A new study has concluded that the mobile landscape is stable and capable of supporting the fast growth that consumer interest is generating. RootMetrics’ report — the State of Mobile Union — looks at the first half of the year in terms of both 5G network performance and the broader mobile environment.
Based on more than three million tests on AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon networks, the report has good news for each of the three major carriers.
“Verizon’s 5G network emerged as the top performer in our first-half 2024 testing, with the carrier’s consistently strong showings across speed, reliability, and latency allowing it to capture the award for the Best 5G network overall,” the report stated. “Verizon’s well-rounded 5G [network] performance, which excelled in both rural and urban environments, was a key factor in securing the Best 5G award.”
T-Mobile finished a close second in the overall competition. It was tops in availability and strong in latency, finishing very close to Verizon in speed. AT&T’s network proved to be fast and available, but trailed in reliability, according to the study.
Some highlights from the 5G network performance report:
- AT&T did well, with “improved speeds in major metropolitan markets, as well as good performance in national and state testing.”
- T-Mobile excelled at providing fast speeds and improved its results in metro area testing. It provided download speeds of at least 200 Mbps in 118 of 125 metro areas tested.
- Verizon won the most national, state, and metro awards.
The report found Verizon winning the 5G speed and reliability categories and T-Mobile winning in the availability category.
The results of the report suggest a healthy competition and a trio of capable networks. That assessment is echoed by a report, released this week, from J.D. Power. It found that the average number of complaints related to 5G connections is declining. This is leading to higher satisfaction levels among users.
