Boston Marathon Testing Archives - GWS GWS conducts wireless network testing, generates app analytics, and collects market data. We measure performance, behavior, and sentiment Mon, 15 Apr 2024 05:45:57 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.6.2 https://gwsolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/cropped-GWS-favicon-32x32.png Boston Marathon Testing Archives - GWS 32 32 What Mobile Networks’ Performance at the Boston Marathon Can Tell Us About 5G https://observer.com/2019/04/mobile-networks-performance-boston-marathon-5g/#new_tab Thu, 18 Apr 2019 15:39:41 +0000 https://gwsolutions.com/what-mobile-networks-performance-at-the-boston-marathon-can-tell-us-about-5g/ In 2019, there’s no escaping a live event despite not being there, thanks to the heavy social media output from those in...

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In 2019, there’s no escaping a live event despite not being there, thanks to the heavy social media output from those in attendance being plastered all over our feeds.

This is the case with many closely-watched live happenings around the world, from awards shows to music festivals. If you’ve ever tried tweeting a photo or uploading a Facebook video during a concert, you probably know the pain of a slowed-down connection.

These marquee events are a great reminder that our mobile networks are not always equipped to handle large data usage in a specific area. Take for example Monday’s Boston Marathon, which attracted about 500,000 people to the annual running event, and no doubt put tremendous pressure on the city’s mobile towers.

According to Global Wireless Solutions Event-O-Meter, which sets out to measure mobile network performance at national events, the service at the Boston Marathon was just “reasonable.” The firm tests the consumer connectivity experience when mobile networks are trying to accommodate heavy traffic at places like Times Square during New Year’s Eve and New Orleans during Mardi Gras, which tend to take a beating when attendants rush to upload their latest Insta Stories.

In Boston, mobile network providers had a OneScore of 76 on Monday, or “a C in terms of network performance,” the firm announced, which makes it an average performance for an event of its size, “although not as high as last year’s Boston Marathon score of 86.” The report did find that 100 percent of phone calls were made successfully, though video uploads took a slower-than-average 12 seconds and selfies needed about six seconds to reach followers, slower than other major events recently tested by GWS.

And while the networks “were able to hold their own” fairly well during the running event, the sheer amount of social media usage throughout the day is a sign there’s still much needed improvement in mobile network technology.

The good news is that the onslaught of faster, 5G networks popping up nationwide will likely bump that C grade higher in the coming years.

“It’s clear that the network operators are strongly competing in their own head-to-head race to 5G deployment; we can see the improvements and additions in advanced features in Boston over last year’s marathon—edging the networks closer and closer to the 5G finish line,” explained Dr. Paul Carter, CEO and founder of Global Wireless Solutions.

And technology is expected to go beyond 5G to provide mobile customers with a robust live event experience.

“It’s more than just meeting expectations, it’s about the future of digital experiences,” Greg Dorai, Cisco’s vice president of wireless product management for enterprise networking, told Observer. “Sports fans are voracious consumers of content and passionate in sharing that in the digital space. While venues may meet expectations now, there is often frustration and limited bandwidth.”

This is where upcoming technology like 5G and Wi-Fi 6 can help, Dorai explained, allowing for an almost unlimited sharing of photos, videos and other content.

“Imagine being at the New York City Marathon but having a virtual reality view of the finish line on your phone at the same time,” Dorai said. This is just one of many digital experience possibilities that faster networks can help provide large event attendees, as well as those watching at home.

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Boston Marathon – were the networks ready to race? https://gwsolutions.com/2018/05/17/boston-marathon-were-the-networks-ready-to-race/ Fri, 18 May 2018 02:38:27 +0000 https://gwsolutions.com/boston-marathon-were-the-networks-ready-to-race/ We recently tested mobile network performance during the Boston Marathon. A gruelling event where runners tested their physical endurance and mental toughness...

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We recently tested mobile network performance during the Boston Marathon. A gruelling event where runners tested their physical endurance and mental toughness as well as their ability to look good in a photograph while totally exhausted at the finish line. In today’s social media friendly world, everyone, whether you’re in the race or at the race, commemorates the event by taking a selfie and posting it to Instagram, for example, or texting it to friends and family.

Given that roughly 500,000 people attended the Boston Marathon and watched the race – there was a lot of stress on the mobile networks to deliver those pics and videos. We tested the entire length of the marathon course to find out which network operator could keep up with the flood of mobile content that was exchanged between spectators and their social communities.

The objective when testing is to capture the consumer experience – to test in a way that best reflects how people use their phones. In particular, we evaluate network operator performance in terms of completing everyday voice and data tasks as well as the speed at which the data related tasks can be completed. At the Boston Marathon, this translated into specific tests involving video performance, voice quality and reliability, as well as data throughput and reliability.

The tests we conducted ranged from making voice calls to streaming YouTube videos to posting on Facebook; and we also varied the file size so we could simulate posting or sending Instagram selfies, Snaps and Facebook Messenger video messages. We tested along the entire route of the marathon; we also tested before the marathon and we hung out at the finish line during the pouring rain on the day of the race itself. Overall, we conducted over 9,000 voice and data tests.

