Orange Caps iPhone 3G Speeds At 384 Kbps

Users of Apple's iPhone in France have learned that it isn't their phones that are slow: it is the Orange network that is slow, because the wireless provider has deliberately capped its network, usually at 384 Kbps.

According to FranceInfo, Orange said it was slowing the network to preserve network stability. If so, the capping of the network lends credence to the theory that all carriers can't deliver robust throughput to iPhone users.

Earlier this week, Wired.com reported the results of a survey of more than 2,600 iPhone users. "Wired.com's survey of iPhone 3G users suggests that widespread data speed problems have more to do with carriers' networks than with Apple's handsets," was the conclusion.

In Wired.com's survey, iPhone users in Germany and the Netherlands reported the fastest average download speeds of about 2,000 Kbps.

In France, many Orange users were reported to have signed a petition complaining that the service provider's capping of network speeds violates the company's service agreement with iPhone users. HSDPA speeds of 7.2 Mbps are theoretically possible for iPhone users in France, but few users, if any, are getting that.

To add insult to injury for Orange users whose service has been capped, other European users were crowing about the high speeds they are enjoying on their iPhones.