Of broadband sticks and mobile phones: Which ones are better?

As mentioned in the nitty gritty post, I'm testing the internet connection using mobile phones as 3G modems instead of broadband sticks. Some people may think differently at my approach as they have been used to the concept of using a broadband stick or any device-bundled broadband packages that they have bought from mobile telecommunications' outlets. If you're wondering why I prefer not to use broadband sticks and opt for mobile phones instead, here are my two reasons:

1. Depending on your mobile network carrier, it's cheaper and cost effective

Celcom and Maxis, the two major mobile network carriers in Malaysia, are providing the option of tethering via mobile phone and you're only charged for the subscription of the broadband packages, whether they are hourly, daily, weekly or monthly. Plus, there are no extra charges if you decide not to use tethering any longer. There is no auto-renewal option for tethering and your credit balance will be safe from unnecessary deductions. The difference? Celcom provides this function for both postpaid and prepaid mobile SIM cards, but Maxis only offers this function for their prepaid mobile SIM cards. Nevertheless, the tethering options offered by both mobile network carriers are beneficial since I don't have to buy a separate SIM card exclusively for broadband. Instead, I can subscribe via SMS or short codes from my cellphones and use them as modem via tethering.

2. Mobile phones may have better signal reception than broadband sticks

I have experiences of using broadband sticks for my Maxis SIM card and in general, I couldn't get full bar coverage most of the time. The signal receptions are going up and down a lot. Sometimes I get only 1 bar, sometimes 2 bars, sometimes 3 bars and in some cases, even no signal at all. In many occasions, it disrupts my internet surfing experience. Finally, I give up using broadband sticks and decides to swap the SIM card into my Nokia Asha 303 and to my surprise, the signal reception is much better than the broadband sticks I've used before. No more "no signal" moments, although the signal sometimes fluctuates between 2-4 bars. Somehow, the signal reception is more consistent in the Nokia Asha 303 compared to the broadband sticks.

Johor - Batu Pahat - Kampung Parit Bilal

OK. This is the first attempt on coverage analysis. I'm doing this at my hometown, specifically my village in the outskirts of the town of Batu Pahat, Johor. According to coverage map from Celcom and Maxis, I should get good coverage for both 3G internet providers.

CELCOM

Celcom's coverage map. Notice the circled part is where my village is approximately located.

Now, the speedtest result for Celcom. For Celcom, I use HTC One X as a tethered modem via Wi-Fi hotspot function. Mind you that this is this test is done only once.

Download speed: Not too bad for general browsing and Youtube streaming.

Upload speed: Inadequate for a photo upload. No-no for a video upload. :(

MAXIS

Maxis's coverage map. Again, the approximate location of my village is circled over there.

Now, let's look at the speedtest result for Maxis. For Maxis, I'm using the Nokia Asha 303 as a 3G modem via USB connection. Mind you again that this test is done only once.

Download speed : Very fast. By Malaysian standards, Youtube streaming should have less buffering under such speed.

Upload speed: Quite fast. Photo uploads should have no problems. Video upload should be fine as well, depending on the duration of the video.

Nitty gritty

1. For now, I will analyse the coverage of two major 3G broadband providers in Malaysia: Celcom and Maxis. The reason is because I'm currently using both of them and they have a fairly wide and extensive coverage across most parts of Malaysia. I'm yet to subscribe a Digi broadband service at the moment, but hopefully I'll be able to do so if I'm financially sufficient. LOL :P

2. The devices that I'll use to do the analysis are HTC One X and Nokia Asha 303. Yes, I'm using a high-end smartphone and a Nokia feature phone due to their ability of being great 3G modems; HTC One X has a Wi-Fi hotspot, while Nokia Asha 303 can be tethered to PC/laptop via a USB cable connection; HTC One X is where my size-reduced Celcom SIM card is, while the Nokia Asha 303 has a standard-size Maxis SIM card.

3. FYI, I'm using prepaid for both of my SIM cards as they are easier to subscribe and have the same 3G capabilities as the postpaid ones. Plus, they don't need bills at all. Sounds cheapo, isn't it?

4. As I mentioned in the first post, the analysis will be done in random places that I visited. For now, analysis will be done in Peninsular Malaysia only. I hope I can do analysis of 3G broadband coverage in Sabah and Sarawak if I'm...well...financially sufficient (again) and and have the time & opportunity to travel to both states.

For further inquiries, you can post your questions in the comment section for this post. :)

Hi :)

Hi there.

Welcome to "Where Got Signal?", a blog that is aiming to give you details of 3G broadband coverage in random places around Malaysia. As you know, 3G broadband services are always in high demand among Malaysians and millions of internet users in Malaysia are spending a certain amount of their incomes or allowances to purchase 3G broadband packages from different mobile telco providers. However, in many common cases, there are areas which lack 3G coverage and this may frustrate users who have spent hundreds of ringgits on buying and subscribing 3G broadband services, only to realise that the coverage is low and slow the moment they go to certain places or buildings. This is the reason why I decided to create a blog which can serve as a supplementary source in identifying the coverage of different 3G internet providers. Hopefully, this will help you to decide which 3G broadband providers that you would like to subscribe before you make your final decision.