in the palm of your hand, slip it in your pocket, even place it on a beach towel if you're lying under the sun and wirelessly connect your laptop, MP3 player and gaming device to the Internet all at once," said Steve Elfman, president of network, wholesale and product, Sprint. "Now customers will be able to use one mobile broadband device – the MiFi 2200 – to connect multiple personal devices or multiple users. If I have a WiFi-enabled device, I don't need to find a WiFi hotspot. The MiFi 2200 creates one for me."

Save money and cut the cord
Business and consumer customers may choose from the following service plans for the MiFi 2200:

* $59.99 per month mobile broadband only plan (excluding taxes and surcharges)**

or

* $149.99 per month Simply Everything Plan + Mobile Broadband (phone plus device connectivity — excluding taxes and surcharges)**

Both plans include up to 5 GB per month and 5 cents per megabyte overage for the MiFi 2200.

The Simply Everything Plan + Mobile Broadband, unique in the industry, was introduced this February to give customers the benefits of the Now Network on their phone and laptop for one price. The plan includes unlimited text, picture and video messaging, GPS navigation, email and Web surfing on their phone, plus 5 GB of blazing Internet access on their mobile broadband device – all for just $149.99 per month, a savings of $599 per year vs. comparable Verizon plans. Now, for that same price, customers can use the MiFi 2200 and connect to more devices at once.

Sprint continues to innovate and deliver value
The Sprint Mobile Hotspot service with the MiFi 2200 is part of Sprint's game-changing open approach to rolling out new types of wireless services and delivering the significant value and capabilities of the Now Network to its customers. The MiFi 2200, a portable, secure and truly wireless mobile broadband access device, is the first of its kind to be added to Sprint's portfolio – and one of several innovative mobile broadband devices that Sprint will announce this year. Sprint plans to offer a portfolio of 3G, 4G and dual-mode devices that will take advantage of the Now Network.

How MiFi works
MiFi creates a personal cloud of high-speed Internet connectivity that can be easily shared among up to five users and a variety of WiFi-enabled devices through its connection to America's most dependable 3G network,* the EVDO Rev A Sprint Mobile Broadband Network. For example:

* College student: a college student tucks her MiFi 2200 in her backpack to study with friends at the park and uses it to listen to streaming radio on her MP3 player while she connects to the school's Intranet on her laptop to get details on a class assignment. She takes a break to take pictures of her pals with her Wi-Fi enabled digital camera, and the camera uses the MiFi's signal to upload the photos to Facebook while she emails her completed report to her professor, then uses the device's GPS capability to find a nearby pizza place for lunch.

* Business travelers: Two business travelers share a cab to the airport, then wait for their flight. Sharing the signal of one MiFi 2200 device that is safely tucked away in a briefcase, they download emails and surf the Internet on their notebooks and stream music to their MP3 players.

* Portable retail: Five vendors at a local art fair have kiosks in close proximity. Accessing one MiFi 2200 device's signal, they each run a credit card point-of-sale device over WiFi and have secure backhaul.

Key Features of the Novatel Wireless MiFi 2200 Intelligent Mobile Hotspot

* Easily fits in the palm of your hand — dimensions: 3.50"x 2.32" x 0.35" and weight: 2.05 oz.
* Brushed aluminum finish
* Provides mobile broadband Rev A Internet access wirelessly
* Supports up to five WiFi-enabled devices
* Simple to connect with Hands-Free Activation (OMA-DM). No software installation required
* Universal Wi-Fi compatibility
* Advanced security through WPA2-PSK, WEP and SPI Firewall
* MiFi GPS capabilities to take advantage of select location and mapping applications, such as getting driving or walking directions or finding the best restaurant nearby
* Battery provides four hours of user time, 40 hours standby on single charge

The MiFi 2200 is ideal for businesses looking to extend the speed and anywhere convenience of America's most dependable 3G network*. Soon after its retail launch, Sprint Wholesale will also be offering a version of the Novatel MiFi 2200 to wholesale wireless partners.

