Is Vodafone's new 850 network making a difference?
Vodafone responded to recent criticisms of its network with a pledge to expedite its plans to introduce the 850MHz frequency to its network. We take to the streets to see if these upgrades are making a difference.
Vodafone has copped lashings of criticism over the last 12 months for the quality of its network, both from the media and, more importantly, from its customers. It responded quickly, expediting plans to upgrade and expand its network infrastructure, with improvements to many current base stations and the creation of hundreds of new sites, introducing the 850MHz 3G frequency to its network in the process. To date, Vodafone has completed over half of this planned upgrade, but is it making any difference?
We took to the streets armed with an 850MHz-compatible Samsung Galaxy S II fitted with a Vodafone SIM, plus a matching handset connected to the Telstra Next G network. Below, you'll find the data we collected from both handsets after running download and upload tests around the city. Just remember, this is not a definitive set of tests performed in scientific conditions, but it should paint a pretty good picture of what it's like to be a Vodafone customer in Sydney at this time.