T-Mobile continues to garner praise for its comprehensive 5G network, which it was able to build thanks to spectrum gained through synergies from its merger with Sprint, earning points from Speedtest maker Ookla as the fastest and most reliable network in the U.S. Highly praised for its 5G Ultra Capacity and Extended Range network coverage, T-Mobile took home the award for fastest mobile provider in the first half of the year, with a median download speed of 234.82 Mbps, a median upload speed of 13.3 Mbps, and a latency of 48 ms. AT&T came in second, and Verizon, which has more rural coverage, had the slowest median.
Despite the introduction of C-band mid-range frequencies by Ma Bell and Big Red, the 5G situation hasn’t changed much, with T-Mobile appearing to be slow to catch up. T-Mobile also took the award for fastest 5G network at 265.80 Mbps, followed by Verizon and AT&T.
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Verizon vs T-Mobile 5G Network Speeds
However, Verizon recorded the largest increase in 5G download speeds, recording 207.79 Mbps compared to just 130.94 Mbps during the same period from January to June last year, a staggering 60% increase. Meanwhile, T-Mobile only increased the median download speed of its 5G network by about 20%. Additionally, Verizon and T-Mobile’s upload speeds are now comparable at 14.56 Mbps.
Verizon vs T-Mobile vs AT&T 5G Speed Score Rankings | Image Courtesy – Ookla
Findings from Ookla’s report on the state of US carrier networks include:
T-Mobile continues to dominate the US mobile space, boasting the fastest speeds, best consistency, and highest user ratings. However, Verizon is starting to make inroads with performance, recording the best 5G gaming experience. AT&T Fiber led the way in speed and consistency, while Verizon was best in video and gaming experience. 5G continues to expand, with T-Mobile leading the way in top-line performance while the rest of the market tries to catch up. Fixed broadband speeds are also rising due to expanding fiber deployment and upgrading cable technology. Connecticut topped the state rankings for fixed broadband download speeds, with a median speed about 160 Mbps faster than bottom-ranked Alaska. Mobile was a similar story, with Illinois coming out on top, about 120 Mbps faster than Alaska. The good news is that all states recorded network speed gains, boosting the overall median download speed and consistency of mobile connections, showing signs of healthy competition.
Network Consistency and Media Streaming
T-Mobile also received the highest score when it came to network stability, with 86.6% of test measurements meeting or exceeding the standard of 5 Mbps download speeds and 1 Mbps upload speeds, regardless of where the test was taken. Verizon followed with a network consistency score of 83.3%, while AT&T recorded a network reliability of 80.3%.
T-Mobile also picked up a smaller award, earning the title of Best Carrier for Mobile Video Experience in the US with a Video Score of 77.78 and a median video start time of under one second, while the Un-carrier earned the more specific Video Experience on 5G in the US recognition with a total score of 81.36. However, Verizon and AT&T’s scores were not far behind in that regard, suggesting that the video streaming experience was plenty good regardless of carrier.
The same goes for gaming, where latency is key: T-Mobile once again had the highest gaming score across its networks, but Verizon took home the award for Best Gaming Experience over 5G in the US with a gaming score of 88.32 and a median gaming latency of 57ms, lower than T-Mobile’s 64ms.
Verizon vs T-Mobile vs AT&T 5G Customer Satisfaction Rankings | Image Credit – Ookla
Overall, T-Mobile continues to receive the highest rating from consumer networks, despite recent plan price increases. But when it comes to what matters most – general network coverage, 4G LTE or otherwise – both AT&T and Verizon outperform T-Mobile, especially in rural areas, even though the rapid rollout of its 5G network, enabled by the mid-band spectrum it inherited from Sprint, has made Big Magenta the current market leader in areas where it offers signal. View full biography
Daniel has been an avid tech writer at PhoneArena since 2010 and has been passionate about mobile technology since the days of Windows Mobile. His expertise spans mobile hardware, software and carrier networks, with a keen interest in digital health, automotive connectivity and the future of 5G. Outside of work, Daniel enjoys traveling, reading, exploring new tech innovations and pondering the implications of ethics and privacy in our digital future.