"Supporting more than one WiFi-enabled device, businesses can enable their employees to cost-effectively share a connection when mobile with other employees, vendors or customers," Elfman noted. "Now business professionals like claims adjusters, mobile professionals, retail employees and field service technicians can easily perform multiple functions using various WiFi devices, all over one connection."

"There are an abundance of consumer devices with integrated WiFi that lose their functionality when WiFi isn't available," said Michael Gartnerberg Gartenberg, vice president of strategy and analysis at Interpret. "The ability to seamlessly add WAN capabilities to this multitude of devices will empower consumers to use their devices the way they want to use them and wherever they want to use them."

The availability of the MiFi 2200 will further deliver on Sprint's promise to offer businesses and consumers a faster and more robust Internet experience in cities across the nation than any other wireless service from a national carrier. Sprint recently made history by launching 4G in 2008 in Baltimore and is the first national carrier to offer wireless access to both 3G and 4G networks on one device – the 3G/4G USB Modem U300. Sprint has new 4G devices planned for 2009 and 2010, including a single-mode 4G data card, embedded laptops and a small-office-home-office broadband modem.

* "Dependable" based on independent, third-party drive tests for 3G data connection success, session reliability and signal strength for the top 50 most populous markets from Jan. '08 to Feb. '09.
** Two year service agreement required. No discounts apply.

MiFi is a trademark of Novatel Wireless, Inc.

ABOUT SPRINT NEXTEL

Sprint Nextel offers a comprehensive range of wireless and wireline communications services bringing the freedom of mobility to consumers, businesses and government users. Sprint Nextel is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying innovative technologies, including two wireless networks serving more than 49 million customers at the end of the first quarter of 2009; industry-leading mobile data services; instant national and international push-to-talk capabilities; and a global Tier 1 Internet backbone. For more information, visit www.sprint.com.
###

Since there was no elusive SIM card slot found like there was on the HP Mini 1000, the modder had to solder in her own. So the hack is not for the faint of heart, but it's confirmed working. Check out the how-to and some photos of the action. [tnkgrl]

It looks like USB and Bluetooth tethering will be enabled on the Pre, linking your laptop or PC to Sprint's speedy EVDO network. The revelation is accompanied by any mention of pricing, so we'll have to wait and see what, if anything, Spring will charge for the tethering privilege. Also buried in the spec list is MMS, which is completely expected but still, you know, reassuring. [PreCentral]

When I went to plug in my Verizon EV-DO card, all was well. But when I moved to hook up my digital camera's USB cable in the other port, my smile turned upside down—just like the old plastic MacBooks, there is almost zero clearance in between the two USB ports, meaning anything that's slightly above the normal plug size will block the other opening. Guhhhh.

On the old MBPs, there was a USB port on each side, for happier, double-connected times. Now if you use most any USB 3G card, you'll have to hang it limply from a short extension cable if you want to get at your other port.

Sure you can also buy a card reader for your ExpressCard slot (even though the CF cards found in most quality DSLRs require an ugly protrusion), but that doesn't help when you want to download images to your machine live via camera control software—a liveblogging essential. Also forget about using any USB card reader you had, certain bulky flashdrives or your prized USB Humping Dog without blocking the other port.

So if you're getting a MBP and a 3G card to go with it, go with ExpressCard for the 3G—a nagging little thing that the old MBPs had on this new version. Otherwise this thing is a dream, and our review is more spot-on every day. Just little things like this that you wouldn't normally think about that pop up. Have you ever been surprised by an unsuspected limitation of new gear like this? Let us know.

The router looks like any other Netgear device in design, but it has a USB port for the dongle and (presumably) you configure all the settings through the router page. There's even an optional car power adapter so you can take your show on the road. The 3G Mobile Broadband router will be available in Q1 of this year for $130.