To make sense of the data and present it in a way that is useful to consumers, we ranked the operators’ performance using our OneScore methodology. Our methodology factors in the network testing data combined with an understanding of how consumers use their mobile devices and what’s important to them (and that’s based on consumer research).

So, what did we find? We were impressed by AT&T’s performance. They finished at the top in every OneScore ranking. They finished first in video streaming performance; they tied with T-Mobile for data speed and overall data performance; and tied with T-Mobile and Verizon in our social media OneScore ranking. In addition, all operators scored equally in terms of OneScore network reliability.

It’s also worth noting that T-Mobile had the fastest upload speeds when sending selfies over the network and when posting content to Facebook. In addition, we noticed that network operators were using advanced LTE features to help manage the large volume of traffic. AT&T, for example, deployed four channel carrier aggregation (4CA) while the other carriers utilized 3CA. Operators also utilized 256 QAM and two and four-way MIMO.

To find out more you can read our press release and other media coverage here.

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Stealth competitor at Boston: Carrier aggregation https://gwsolutions.com/2018/05/01/stealth-competitor-at-boston-carrier-aggregation/ Wed, 02 May 2018 00:38:03 +0000 https://gwsolutions.com/stealth-competitor-at-boston-carrier-aggregation/ The post Stealth competitor at Boston: Carrier aggregation appeared first on GWS.

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Close finish by mobile networks at Boston Marathon https://gwsolutions.com/2018/04/19/close-finish-by-mobile-networks-at-boston-marathon/ Thu, 19 Apr 2018 20:52:18 +0000 https://gwsolutions.com/close-finish-by-mobile-networks-at-boston-marathon/ Dulles, VA, April 17, 2018 – Leading independent network testing specialists Global Wireless Solutions, Inc. (GWS) today revealed the wireless connectivity performance...

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Dulles, VA, April 17, 2018 – Leading independent network testing specialists Global Wireless Solutions, Inc. (GWS) today revealed the wireless connectivity performance experienced by Boston Marathon attendees. Testing at the world-renowned marathon, which saw well over 500,000 visitors at or around the race, resulted in AT&T taking first place with the most GWS OneScore category wins, T-Mobile in second place, Verizon third, and Sprint last.

GWS undertook real-world testing that focused on simulating typical consumer behavior before and during the marathon, such as posting or sending Instagram photos, Snaps and Facebook Messenger messages to loved ones, as well as streaming and uploading video and making voice calls. To get this insight, GWS tested the mobile networks’ data throughput (speed), data reliability, video reliability, voice quality and voice reliability.

The data collected was then ranked using GWS OneScore, a performance metric developed by GWS that considers both in-depth network testing data and an understanding of how consumers are using their mobile devices. GWS tested the carrier network performance across the entire 26.2 mile marathon route including collection from start to finish, testing at one mile intervals, and at the all-important finish line.

Key findings included:

  • Overall Performance Rankings: Preparations for the event paid off the most for AT&T – they were able to finish first in every OneScore category. In particular, the operator finished at the top for video performance, tied with T-Mobile for data speed and overall data performance, and tied with T-Mobile and Verizon for social media. All operators scored equally in terms of OneScore network reliability.
  • Sending Selfies: When sending selfies over the network, T-Mobile provided the quickest upload speeds, followed by AT&T second, Verizon third and then Sprint in last place.
  • Posting on Facebook: T-Mobile also was the fastest for posting to Facebook, with AT&T and Verizon close behind, and Sprint at the far end of the pack.

Methodology:

Over 9,000 voice and data tests were conducted along the Boston Marathon route. The race route (26.2 miles) was tested using SwissQual’s QualiPoc platform in combination with Samsung S8 devices. GWS network testing specialists collected along the entire route and conducted testing at each mile marker and the finish line. The tests evaluated the performance of Tier 1 carrier networks (AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon) in terms of completing everyday tasks (such as uploading a video, sending a Snapchat, making a voicecall, etc.) and the speed at which the data related tasks can be completed.

About Global Wireless Solutions, Inc.:

Global Wireless Solutions, Inc. defines the industry standard for network benchmarking, analysis and testing. Working with some of the world’s largest wireless network providers, GWS offers standardized, high-quality network data and engineering analysis to its customers through a suite of benchmarking products, services, and OneMeasure diagnostic apps that includes drive, venue, and in-building testing.

Firmly rooted in a deep understanding of network engineering, GWS provides best-in-class, turnkey solutions to help customers better understand overall network performance as today’s wireless networks grow and evolve. Founded in 1996, GWS is headquartered in Dulles, VA. At last count, GWS has driven 11 million data collection miles for its customers. For more information, visit www.gwsolutions.com and follow us on Twitter at @gwsolutionsinc.

Media Contact:

Global Wireless Solutions, Inc.

[email protected]

703-661-7000

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