A Big Weekend in the Big Easy

On March 1 and 2, Global Wireless Solutions Inc. (GWS), a leading independent benchmarking solutions vendor for the wireless industry, tested mobile coverage at two big parades during Mardi Gras in the Uptown district of New Orleans. On Saturday GWS conducted testing at the Krewe of Tucks parade and on Sunday they tested the Krewe of Bacchus parade. They found that AT&T offered the fastest 4G LTE network experience of any mobile provider at the event.

GWS collected more than 1250 samples of mobile data usage from approximately 11:30AM to 4PM on Saturday, March 1, and from approximately 4:45PM to 8:45PM on Sunday, March 2. The results revealed AT&T earned top marks across the board. AT&T offered the fastest average 4G LTE upload speeds, the fastest average 4G LTE download speeds, and AT&T also delivered 99% LTE accessibility at Mardi Gras.

Powering AT&T’s 4G LTE network past the competition at Mardi Gras in New Orleans are four Cells on Light Trucks (COLTs), which are deployed along the parade routes to enhance coverage and capacity.

Mardi Gras attendees were using their mobile devices in full force at the two big parades during Mardi Gras. According to GWS, here are the AT&T network numbers that topped all others:

• The average AT&T 4G LTE download speed at the two big parades during Mardi Gras this weekend was more than 20% greater than the closest competitor’s 4G LTE download speed was at the two big parades.
  • The real-world difference between AT&T’s download speed and its closest competitor’s upload speed is equivalent to being able to download 4 minutes of high-definition video content on AT&T’s network in 25.4 seconds vs. being able to download 4 minutes of high-definition video content on the closest competitor’s network in 38.4 seconds.
• The average AT&T 4G LTE upload speed at the two big parades at Mardi Gras this weekend was more than 10% greater than the closest competitor’s 4G LTE upload speed at the two big parades.
  • The real-world difference between AT&T’s upload speed and its closest competitor’s upload speed is equivalent to being able to upload 4 minutes of high-definition video content on AT&T’s network in in 1 minute and 46 seconds vs. being able to upload 4 minutes of high-definition video content on the closest competitor’s network in 2 minutes and 26 seconds.

Some AT&T mobile network traffic highlights from the two big parades at Mardi Gras in New Orleans include:

• Bacchus Brings Boom – The Krewe of Bacchus was the busier of the two parades. AT&T had nearly 2,920 GB of data travel across its mobile network along the parade route on Sunday.
  • Our busiest mobile data traffic hour in for either parade occurred during the Krewe of Bacchus from 7-8pm CST.  AT&T carried nearly 185 GB across its mobile network during this peak hour.
• Texting Frenzy – More than 2,006,700 SMS texts were sent along the two parade routes on AT&T’s mobile network on Sunday.
  • In addition, there more than 2,341,500 SMS texts in the Uptown area of New Orleans last weekend.
• Data Up in Uptown – Beyond the parade routes of the Krewes of Bacchus and Tucks, AT&T’s mobile network carried 6,813 GB of data on Saturday and Sunday combined.
  • 6,813 GB of data is the equivalent to more than 21,800 hours of streaming HD video.