Contention differences between uncapped speed and capped speed

[GaryTG1]

Hi,

I would like to know the specific answer to a question relating to contention speed wrt mobile broadband.

Background:

I have a 30 day sim-only unlimited data (£38/30 day). I have my own 5G hub. This sim is speed limited to 100Mbps. I am in an area where the 5G coverage is quoted as excellent inside and outside. I have monitored its download speed for a couple of days and the actual speed seems to fall between about 70Mbps and 120Mbps (as expected). I am assuming that the 70Mbps (ish) data rate is mostly because of contention....and that would be entirely reasonable.

I am considering moving to a 24 month sim-only deal which has uncapped speed.

My question is, when an uncapped speed service is speed limited by similar contention, would the speed be limited to the same 70Mbps (ish) or would the speed cap be higher because the speed is "uncapped"?

I ask because there would be no point in committing to a 24 month contract, at a higher cost, to only get the same download speed when there is (speed-limiting) contention.

I am looking for an authoritative answer rather than opinion if possible.

Thanks in advance.

[XRaySpeX]

To my mind a cap is like a valve or speed limiter. It will limit the speed to the stated target if the speed could be faster but will not come into effect when the speed happens to be lower.

Hence with an uncapped speed service the speed will find its own level, say due to contention, at all times. Therefore at those times when the capped service settled down to 70 Meg, so would the uncapped service have done.

An analogy can drawn with a speed limiter on a car. You can poodle around at 25 MPH, say due to traffic, whether speed limited or not, but on an open motorway or racetrack the speed limited car will be held at 90 MPH, say, while the un-speed limited car could be doing 160 MPH.

[GaryTG1]

I understand the analogy and your deduction. However, behind my question is to do with EE policy: do they have a higher contention speed for uncapped customers.  If EE offer  "uncapped speed" for a particular sim service will its speed be higher than for a capped (eg 100Mbps) sim? 

To follow your analogy (perhaps by a step or too far), it could be that a car maker could decide that their petrol cars have a different speed limit to diesel cars.

It is to do with EE's policy.

Thanks again for your answer.

[Matt_124]

I believe what you're considering may be entirely separate, such as QCI.

EE do have a feature which is said to reduce contention, known as Network Boost on All Rounder or Full Works plans. This is said to give data priority, but not necessarily higher speeds.

[GaryTG1]

Thanks but not really. I'm specifically asking about EE's speed policy wrt uncapped speed Vs capped speed. I want to know if, other things being equal, an uncapped speed SIm would/could be faster than a capped-speed  (cheaper) sim. I am only interested in the potentially increased speed issue (however it is achieved).

Thanks

[Chris_B]

@GaryTG1  Yes it could be quicker.  How much quicker is anyone’s guess.  It could be just a bit quicker than what you have now or it could even be twice or three times as fast or even more.    Order it online and you get a 14 day cooling off period to test this,  

[GaryTG1]

OK. So "no-one knows".... OK. So at worst, uncapped speed might mean absolutely nothing at all in an area with contention (most areas in reality at times?) Someone at EE must know what their policy is....?

In the absence of a definitive answer, the 14 day cooling off period will be my route to the solution. Many Thanks....that makes it risk-free!! And even better, I may be able to test both sims side-by-side in separate 5G hubs....with a little help from a friend.

There ought to be some reward for committing to a 24 month contract vs 1 month rolling and also buying uncapped-speed Vs capped-speed. You would think.....?

[XRaySpeX]

The only EE documentation that should apply to this is EE Mobile Broadband Traffic Management Policy T&Cs & as far as I can see EE make no specific policy on this point. So I imagine it would be a waste of time asking CS who probably wouldn't even know what Traffic Management is.

[EssexBoyEE]

If it helps I have a EE Unlimited Data Sim as one of my Family Sims and use it for Data, in the right conditions and the right hardware I can achieve around +700mbs DL on 5G and around 450mbs on 4G, however, this not to say that you will achieve this but just to demonstrate that I am achieving Speeds higher than 100mbs on an uncapped Speed Sim.

Also worth pointing out, that with an EE Unlimited Data Sim with Uncapped Speed, your Speeds will be restricted (Capped) once you exceed 600gb in any one rolling month. 

[GaryTG1]

Thanks for another helpful reply. I can see on my 100Mbps what appears to be contention limiting. I am equally sure that without contention I will be able to get a much higher speed with an uncapped speed sim. Contention changes from cell to cell and I have no way to know if/or how badly the contention will affect me. And even if I knew now, that can/will change over time.

The fact that EE's Traffic Management Policy appears silent on my question probably means there is no answer available (So I agree with  XRaySpeX (above). Even the TMP is quite vague about exactly what they do to manage the traffic....

Probably only an EE employee, deeply involved in the specific implementation, will know what they actually do.

I think I am stuck with a "suck it and see" approach.

Thanks for your info.