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Call for widespread GPRS speed tests by disgruntled users

Excuses, excuses; while the big phone network providers are promoting mobile data, the actual service seems to be inadequate. Users of GPRS data - especially in Europe - are starting to feel they're being conned, and are asking for others to join them in testing the system.

The sense of dissatisfaction isn't universal, but an increasing number of people have complained that it's harder to get a data connection, and the data speed is falling.

The unhappy messages started appearing after Far East phone operator Globe Telecom was forced to admit that it was deliberately throttling internet traffic unless it went over its own gateways.

Several dissatisfied users have posted their own experiences, suggesting that data speeds in Europe are, if anything, worse than in the Pacific Rim.

One user said: "Talking with the CEO of Cellglide I gather the issue is that the network operators have not learnt the lessons of their fixed counterparts in terms of data networks and traffic shaping."

The user, contributing under the pseudonym of "Digital Evangelist" complained: "Just like the SMS boom we have seen the networks release GPRS without the necessary network tools to allow easy use. Thus we have a situation that sees a cell become congested with as few a 4 users."

The "Evangelist" recalled the launch of GPRS by Cellnet a few years ago. "The FT and Telegraph were so impressed at just what a SNAFU it was that they devoted a quarter page to highlight just how poor GPRS was. Since then we have had more and more handsets released, the MNOs have overhauled their portals to match the ability of "fast" data and from what I can see done little else to improve speeds. The standard answer from my provider is that 'you are billed by the byte Sir and the network transfers data when capacity allows so regardless of how long it take for the page to load it still costs the same' - and they wonder why I prefer to use my Laptop in a Hotspot!"

Other contributors have proposed a survey. User Mike Hartley said: "Connection speed tester at one web site says I'm getting 37.1 kbps on GPRS at the moment." Hartley suggests other users try it (and post results) if you have suitable kit. He says he was using an Ipaq 3870 connected via Bluetooth to a nokia 6310i on T-Mobile in St Albans.

"It would be interesting to see results from different places and networks - and at different times of the day," says Hartley.