Originally Posted by
BigFlyer
Second, if your phone gets on a network, it's probably as good as any other. It's not like you are going to discover the magic network that throttles less - the throttling is done at the Tmobile end in the US as all the data is routed through Tmobile servers.
Unfortunately, this is an incorrect statement. During my initial layover at Quito, Ecuador, my phone automatically connected to MoviStar. The phone labeled the connection as "3G'. During this time, I was getting a very good connection as I could upload photos to Facebook using the iOS app.
When I arrived at my hotel in Puerto Ayora, my phone reconnected to MoviStar but only as "E". It was a strong connection because I had 5 "bars". I couldn't access any sites even Bing or Google using Safari. I initially thought this was life on the island. Later, I decided to see what other networks, if any, were available. When I switched to Claro, the connection was labeled as "3G" and the speeds greatly improved.
When I was talking to someone from the mainland, I was informed that Claro was the major telecom for Ecuador. It made sense as the only payphone I saw was operated by Claro.