And for consumers and professionals on-the-go, NETGEAR’s 3G Mobile Broadband Wireless Router
(MBR624GU) creates an instant WiFi hotspot using 3G mobile broadband access service for broadband
access virtually anywhere, simply by plugging in any compatible 3G USB modem to the router. Mobile
users thus have the flexibility to create a WiFi network whether in a satellite office, construction site,
emergency center, vacation home, at an offsite event or campsite, or even from a moving recreational
vehicle. The 3G Mobile Broadband Wireless Router features auto detection of compatible 3G USB
modems and associated mobile carrier networks to have broadband access almost instantly. It supports
SPI, intrusion logging and reporting, denial-of-service (DoS) protection, up to five IPsec VPN endpoints,
and NAT. With Push ‘N’ Connect with WPS, energy saving features, and an optional car power adapter
to power the router while on the move, NETGEAR’s 3G Mobile Broadband Wireless Router is ideal for
sharing a 3G broadband Internet connection practically anywhere with friends, colleagues and family
members. More information can be found at
(http://www.netgear.com/Products/RoutersandGateways/3GMobileBroadband/mbr624gu.aspx).

3G Mobile Broadband Wireless Router (MBR624GU)
•
Compatible with extensive range of 3G USB Modems and networks.
•
Four Ethernet ports for LAN connectivity; USB 2.0 Host WAN port.
•
SPI, DoS, NAT, and supports up to 5 VPN endpoints.
•
“Push ‘N’ Connect” button based on WPS.
•
WiFi on/off button and Power on/off button to save energy while not in use.
•
Auto detection and installation process for easy setup.
•
Repeater configurable and static routing feature.
•
Advanced application based on QoS.

Bryant Park (Sunday, 7:25pm)
Was in Bryant park on a nice warm Sunday night. Drank a coffee, tested 3G sticks. It's in midtown, but midtown on Sunday evening is likely about as empty as these networks get in the city, so all three cards performed well here.

Upper West Side (Sunday, 9pm)
My girlfriend's 4th floor apartment in an old (read: not built for radio reception) apartment. In her living room, which is pretty much in the core of the building. So a bad reception area. AT&T took the biggest hit here, but surprisingly, this was Sprint's best performance out of the four locations.

Rockaway Beach (Friday, 3:30pm)
Sitting on a rock jetty extending into the Atlantic off of Rock-Rock...Rockaway beach, dodging salt water spray. JFK is nearby so it's not in the absolute boonies, and all three networks were pretty close, with VZW being the worst and AT&T the best.

Brooklyn (Sunday, 5:30pm)
My house in Clinton Hill/Ft. Greene. Second floor, lots of windows-never had a problem with reception. I must be right next to a Sprint tower because Sprint obliterated the other two. My neighborhood is pretty old-school, so it doesn't surprise me that AT&T and VZW aren't totally built out here yet.

Results
Sprint was way ahead of the other two, who seemed to be in a dead heat most of the time. In downloads, Verizon beat AT&T, but in uploads, AT&T beat Verizon.

Back to main Coast-to-Coast 3G Data Test story

The Test
3G is more important now than ever before. Obviously, AT&T made a big push over the summer to augment 3G for the arrival of the updated iPhone, but almost every smartphone and most standard phones in the three largest cell networks runs on a supposedly fast 3G network, and T-Mobile's 3G network is in the works. The technology can, at least on paper, rival home broadband. AT&T's HSPA network, for instance, is supposed to deliver data at up to 3.6Mbps downstream, while letting you upload at 1.4Mbps. Meanwhile, the EVDO Rev. A that Sprint and Verizon use promises a comparable "burst rate" of 3Mbps up, with 1.5Mbps down.

Like a lot of business travelers, we bloggy types have a particular interest in 3G USB dongles, since we're often trying to file stories far away from any decent wi-fi. Figuring out who has the best service quickly becomes a fixation, which becomes an obsession, which, as usual, becomes an ultimate Battlemodo.

In lieu of jetsetting all around the country, we FedExed our testing package from one staffer's home to the next, until we'd hit eight of the country's biggest cities. In each city, testers were instructed to put the three cards—one each from AT&T Sprint and Verizon—through some pretty rigorous paces. (Note: In case you're wondering why T-Mobile isn't represented, the carrier doesn't yet have the coverage required, nor does it yet offer 3G USB dongles or cards like the ones we used in testing. Next year, maybe.)

The testers chose three to five locations (preferably including one suburban spot). Parking themselves somewhere, they would connect each card to the laptop, running Speakeasy's bandwidth test five times for each device, and then follow it up with an auxiliary battery of repeated pageload and file download tests, in order to verify Speakeasy's readings.

