User downloads 419GB over 3G in one week

[howard]

I just read this over at Tom's: MegaFon, a network operating in Russia recently ran a contest to see who could download the most 3G data in a week. Turns out the winner downloaded 419GB!

The Next Web cites Russian site C News in reporting that customers of Russian network MegaFon who purchased a 3G modem between November 1, 2011 and January 31, 2012 were asked to download as much data as they could during that period. At stake was a prize from travel agency Neva, which was offering a $5000 vacation for the person who used the most data.

Personally, I work from home so I usually download using my wired connection but when I was testing Rogers/Bell LTE I easily did a couple 100GB in one week with a demo line. In a 2hr period I downloaded around 30GB with Rogers and in a 20 min sitting I managed 6GB.

What's the most you've ever downloaded over 3G/4G?

[Goelz83]

There's a user on here that used over 1TB in a month.

He even had screenshots to prove it.

[timvideo]

Damn, I once hit 60GB on 4G one month and thought that was bad. I can't imagine 419GB much less 1TB on 3G.

[howard]

Damn, I once hit 60GB on 4G one month and thought that was bad. I can't imagine 419GB much less 1TB on 3G.

Did you manage 60GB on your phone or did you tether? Using up 60GB on a phone would be very difficult, doing it on a computer is a piece of cake.

[Goelz83]

I'm pretty sure the user on here that used 1TB was using it on VZW LTE. I doubt they could have reached that using only a 3G connection.

I'm also about 99% sure that he was tethering. Uploading large files for work, IIRC.

[timvideo]

I have the unlimited hotspot option, during the nfl season I do a lot of traveling and spend a lot of time in 4 star hotels that want to charge $15 for wifi. So I use the unlimited hotspot to tether my laptop and tablet.

Sent from my ADR6400L using HowardForums

[Extraordinary]

I'm pretty sure the user on here that used 1TB was using it on VZW LTE. I doubt they could have reached that using only a 3G connection.

I'm also about 99% sure that he was tethering. Uploading large files for work, IIRC.

It's possible. On AT&T/T-Mobile 3G speeds are capable of 10mbps, and at 10mbps you could easily get 1TB done in less than 10 days.

Real world? Most likely not. I would say 2mbps is reasonable, and at 2mbps you are looking at about 45 days to do 1TB.

But 1TB is a ton of data. I doubt many people even use that much on their home wired connection unless they stream all the time.

LTE is another story. There are many who have hit speeds of 40-75mbps here (usually 55-65 is the max average), and at 50mbps its possible to do 1TB in less than two days. Users who have a 2GB data cap on their 4G phone could blow through that data in about 5 MINUTES at 50mbps

Let's say you were a user on here who was able to get 50mbps average with LTE and never stopped putting it to the max. You could download about 17TB of data in a month. Have the Verizon 2GB plan w/ $10 per GB overage? You pay $174,060.00 extra that month (+ tax ~ $35,000?) = $209,060.00. Ouch.

Anyone could win this contest. Their advantage would come in on who can find the best place with the fastest speed? Set up a computer there to download and upload endless large files while streaming audio and video at the same time plus set some speedtests to MAX data and repeat automatically.

[howard]

Anyone could win this contest. Their advantage would come in on who can find the best place with the fastest speed? Set up a computer there to download and upload endless large files while streaming audio and video at the same time plus set some speedtests to MAX data and repeat automatically.

When I was testing out LTE, I downloaded multiple Linux ISO simultaneously. It can be challenge to continuously max out a fast LTE connection.

[Goelz83]

It's possible. On AT&T/T-Mobile 3G speeds are capable of 10mbps, and at 10mbps you could easily get 1TB done in less than 10 days.

10 Mbps would be HSPA+, which is technically a 4G connection. I'd say regular 3G maxes out around 3 Mbps, which would make getting to a TB quite difficult.

Like you said, it could possibly be done, but it would be difficult to do it with anything less than 10 Mbps.

[Cauchon]

Getting paid for *trying to use to too much data*. They is something we will never see in the United States.

[Extraordinary]

Getting paid for *trying to use to too much data*. They is something we will never see in the United States.

Haha, no kidding. Plus some carriers like AT&T won't let you get too far anyway.

[Goelz83]

Howard - Sounds like a perfect time for a contest.

[fraydog]

We need to have a contest like this with throttled AT&T users.

[Goelz83]

We need to have a contest like this with throttled AT&T users.

Or we can see who pays the most per GB to go over their metered plans. I think it's a great idea.

(Huge disclaimer)

[Extraordinary]

Or we can see who pays the most per GB to go over their metered plans. I think it's a great idea.

(Huge disclaimer)

AT&T and Verizon are tied at $10 per GB IIRC...