YOU ARE AT:Analyst AngleKagan: Which wireless carrier is fastest in Ookla report?

Kagan: Which wireless carrier is fastest in Ookla report?

Ookla, the speed test people we all use, know and trust have once again announced the fastest wireless service in the country. This time the winner if AT&T Mobility. They are the fastest wireless network in the country. In fact, this is not the first time for AT&T. They have been the fastest for three quarterly tests in a row. So, congratulations to AT&T, their users, workers and investors.

What is very surprising about this Ookla study this time around is Sprint came in second. That’s a big deal since they have been last for a long time. They beat both T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless. So, congratulations to Sprint as well.

Congratulations to AT&T and Sprint on Ookla speed test results

AT&T has been on a tear winning the number one spot three quarters in a row. Wanting to be best, they have been investing in the space for years and it is paying off for them and their customers with the fastest network.

The second and third place competitors were typically T-Mobile and Verizon. Sprint has been struggling for a long time. But suddenly, Sprint’s network investments seem to have punched them up to second place. This shows they are focusing on improving their network, and it is working, finally.

Everyone knows Ookla for the well-known Speedtest app which we use to test Internet speeds both on wire line and wireless devices.

Ookla wireless Internet speed test scores:

AT&T ranked number one with 35.17

Sprint was number two with 31.84

T-Mobile was number three with 31.36

Verizon was last with 29.42

Ookla says AT&T Mobility wins fastest wireless network, once again

This report shows how AT&T improved significantly from a score of 32.91 to 35.17. They were fast before. They are even faster now. And they are further ahead compared to their competition.

This report also shows how Sprint also improved significantly from the slowest score of 28.15 to second place with a score of 31.84.

Today, this report shows Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon are all hovering around the same level as previous quarters.

Ookla compared AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon

AT&T said it increased wireless Internet speeds 43 percent year-over-year. They say investments in the network were the reason.

Sprint said their network investments have resulted in this 36.8 percent improvement. That’ great news for them as well.

T-Mobile dropped to third place this time around. However, they did show a little bit of improvement in speed. They have been investing in their network as well.

Verizon was the only carrier to drop in speed in this quarterly report. Surprisingly, they are now in fourth place according to Ookla.

What wireless carriers need to focus on to remain leaders?

I think the best carriers are the ones who focus on improving every quarter. Period. If a carrier thinks they are fast enough, the pressure is taken off of them and they begin to slow down as a result.

What this shows is wireless carriers cannot rest on their laurels. Just because you were the fastest or the best yesterday, doesn’t mean you will always be. This is a never-ending journey.

Networks must continually upgrade to keep leading and to keep pace with the competition. Every carrier is either moving forward or backward.

As we move to 5G, the next generation, the wireless networks will continually invest in and speed up their network connections. There are always leaders and followers and things will always be that way.

This horserace will continue for years to come. Ookla and the other tests keep the carriers on their toes. Without them, wireless carriers would more than likely all claim to have the best and fastest network.

That’s why it is important to have these various, unbiased testing services. They create the scoreboard which the entire industry is measured by.

So, once again, congratulations to AT&T on this result and in fact the past three. And congratulations to Sprint on great improvement in this most recent Internet speed test report.

It will be interesting to see what results will be as 5G rolls into more marketplaces over the next several years. I get the sense the best is yet to come!

ABOUT AUTHOR

Jeff Kagan
Jeff Kaganhttp://jeffkagan.com
Jeff is a RCR Wireless News Columnist, Industry Analyst, Key Opinion Leader and Influencer. He shares his colorful perspectives and opinions on the companies and technologies that are transforming the industry he has followed for 35 years. Jeff follows wireless, wire line telecom, Internet, Pay-TV, cable TV, AI, IoT, Digital Healthcare, Cloud, Mobile Pay, Smart cities, Smart Homes and more.