AT&T Mobility a strong No. 2; Sprint improving; T-Mobile US robust in urban markets, according to RootMetrics
Verizon Wireless was yet again tops in RootMetrics ranking of carrier performance across the U.S., scoring first-place results in five of the six separate categories through the first half of 2015, though the analytics firm noted a tightening of the overall spread among the four nationwide operators.
Verizon Wireless, which has repeatedly topped RootMetrics’ network rankings, garnered top marks in overall performance, network reliability, network speed, data performance and call performance, losing out to AT&T Mobility in the text performance category.
Outside of the No. 1 spot in text performance, AT&T Mobility was a strong No. 2 behind Verizon Wireless in the other five separate nationwide categories. RootMetrics noted that while AT&T Mobility failed to knock off its rival, it “wasn’t far behind.”
A slightly larger gap was present to No. 3 finisher Sprint, which despite ongoing network challenges managed a strong victory over rival T-Mobile US in overall performance. Sprint also garnered third spot in network reliability, call performance and text performance, with RootMetrics noting Sprint “showed progress in terms of closing the gap with the leaders from prior testing.”
RootMetrics supplied support for T-Mobile US’ claims of at least the robustness of its data network, with the carrier finishing No. 3 in terms of network speed and data performance, but trailing its rivals across the other four categories. T-Mobile US’ strong performance in larger markets was offset by rural coverage that lagged behind its competitors.
Without naming names, RootMetrics did state that it did not test the ongoing rollout coverage of one carrier’s 700 MHz network due to a lack of commercially available devices, which was likely a reference to the A-Block 700 MHz spectrum being used by T-Mobile US that is only now being embedded into new smartphones.
“With the expansion of this rollout and support on additional devices, our testing in the second half of 2015 will cover the release of this new 700 MHz spectrum deployment,” RootMetrics noted.
Looking at more localized performance, Verizon Wireless was ranked first or tied for first 253 times in RootMetrics’ performance ranking across the 50 states. AT&T Mobility managed 95 first or tied-for-first rankings, with Sprint picking up 25 top placings and T-Mobile US shut out at a state level.
Drilling down even more, Verizon Wireless managed to just win out over AT&T Mobility when looking at the nation’s 125 largest metro markets, picking up 512 first place or tied-for-first-place scores compared with AT&T Mobility’s 441. Showing its metro resilience, T-Mobile US scored a top spot 221 times, while Sprint pulled up the rear in metro rankings with 180 first or tied- for-first placings.
Verizon Wireless recently came out on top of RootMetrics’ rankings of cellular data performance at the nation’s 50 busiest airports.
Bored? Why not follow me on Twitter
