Verizon throttling data!!!

[Chris4434]

I've had several Verizon android phones before getting the iPhone when it first came out. I've noticed that Verizon seems to be throttling data speeds on my iPhone to around 400-500kbps no matter where I am or how strong the signal is. In these same areas I would easily get 1.5 - 2.5 Mbps on my android phones and my friends who have android phones still do. I've noticed that occasionally I will get normal 3G speeds but about 90% of the time I can't break 500 Kbps. I've called Verizon several times and they swear up and down they aren't slowing iPhone data speeds but this can't be the case. I had the black and now the white iPhone and they get basically identical download speeds. Another black iPhone on my account is experiencing the same thing too. Has anyone found a resolution to this?

 

[WyckedAnkh]

my speeds always seem to be the same and i test it at least once a week. what area are you in?

 

[swsmpbaby985]

Verizon has said in the past that even though they are offering unlimited data for the iPhone until this summer, they don't truly have unlimited data that they will be throttling data once you reach a certain limit of data on there plan. There is no "work around" to this..

 

[sting7k]

Have you compared with other Verizon users that their speeds are faster at the same time your speeds are so low?

 

[brokenxreality]

I thought this is what's happening. I noticed the slow speeds on the iPhone compared to my droid 2. Bugs me, but at least it's "unlimited" and not tiered.

 

[rayz336]

Hmm that's weird, I haven't noticed any throttling on mine. I've had it since Feb 7th. This month I have gotten to 11gb and my data hasn't slowed down at any point. I've gotten between .8 and 2mb/s down and between .5 and .9 up.

 

[Chris4434]

I realize that Verizon said that they would throttle the top 5% of heavy data users but my throttling seems to have been in place ever since I got my iPhone (and since day one on the 2nd iPhone on my account as well). I am generally in the 300 - 500 kpbs range regardless or how little or much data I've used. I am in the Atlanta area and HAVE tested speeds in the exact same place and time and when I am being throttled my iPhone is always significantly slower than various Android devices and 3G MiFi cards. What makes it seem like they are throttling even more is the fact that my upload speeds will almost always be higher than my download speeds. I usually have an upload around 500 - 700 kpbs. I also know that the speed test apps I use to measure this are painting a real picture because when I am getting very slow speeds I am not able to stream YouTube videos or any type of video without it stopping every few seconds to buffer. The only "solution" I have found to remove the throttling is to hold the home and power button until the phone turns off and comes back on. After doing this, my speeds generally return to where they should be ( 1 - 2.5 mpbs and I can stream videos without ANY buffering after they start) but after a few hours or a day they return back to being throttled.

 

[dmt316]

I'm currently at work on the ground floor of a hospital in Newark, NJ with 3 bars, using speediest; .61 down, .38 up, 462 ms ping

 

[Adawg1203]

If VZW were throttling data I believe many more people would be impacted. They have publicly stated that they will not throttle any 3g traffic. LTE on the other hand is a different story when they introduce the tiered plans.

 

[eye4ni]

I realize that Verizon said that they would throttle the top 5% of heavy data users but my throttling seems to have been in place ever since I got my iPhone (and since day one on the 2nd iPhone on my account as well). I am generally in the 300 - 500 kpbs range regardless or how little or much data I've used. I am in the Atlanta area and HAVE tested speeds in the exact same place and time and when I am being throttled my iPhone is always significantly slower than various Android devices and 3G MiFi cards. What makes it seem like they are throttling even more is the fact that my upload speeds will almost always be higher than my download speeds. I usually have an upload around 500 - 700 kpbs. I also know that the speed test apps I use to measure this are painting a real picture because when I am getting very slow speeds I am not able to stream YouTube videos or any type of video without it stopping every few seconds to buffer. The only "solution" I have found to remove the throttling is to hold the home and power button until the phone turns off and comes back on. After doing this, my speeds generally return to where they should be ( 1 - 2.5 mpbs and I can stream videos without ANY buffering after they start) but after a few hours or a day they return back to being throttled.

I am experiencing the very same issue, but I am a new Verizon customer, so I have no other phone to compare to, but my Evo on Sprint was twice as fast as the iphone on Verizon, and Sprint has terrible coverage around here, Verizon is 3-5 bars EVERYWHERE. My UPLOAD speeds are almost ALWAYS twice as fast as my download speeds. .3 mbps-.6 mbps is about my avg. download speed (which is too slow to even stream YouTube) and uploads .7-.9 mbps.

I have thought something was wrong from the start, but how do you explain this to someone at Verizon? And what are they going to do about it?

 

[rayz336]

I'd think the bars and how many people use VZW in your area would have an effect on your speeds as well. I rarely get over 1mb/s down and .7mb/s up when away at college, w/ 5 bars so I assume it is more affected by those connecting to the same tower and not necessarily the bars on your device.

 

[eye4ni]

I'd think the bars and how many people use VZW in your area would have an effect on your speeds as well. I rarely get over 1mb/s down and .7mb/s up when away at college, w/ 5 bars so I assume it is more affected by those connecting to the same tower and not necessarily the bars on your device.

I'm sure this has an affect, but I live in a very rural area, about 90 miles from Chicago, so I never thought that heavy network traffic would have this much of an affect for me, but I could be wrong....

 

[kpxstar9]

I'm sure this has an affect, but I live in a very rural area, about 90 miles from Chicago, so I never thought that heavy network traffic would have this much of an affect for me, but I could be wrong....

perhaps its because you're in such a rural area that you're having slower speeds.

 

[dmt316]

4 bars, at home in north plainfield, nj using speedtest sayerville server.... ping 260 ms, dl .74 up .49

 

[eye4ni]

perhaps its because you're in such a rural area that you're having slower speeds.

Perhaps, I just don't know. But my signal is pretty strong, 4-5 bars most places, and with Sprint I would only have 2-3 bars everywhere if I was lucky but speeds were twice as fast.

 

[eye4ni]

Pretty crappy

 

[d0ster]

Have you tried testing your speeds at different times of the day? I noticed that my speeds are higher in the early morning and late at night compared to during the day.

 

[N8ers]

I didnt buy my iphone with an upgrade and they tried to get me to agree to their new data plan.

 

[N8ers]

My speeds differ like crazy between night time and daytime.

 

[Iphone-ery]

the answer is: nothing. <- that is the sucky part... the people that "need" throttling in Verizons mind are such a relatively small portion of the market that they will just ignore them forever...