The Gear
The USB dongles we used for testing were typical 3G cards from the carriers: AT&T's Sierra USBConnect 881, Sprint's Sierra Wireless Compass 597 and Verizon Wireless's Novatel USB727. We used both a Lenovo and a MacBook Pro, but at any given time the cards were being tested on one or the other, in order to keep hardware from being a comparative issue. (After all this extensive testing, we don't think results have much to do with your platform or laptop of choice—even the USB dongles' antennae didn't have as much relevance as sheer position to cell tower.)

While it may sound like hopping around town testing cards is easy, rest assured it was plenty challenging. Any test where any of the three cards wasn't playing well with a laptop, and the whole test had to be scrapped. This may not be a clean-room lab study, but we kept firm to our methods and the results speak to that. There's a reason this may be the most information anyone has gathered, independently, on the subject.

Download Performance
As far as download performance goes, Sprint won overall, beating AT&T five cities to three, and handily beating Verizon in four cities while losing close contests in four more. To round it out, Verizon beat AT&T in four cities, tied in one, and lost in three.
These results aren't so random when you plot them on the map. Besides proving that Sprint is a serious contender in almost any location—and should be taken seriously as a 3G and 4G data service provider, no matter what your feelings are about its basic phone service—we have confirmed what we thought, that the regional Bell heavies (and the former GTE) hold their own where their real estate holdings are most vast.

AT&T had troubles in the Northeast and Chicago, but down the coast in Raleigh and over in Austin, it's probably no surprise that the southern Bell conglomerate came out victorious. On the West Coast, it was a toss-up except in Portland, where Verizon couldn't quite keep it together.

Upload Performance
What are more surprising are the upload performance results: AT&T totally kicked ass here, winning six cities and barely losing to Sprint in the other two. Verizon was the slowpoke here, though it did nudge Sprint out of the way twice, and beat it soundly once.
Although the same regional attributes crop up here—AT&T is at its weakest in Boston and Chicago—AT&T clearly has a technological edge with HSUPA. Well, it's either that or all of the 3G build-out meant to lure iPhone 3G customers has left the carrier with an awful lot of unused upstream bandwidth, since smartphone users download a lot more than they upload. (This is assuming that upstream and downstream operate independently, as they seemed to in AT&T's case.)

Even when the download performance was crappy, AT&T's upload talents shined through, indicating that the congestion argument could hold merit. So, for the time being anyway, if you're into sending big files, or running some kind of masochistic mobile torrent service, AT&T is the right choice.

The Cities
Want to check out your city or region? Have a look at the eight contestants in this round, and while you're at it, you'll get to know a little more about the Giz staffers who took time to test the gear. If we didn't get to your town this time around, don't fret—maybe we'll get to it next year...or when we eventually test LTE vs. WiMax.

• Austin
• Boston
• Chicago
• New York City
• Portland
• Raleigh-Durham
• San Francisco and the Bay Area
• Seattle

Thanks to Mark, Sean, Andi, Eric and Jack for testing. Special shout-out to Mahoney for helping put together the testing regimen and instructions, and to my brilliant wife for working her Excel bar-graphing magic on our unwieldy spreadsheets .

Googleplex (Wednesday, 1pm)
Having been born and raised in Silicon Valley, I like to brag that Google's Headquarters is just 10 minutes away from my house. Even though the Googleplex itself isn't all that interesting, it's incredibly ginormous, and you get free Naked Juice and candy at the Visitor's Center! Plus, it's Google!

Golden Gate Bridge (Thursday, 3:30pm)
The Golden Gate Bridge is what connects San Francisco to the North Bay—without it, the city would be a secluded island, susceptible to Cloverfield-like attacks. Oh, wait, we're NOT on an island?! My bad...

Oracle Arena (Friday, 12:30am)
Across the street from where the Oakland A's play ball lies the home of the Golden State Warriors. Oakland is in the East Bay, an area I like to avoid because of my allergy to bullets; but my boyfriend took me here anyway for a concert where we rocked out to The Killers (and where I got my mack on with Andrew McMahon from Jack's Mannequin)!

