Independent tests on the Island’s telecoms network have shown that Manx Telecom customers enjoy better 3G mobile internet coverage and speeds that are twice as fast as those on the Sure network. The research was conducted by Omnitele, a Finnish telecommunications engineering and consulting company offering services ranging from technology strategy to network design and network quality improvement.

Omnitele conducted Island-wide service benchmark tests on the Manx Telecom and Sure (Cable & Wireless) mobile networks in February 2012. The main purpose of the benchmark testing was to provide Manx Telecom with an understanding of their service quality in comparison to local competition and international standards.

Omnitele tests showed that Manx Telecom customers enjoy 98% 3G mobile internet coverage compared to 69% coverage with Sure. Average download speeds on Manx Telecom’s network are more than DOUBLE that of Sure, and average upload speeds are nearly THREE TIMES faster on Manx Telecom’s mobile network.

Mervyn Harvey, Manx Telecom Mobile Product Manager, commented:

“These results clearly show how Manx Telecom’s continued investment in the Isle of Man has produced a mobile network that meets customers’ needs in the smartphone age. With smartphone ownership reaching unprecedented levels, it is becoming more important to have the best coverage and fastest mobile network behind you, wherever you are.”

Omnitele was founded in 1988 to set up the world’s first GSM operator and since then it has assisted telecom operators and regulators in over 1,000 projects in more than 80 countries.

Marko Juvanen, Senior Consultant Omnitele Ltd, said:

“Our study shows that Manx Telecom’s continued development of 2G and 3G networks maintains its position as the top supplier of wireless mobile services in the Isle of Man. Manx Telecom’s extensive 3G Island-wide coverage and high capacity enable superior quality of experience for mobile broadband users on the Manx Telecom network.”

Here is a summary of Omnitele’s research: 

• Manx Telecom 3G network serving Omnitele test system 98% of the time ?
• Sure 3G network serving system 69% of the time
• Manx Telecom average data download speeds are over two times higher compared to Sure?s download speeds ?
• Manx Telecom average upload speeds are nearly three times higher compared to Sure?s upload speeds ?

KPIs                                                          Manx Telecom                                Sure

UMTS (3G) serving system distribution ?          98%                                         69%
GSM (2G) serving system distribution                 2%                                         31%
  
Download tests                                                319                                          135
Mean throughput per file transfer (kbit/s) ?     2497                                       1132

Upload tests                                                     273                                          111
Mean throughput per file transfer (kbit/s) ?      826                                          279

Notes

UMTS - Universal Mobile Telecommunications System frequency bands are radio frequencies used by third generation (3G) wireless networks.

GSM - Global System for Mobile Communications frequency bands are radio frequencies used by second generation (2G) wireless networks.

The Omnitele tests covered 241 miles of the Island’s main telecoms network routes. In addition, tests were also conducted on nine high-usage data hotspots in the Douglas area. Omnitele carried out its research using the following equipment and methods:

• 2 x data terminal dual mode wireless USB dongles (Manx Telecom & Sure).
• Omnitele HTTP/FTP servers used in measurements.
• FTP download/upload done in sequence.
• 10 seconds wait time between download/upload.
• 5 MB download/1 MB upload file size in Island-wide measurements.
• 30 MB download/5 MB upload file size in Douglas measurements.
 
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