It looks like iPhones running on the Optus & Virgin networks are the slowest in the world, after a recent survey by US Wired magazine, which found those mobile carriers as the culprits for slow connections.

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The global survey of some 2600 iPhone users found that Australia came in dead last with the slowest connections when using either an Optus or Virgin connection.

According to the Wired article, the sluggish 3G speeds have more to do with the local 3G networks than any shortcomings in the hardware, like the Infineon chip or some dodgy firmware issue.

“In our view, this data is a strong indicator that performance of the mobile carrier’s network is affecting the iPhone 3G more than the handset itself,” claimed the Wired report.

The survey also found that “the fastest 3G speeds were being reported in Canada and on T-Mobile’s networks in Europe, while Australian carriers Optus and Virgin reported the slowest 3G speeds”, said Wired.

Canada for example had an average download speed of 1,330 kilobits per second on their device, which ranked just behind the 1,822 kilobits experienced by T-Mobile subscribers in Germany and the Netherlands.

However speeds reported by the Australian survey respondents on the Optus and Virgin networks came in at about 390 kilobits
One wonders what Federal communications minister Stephen Conroy would say about this?

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