OK, this is the fastest wireless carrier in the nation

آخرین مطالب

امکانات وب

OK, this is the fastest wireless carrier in the nation - CNET

T-Mobile may want to hold off on taking a victory lap as the fastest wireless carrier.

Verizon Wireless took the top honors in a study conducted by testing firm RootMetrics, which broke down the categories into states, metro areas and different areas such as speed, reliability and call performance. In virtually all of the categories, Verizon proved dominant. It's the fifth-straight time the New York carrier emerged as the top dog in RootMetrics' semi-annual study.

The results add an interesting wrinkle to the conclusions drawn by rival testing firm OpenSignal, which crowned T-Mobile the nation's wireless speed king just two weeks ago.

Cellular towers from Verizon helped it win RootMetrics' study for a fifth-straight time.
James Martin/CNET

These tests may seem trivial, but they serve as the basis for many of the ads you see on television, with one carrier or another touting the most reliable or fastest coverage. While the carriers are more often competing for your business by offering discounts and promotional benefits, the aura of network superiority and the promise of better coverage remains a huge factor in what carrier to choose.

The different results stem from how each firm conducts their studies. RootMetrics sends vans and professional testers throughout the nation, claiming that that is the best way to get comprehensive results. OpenSignal uses crowdsourced information through apps downloaded by consumers, which it argues offers the best real-world data that's more up to date.

So how did the carriers fare? On a nationwide basis, Verizon was ranked No. 1 in overall performance, network reliability, network speed, data, calls and text messages, where it tied with AT&T. Verizon also took the most first-places finishes in those categories on the state and metro area level. T-Mobile was often ranked fourth in many of the categories.

The discrepancy in the study lies in how broad the study goes. T-Mobile has concentrated its network investment in big cities and surrounding neighborhoods but tends to do poorly in more rural areas. Verizon and AT&T generally have more consistent coverage across the entire nation, although T-Mobile and Sprint are catching up.

T-Mobile questioned the results, claiming that RootMetrics shut off its voice-over-LTE feature. It also repeated the criticism that RootMetrics uses older data because its tests are conducted over the last half of 2015.

"I don't know what to make of it," Chief Operating Officer Mike Sievert said in an interview.

RootMetrics said it did not test VoLTE because it wasn't what most consumers experienced with the carriers. The firm did say it would incorporate the feature into its next study. "We are taking a wait-and-see approach to what the impact may (or may not be) for T-Mobile," the firm said in a statement.

Verizon took the report in stride. "We're not perfect, so we celebrated the clean sweep for a hot second, and now we're back to work because wireless customers want a better experience every day," said a spokesman.

Sprint, meanwhile, saw improvement in its scores for call and text performance and edged out AT&T for second place for calls.

"We're encouraged to see that our network has continued to improve," said Sprint Chief Technology Officer John Saw.

The company still lagged behind in network speed and data performance.

AT&T, meanwhile, placed runner-up in many of the categories. "We'll continue investing to give our customers the best possible experience," the company said.

OK, this is the fastest wireless carrier in the nation - CNET

آخرین مطالب

امکانات وب

OK, this is the fastest wireless carrier in the nation - CNET

صفحه بندی

آرشیو مطالب

پيوندهای روزانه

لینک دوستان

خبرنامه