NOVEMBER 24, 2014 – LONDON, UK \u2014 <\/b>High-level testing carried out in public houses by mobile network measurement specialists from Global Wireless Solutions, Inc. (GWS) has revealed that patrons are still having to rely on 3G data to resolve their boozy disputes and cheat at quizzes. The reliability of 3G data \u2018packets\u2019 averaged out at 91.1% across the four major UK operators in the 14 pubs GWS tested \u2013 whereas the reliability of 4G data packets averaged out at only 65.3%.<\/p>\n
4G connectivity was particularly poor in one of the pubs closest to No. 10 Downing Street \u2013 the Silver Cross Tavern on Whitehall\u2013 and in The Sherlock Holmes just off Northumberland Avenue. In both cases only EE\u2019s 4G network was accessible \u2013 and only to a limited extent, suggesting that excitement surrounding the roll-out of 4G+ in the capital is still somewhat premature.<\/p>\n
Ofcom VS the real world<\/b><\/p>\n
GWS\u2019 engineers experienced average 3G download speeds of 2.0 Mbps at each stop on their pub crawl; the average 4G download speeds they enjoyed were a little over double this figure at 4.3 Mbps.<\/p>\n
These numbers, gathered at a range of well-covered central London locations, are likely to be an accurate reflection of the experiences of pub patrons, and contrast withOfcom\u2019s recent claims<\/a> (that UK consumers enjoy average download speeds of 6.1 Mbps on 3G and 15.1 Mbps on 4G) which likely reflect potential network performance.<\/p>\n GWS engineers experienced average in-pub upload speeds of 1.0 Mbps while on 3G and 2.7Mbps on 4G.<\/p>\n Figure 1: how long is it likely to take you to perform classic pub activities on\/with a smartphone? All times are in seconds:<\/i><\/p>\n <\/p>\n You might fall over in the pub \u2013 but networks won\u2019t<\/b><\/p>\n Mobile operators and (most) landlords will be pleased to hear that drinkers are much more likely to fall over in pubs than the networks those drinkers use to make and receive calls. GWS\u2019 testing team found that networks were \u2018accessible\u2019 for 97% of the time they spent testing in pubs. The average retainability of the test calls they made was 99.7% – in other words, only a tiny number of test calls \u2018dropped\u2019 part-way through. The average overall reliability of the main UK networks was 96.3% in the 14 pubs GWS tested.<\/p>\n Paul Carter, CEO of GWS, commented:<\/b> \u201cGreat British pub culture is alive and well \u2013 but our research suggests that the days of going for \u2018a quiet drink\u2019 are over; your friends \u2013 and your boss \u2013 will have no trouble reaching punters while they\u2019re reaching for their pints. That said, networks clearly have a lot more work to do when it comes to rolling out 4G; our data suggests that pub quiz cheats will be relying on 3G for some time yet.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWith the right kind of political support, operators would be able to make faster progress on the 4G front \u2013 unfortunately, the misleading data put out by the regulator and the Government\u2019s harsh \u2018national roaming\u2019 ultimatum have had the opposite effect. When these political attitudes change, consumers will benefit.\u201d<\/p>\n Figure 2: Best pubs for a quiet(ish) drink?<\/i><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Methodology<\/b><\/p>\n GWS\u2019 engineers benchmarked 14 popular pubs in Central London, and used an array of 12 Samsung Galaxy S4s (powered by Rohde & Schwarz\u2019s SwissQual QualiPoc Freerider) to gather data for its study of in-pub connectivity. Three SIMs from each of the four major UK operators (3, EE, O2 and Vodafone) were used during testing \u2013 in each case one SIM was used for voice testing, one SIM was used for 3G-only data testing, and one SIM was used for 4G-only data testing. An extremely wide range of voice and data metrics were analysed during the study of patrons\u2019 in-pub experiences; a specific rundown of these metrics is available on demand. The figures posted have been weighted and stat-tested. Testing was conducted in June 2014.<\/p>\n Pubs tested<\/b><\/p>\n The Kings Head \u2013 Bond Street <\/p>\n\n\n
\n \nTask<\/td>\n 3G<\/td>\n 4G<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n \n Time to load a 2MB Wikipedia article in order to solve a heated pub debate<\/td>\n 10<\/td>\n 5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Time to upload a 4MB picture of you drinking with your mates<\/td>\n 34<\/td>\n 17<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Time to download a 4MB song for impromptu pub karaoke<\/td>\n 19<\/td>\n 9<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Time to download 4 minutes of HD football footage<\/td>\n 35<\/td>\n 13<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n \n\n
\n \nRank<\/td>\n Pubs with Worst average call success rate<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n \n 1<\/td>\n The Sherlock Holmes (Northumberland Street)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 2<\/td>\n The Silver Cross Tavern (Whitehall)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n 3<\/td>\n The Clarence (Dover Street)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n
\nThe Spread Eagle \u2013 Oxford Street
\nThe Clarence – Piccadilly
\nThe Comedy \u2013 Coventry Street
\nThe Moon Under Water \u2013 Leicester Square
\nThe Victoria and Albert \u2013 Marylebone Station
\nThe Rocket \u2013 Euston Road
\nThe Silver Cross – Whitehall
\nThe Rose and Crown \u2013 Park Lane
\nThe Marquess of Anglesey \u2013 Bow Street
\nThe Wellington \u2013 The Strand
\nThe Sherlock Holmes \u2013 Northumberland Avenue
\nYe Olde Cheshire Cheese \u2013 Fleet Street
\nThe Fen \u2013 Fenchurch Street Station<\/p>\nAbout Global Wireless Solutions, Inc.<\/h3>\n