Very slow download faster upload, new unlimited SIM

[Stoneware]

Received a new unlimited SIM today in the hopes of trying it out to replace the underwhelming landline broadband we are able to get where I am but the download speed is pretty terrible. I am getting 1 to 3 Mbps download in the house and about 10 mbps upload outside about 5 to 7 down and 20+ upload. I know there are all the caveats of no guaranteed speeds but from a theoretical max of 100 mbps this is not what I expected.

Given that the upload is higher than the download is this likely to be an issue with the infrastructure round my house rather than a problem with the SIM/account?  Could it be a contention issue? According to the coverage checker both indoors and outdoors should be excellent signal for 4G. I'm currently trying the SIM in a phone rather than a modem/router since I wanted to check the performance before buying one, any chance a dedicated modem would be any better.

Luckily I only did a month with a view of going for a 24month contract if it performed well but I might be able to cancel and get my money back if this is as good as it's going to be?

[Leanne_T]

Hi @Stoneware 

Thanks for coming back to the community for advice. 

Does the Service Status Checker, show any reported problems for the area?

Speak to you soon 🙂

Leanne.

[Stoneware]

Hi Leanne,

I have just had a call with one of your colleagues, very helpful, and they have asked me to collect some speed test data and they will get back to me to try and resolve the issue.

But no there are no reported problems in the area, though they were doing work a few days ago.

Thanks

David

[Leanne_T]

Hi there @Stoneware 

Thanks so much for coming back and letting me know. 

Please keep me updated if you can after collecting the speed tests and passing these on to be investigated 🙂

Leanne.

[bristolian]

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@Stoneware wrote:

According to the coverage checker both indoors and outdoors should be excellent signal for 4G.

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The coverage checker is predicting coverage levels. Data speeds are dictated by the amount of spectrum available shared amongst requesting users - not the same thing. Excellent speeds can be obtained in perceptibly poor coverage, just as well as poor speeds might be obtained in good coverage.

Your symptoms lend itself to a DL-congestion issue. There's numerous possibilities if there's been recent planned works on your serving sites.

[Stoneware]

I was definitely thinking congestion, I suppose worst case scenario, but on the way home today I did a speed test in town, just about a mile away from my house, and got good (to my thinking) numbers 85/35 but then when I got home I did a test outside the house clear line of sight to the town, and got the same sort of thing as yesterday 6/27 and this is when most people should be at work/school still. I guess they put less capacity outside of towns maybe? So it could be a congestion thing still.

[bristolian]

If you wanted to dig deeper, and were so minded, a comparison of serving sites (eNB-ID) & carriers or bands in use (EARFCN) may prove useful.

Otherwise, pursue the CS avenue.

[Stoneware]

Didnt hear back from anyone today but things are a little better not sure if this is any use

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[bristolian]

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@Stoneware wrote:

I guess they put less capacity outside of towns maybe?

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Spectrum is deployed where it's needed, subject to individual site configs allowing it. The permanent installs at Silverstone are virtually full-spec these days. One interesting observation from your tests are that you're using low-band 800Mhz Band-20 indoors - >70Mbps suggests a very lightly loaded sector.

Interestingly, the single site in the centre of Llangefni has a single 20Mhz block of 1800Mhz service. The 2 sites on the outskirts, along with your site nearer the A5, have 2 x 20Mhz blocks of high-band spectrum, plus the single 5Mhz block of low-band 800Mhz.

[Stoneware]

Slightly annoyed that I can't edit that last post to tidy up the formatting now that I'm on a desktop.

Thanks for the analysis. I was getting good numbers in Llangefni the other day (80+) outside.

Work is a weird one, I say inside but it's basically pressed up against a window, the signal is pretty terrible if you're actually any further into the building, might be very close to a tower also.

I've bit the bullet and ordered a router for the SIM in the hopes that will have better signal than the handset I'm using to test with currently, will see how things go but the numbers give me a bit of hope.