Marin Civic Center (Friday, 10:30am)
In 1997, The Civic Center served as a prominent location in the movie Gattaca. Ten years later, the Peking Acrobats dazzled the hell out of me at a show here, which made me believe I could be a Chinese acrobat too! That didn't work out so well, so I now stick to attending Ryan Adams's concerts at the Civic Center instead.

Golden Gate Park (Friday, 1pm)
My lover lives across the street from Golden Gate Park, where the homeless people show me their wieners, hippies have drum circles on sunny Saturdays, and sketchy men sell me beers from their rolling suitcases. Despite the crazies, it is a nice place to take a stroll on a lazy Sunday to the Botanical Gardens, deYoung Museum, and the Academy of Sciences.

Results
Though AT&T only beat the others twice, it handily won the upload contest. Peaks for all three carriers were really great, but there seems to be some volatility in more congested areas. Blam thinks AT&T's Bay Area coverage map looks like leopard spots, and our tests justify his gripes (though the same could be said for Verizon).

Back to main Coast-to-Coast 3G Data Test story

PGE Park (Saturday, 12 noon)
Home of the Triple-A Beavers, among other minor league sports teams, it's a centrally located venue for fun stuff in Portland. Surprisingly, there was a Starbucks conveniently located right nearby.

Portland State University (Saturday, 1pm)
Surprisingly, the park bench near the university where I tested was not very far from PGE Park, just a few miles, but the reception was quite different, proving that you need diversity of locations to do a proper 3G test.

Vancouver, WA (Saturday, 10am)
Up across the Columbia River from Portland, the "other" Vancouver is a low-key city whose residents score a sweet double-whammy: No income tax (in WA) and no sales tax (if they shop down in OR).

Results
Sprint had a strong showing, with some blistering download speeds at Portland State University. Reception wasn't hot for anyone at PGE, though in Vancouver, Sprint again was the winner. AT&T, as expected, managed high upload speeds in Portland, though the fire wasn't there in Vancouver.

Back to main Coast-to-Coast 3G Data Test story

My Apartment in Austin (6:30pm)
My apartment is on the northwest side of Austin, in a quiet neighborhood between the denser central part of the city and the outer suburban areas.

Suburbia - Round Rock, TX (4:30pm)
Round Rock may be home to Dell, but it's largely a sleepy suburb. I parked in front of someone's house and they actually came home from work while I was testing, giving me an odd look like they thought I was casing their house.

South Austin Coffee Shop (2pm)
Dominican Joe's is a bit of a drive from my apartment, but worth it to get what I consider the best hot chocolate I have ever tasted. Their coffee is not bad either.

Stevie Ray Vaughan Memorial Statue, Austin (3:30pm)
The Stevie Ray Vaughan Memorial is in a beautiful park on the bank of Lady Bird Lake (formerly known as Town Lake). It is just east of Zilker Park, where Austin City Limits is held every year.

Downtown Austin - Congress Ave. (4:30pm)
Downtown Austin is rapidly expanding upwards—three new high rises went up in the past year or so. This location is very central, near the intersection of 6th St. and Congress Ave.

Results
Upstream and down, AT&T was strong with a few exceptions. Verizon was a decent contender, while Sprint was unpredictable. When it comes to downloads, the downtown density (either buildings or cell users) has a severe impact on bandwidth.

Back to main Coast-to-Coast 3G Data Test story

Living near the capital of North Carolina made my location choices clear. Technology plays an important role in the lives of college students, and some of the biggest colleges in the country are located right in my backyard. Plus, it made sense geographically given that the colleges are located in major cities.

The big three colleges are as follows: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (Chapel Hill), North Carolina State University (Raleigh) and Duke University (Durham). Wake Technical is the biggest community college in the area, and it's country Raleigh location made for an interesting comparison.

Research Triangle Park (RTP), my fifth location, is one of the oldest and largest science parks in the US. It's also home to over 170 companies like IBM, Cisco, Lenovo, Red Hat and Verizon. Because the area is so wired, it was a must-have on the list.

Results
AT&T was the clear winner here, with just one minor hiccup in an otherwise perfect game. Verizon had a few moments of glory, but not enough for a trend, and Sprint, well, Sprint didn't pull off much here.

