Is AT&T capping iPhone upload speeds? Inquiring minds want to know

The MacRumors forums are abuzz with users comparing their recent upload speeds. TUAW reader Becca Holmes tipped us that iPhone users are experiencing uploads that appear to be capped at 100 kbps rather than the 1.6mbps that was a previous norm. Users have been comparing rates captured with tools like Speedtest.net's Speed Test to put concrete numbers on perceived performance drops -- and it looks like that drop is huge, compared to the way things were just a week or two ago.
According to the thread, affected cities include: NYC, Central Jersey, Boston, Orlando, Seattle, South Jersey/Philly, Columbus, Cleveland, West Houston, Phoenix, Northern Colorado, St. Paul/Minnesota, Suffolk County/Long Island, Quad Cities, South Jersey, Denver, Detroit Metro, and Cincinnati.Upload speeds affect your ability to send picture- and video-email over 3G, as well as to upload any kind of bandwidth-hungry data using your 3G connection.
TUAW gave the test a spin in Denver, using SpeedTest.net's application as well as FCC Mobile Broadband Test and iNetQCheck. We experienced similar numbers as the ones reported in the MacRumors forum, with several stray data points in iNetQCheck runs -- but even those remained below 200 kbps. That's a huge difference from the upload speeds reported just a week or two ago over at AppleInsider. Compare the SpeedTest.net results on the AppleInsider write-up to these. AI demonstrated upload speeds up to 3.5 mbps. Using SpeedTest.net, we never cracked 100kbps using 3G.
So why the sudden change? We have contacted AT&T for a statement but have yet to hear back from them due to the holiday. Our guess is that this comes in line with AT&T's recent data plan changes, in an attempt to enforce data austerity and guard AT&T's business from high bandwidth demands from data-intense devices like Apple's iPhone line. Update: Some commenters (and former enterprise engineering type Steve Sande) suggest that the hypothetical upload caps may be a consequence of holiday weekend infrastructure work, and that speeds may return to normal tomorrow; we'll check.
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The MacRumors forums are abuzz with users comparing their recent upload speeds. TUAW reader Becca Holmes tipped us that iPhone users are...
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Glory Be! ! !
As of Aug 25, 2010, my Nokia N95 8GB (v.20.2.005) is no longer random rebooting after I enter New York City from the surroundings.
Did AT&T fix something they broke around April 28, 2010?
Could this "Alcatel/Lucent" issue be related to the random rebooting issue that has begun plaguing Nokia smartphone users in AT&T's larger city networks since April or May? We have to switch to GSM Only in NYC, Miami, parts of Chicago, etc, in order to avoid random and frequent powerdowns and repowerups. Nokia says "AT&T's network is currently unstable." At&T says, "We have actually upgraded the system to accomodate all the new iPhones and iPads, but this may be causing your difficulties, (hopefully only temporarily.)" Some say it occurs only in markets where they are employing 3 separate carrier frequencies.
July 25 2010 at 2:04 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Replymine still pretty good, i'm in lawton OK!!!
http://twitpic.com/238nge
AT&T: I'm curious what you are planning on doing for me with regard to a pro-rated or discounted data plan while you fix your software issues as it effects my usage and the time spent on-line dealing with your software issue? I understand any technology has issues from time to time, but in your press statement you mention "the coming weeks" before a fix is implemented. That leaves me paying full retail for a crippled service. How about a solid customer service gesture and halving my data price until you resolve your software issue...
July 07 2010 at 1:50 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyI have tested my iPhone 4 speeds in several places in Manhattan since reading this story yesterday and bandwidth is very poor compared to a week ago. I used ookla's FCC tester and got on average 1 mbit down and 100 kbit up with 2200ms latency downtown and in midtown. This is reduced from an average of 3.6 mbit down and 1.45mbit up with 263ms latency week ago in the same locations. I hope this is a temporary situation due to infrastructure work, because it is not what any of us signed up for and I think at&t claims at they have the fastest 3G network should face class-action civil Challenges if the bandwidth does not improve.
Interestingly, my verizon mifi is also very slow right now, with 200kbit down and 75kbit up, on average, much lower Than in the past, so maybe there is a broader issue affecting providers overall.
I posted earlier that Philly is capped but now I'm on the other side of Philly and I'm getting 4mbps upload.... Hmmmm...
July 06 2010 at 8:50 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyJust spoke with AT&T about this issue. They told me that "This is a known issue with the new iOS4 software, and it might be 'fixed' by either a network setting reset or a clean restore of the OS."
FYI, dslreports app shows no change after reset- 838k-1720kD/L and 39k-62kU/L(!!!) And this with 3.1.3 installed- and then again with iOS4 on my 3GS.
Speedtest app shows 1106kD & 230k U/L before and 1466kD & 232kU/L after. All 3G on a 3GS- but only tested under iOS4.
So there you have one set of observations- in NJ
Nashville: 512 down, 4 up. (yes, 4up and 53,412 ms latency)
My edge is much faster upload then 3g. Called AT& T and got the blanket statement "we are always trying to improve service, perhaps its your phone".
This sucks, my whole purpose for getting the iPhone 4 was for 3g speeds. I was on edge with my 1gen iPhone. Edge was much faster sending email and photos. My coverage area on their website shows BEST coverage.
Ugh, yeah now it's slow: 1414 down, 92 up. in Nyc.
July 06 2010 at 12:51 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply2156 down 250 up but i am on a 3gs in socal and haven't noticed anything i would imagine the time of day matters as well and how many people are uploading in your area.
July 06 2010 at 12:25 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyHot Apps on TUAW
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