While the battle for domestic LTE supremacy dominates advertising, real world testing, or at least that done by RootMetrics, shows there is a definitive tiering of the current mobile data playing field.
Citing tests across 42 markets involving more than 320,000 drive and indoor locations using its application and “off-the-shelf” consumer phones, RootMetrics released rankings of how it found the nation’s top carriers stack up. The company grouped its results into three tiers of how a carriers download data speeds were measured: more than 3 megabits per second recorded at least 70% of the time; data speeds dipping below 1.5 Mbps at least 60% of the time; and that netherworld in between.
“These metrics reflect points of success or frustration for everyday consumer experience and establish a level playing field among all carriers,” the company noted.”
The short answer is that Verizon Wireless continues to dominate the current mobile data field, with AT&T Mobility posing as a strong No. 2 and beleaguered T-Mobile USA a surprising No. 3. RootMetrics noted that while AT&T Mobility’s LTE network provided higher speeds (17.4 Mbps) on average that Verizon Wireless’ LTE network (15.2 Mbps), Verizon Wireless provided consistently high speeds across more markets while never following into the lower threshold rating. AT&T Mobility also managed to avoid falling into the lower threshold rating, but did hit more middle ratings than Verizon Wireless.
RootMetrics also pointed out that while AT&T Mobility’s fall-back data network does provide higher speeds than the CDMA-based network used by Verizon Wireless, greater coverage seemed to keep Verizon Wireless devices humming across LTE connectivity.
Perhaps more surprising were the strong results posted by T-Mobile USA, which currently relies on various speeds of the HSPA+ standard for its “4G” service. RootMetrics found that T-Mobile USA was the only other carrier in the test to surpass its upper threshold requirements, doing so in 13 markets tested. In addition, T-Mobile USA fell below the minimum threshold in only one market.
“T-Mobile’s HSPA+42 network might present an interesting choice for those looking for an alternative to AT&T or Verizon,” RootMetrics noted.
Not performing as well in the testing was Sprint Nextel, which is in the midst of transitioning its “4G” network from WiMAX to LTE.
“To be blunt, Sprint has not kept up with the other national carriers in our 2012 data tests,” RootMetrics found. “They are especially uncompetitive in markets where they do not have WiMAX available. Even in cities where WiMAX is offered, though, we aren’t seeing marked improvements when comparing this year’s speeds to what we found during testing last year.”
No need for elaboration there.
RootMetrics also included limited testing of MetroPCS and Leap Wireless. MetroPCS, which offers LTE service across its markets, posted performance results slightly below that of Sprint Nextel, with neither posting speeds in the tests upper threshold range.
Someone had to end up on the bottom of the list, and that was Leap, which is currently limited to CDMA2000 1x EV-DO across its networks, save for Tucson, Ariz., where it just recently launched LTE services on a limited basis. RootMetrics noted that Leap ranked in the low speed category in every market tested.
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