Verizon Wireless scored most victories in RootMetrics’ latest airport rankings
The nation’s airports have become a significant testbed for evaluating the strength of mobile networks due to the high concentration of people using their wireless devices while traversing such locations. And, according to the latest testing from RootMetrics, Verizon Wireless was deemed the most robust provider of cellular data services at the 50 largest airports through the second half of last year.
RootMetrics found that Verizon Wireless placed first or tied for first at 31 airports across its judging criteria. That was up from the 30 first-place or tied-for-first-place rankings for the carrier during the first half of 2014.
RootMetrics cited “excellent reliability and speed” for Verizon Wireless, noting the carrier fell below the 97% mark in Web/application access success at two airports and 97% in Web/app task success at five airports. Verizon Wireless also managed to score median download speeds in excess of 20 megabits per second and median upload speeds in excess of 10 Mbps at the most airports. The carrier was also singled out for posting a survey record 101.2 Mbps media download speed at Chicago’s Midway Airport, as well as a survey leading 99.9 score out of 100 at Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport.
The airport success comes on the heels of Verizon Wireless’ top ranking in RootMetrics recent nationwide network performance report, which had the carrier on top of rivals AT&T Mobility, T-Mobile US and Sprint.
T-Mobile US scored a close No. 2 in the report ranking, taking first place or a piece of first place at 17 airport locations, which was down from the 20 locations during the first half of 2014. T-Mobile US managed to come out on top in surpassing the 97% task success rates at the most airports, though came in No. 3 in terms of task access rates. T-Mobile US also came in No. 2 in terms of median upload speeds in excess of 10 Mbps, but again fell to No. 3 in terms of median download speeds in excess of 20 Mbps.
AT&T Mobility came in at No. 3 in the overall rankings, garnering first place or a share of first place at 10 airport locations during the second half of last year, down from the 11 locations during the first half of 2014. RootMetrics noted AT&T Mobility came in at No. 2 in terms of download speeds and Web/app access success rates, but fell behind Verizon Wireless and T-Mobile US in median upload speeds and Web/app task success rates.
Sprint’s network struggles continued to show at the nation’s top 50 airport locations, with the carrier posting just a single first-place or share-of-first-place overall ranking, though that was an improvement compared with zero first-place rankings for the first half of last year. Sprint managed just one airport each with median download speeds in excess of 20 Mbps and median upload speeds in excess of 10 Mbps. The big bright spot for the carrier was at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport, where the carrier’s 99.5 overall rating bested its rivals.
RootMetrics also took the carrier scores into account when ranking the best cellular data performance at each of the nation’s 50 busiest airports, with Memphis International deemed to have provided the best overall experience during the second half of last year. Pittsburgh International, Chicago’s O’Hare, Southwest Florida International in Fort Myers, Fla., and Dallas’ Love Field rounded out the top five.
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