Back to main Coast-to-Coast 3G Data Test story

For Gizmodo's tour of Chicago, I tested the Southside, Northside and sort of Middleside of the city. So I started in the lot of Comiskey Park (Go Sox), checked out reception a two blocks east of Michigan Ave by the Water Tower and then finished things off at a Starbucks in Wrigleyville (Clark & Belmont). It's sort of like our own Crosstown Classic, minus the urinal trough with some shopping sprinkled in.

Results
On downloads, Verizon won two contests, while Sprint won one. AT&T never managed to grab a brass ring. Even in uploads, where AT&T is strong, it only managed to win one round. Verizon isn't the clear winner, though, since the downtown location (Streeterville) caused reception difficulties.

Back to main Coast-to-Coast 3G Data Test story

Gov't Center (5pm)
Government Center is a hub of public affairs, adulterous affairs and current affairs. It's also the home to one of the ugliest public buildings in the world (our City Hall). With thousands of wired, connected and gadget-toting workers converging on it every week day, it's a great place to test 3G wireless speeds too.

South Boston (8pm)
If there's one thing I think about when I visit South Boston, it's whether or not my wireless connection is going to work. Oh wait, no no no. That's not it at all. Where's the frickin' beer? Was that Matt Damon? Anyway, wireless networks and their reliability are a close second though, after the beer. And the bars. And the women of South Boston deserve a mention too, now that the place has become a hive of recent college grads. Did I say the network was second? Who knew 3G tests could be so conflicting?

Harvard Square (4pm)
Sweet, glorious Harvard. The smells, the sites, the history. It's also a clusterfuck of students, protesters and people trying to look educated and important without really accomplishing either. And it only took three minutes for a passing homeless man to sit down next to me during the tests and start talking about how Barack Obama was a babykilling devil. Bastion of liberalism my ass!

Waltham (12pm)
There's no place like home, and there's nothing quite like 3G tests on the front porch with a slick looking Lenovo laptop. But put them together and, well, it was just peachy keen, but I'm no longer allowed to be unsupervised on my porch anymore. Note to self: Pants are your friend.

Results
Sprint clearly played to win, here, with Verizon holding on and AT&T throwing in the towel. Even in uploads, where AT&T is generally the strongest competitor, it was a pretty matched fight.

Back to main Coast-to-Coast 3G Data Test story

Maple Leaf (Wednesday, 4pm)
Dining room table at our lovely rental house in this mostly residential upper Seattle neighborhood.

Redmond (Thursday, 4pm)
Hitting the Tully's at Redmond's artificial little town square was daunting for two reasons: one, I was toting not one but two MacBook Pros while surrounded by Microsoft employees, and two, something was blocking most cell towers, so I got poor reception across the board.

Seattle Center (Thursday, 2:30pm)
Sitting under the Space Needle on a chilly day, I got a few funny looks from people, but thankfully no one trying to make friendly conversation.

South Seattle (1pm)
I decided to hit the polar opposite of my neighborhood, so I stopped by Columbia City, a cute little area with restaurants and shops. Somehow, I ended up choosing Starbucks. Don't judge me.

Results
All three carriers held their own except in Redmond, where there was a lack of reception across the board—though somehow AT&T managed stellar uploads anyway. On the flipside, AT&T disappointed at the Space Needle where Verizon did okay and Sprint did great.

Back to main Coast-to-Coast 3G Data Test story

The modem, called the U300, will be first available to customers of the Sprint/Clearwire "Clear" WiMax network in Baltimore, where their pilot program is under way. The connections will be managed automatically, much in the manner that 3G/2G phones handle them; the modem will connect to the faster WiMax by default, but will switch to the slower EVDO cell network when it's out of range or too weak.

If these work well, they could be a boon to both Sprint and WiMax in general, as the of the appeal admittedly significant speed gain of WiMax over EVDO is dampered by the need to purchase and carry around an extra adapter. Speaking of compromise—the added convenience of the U300 doesn't quite justify its $150 with-contract price. The adapter should ship by the beginning of next week. [Yahoo]