Verizon and T-Mobile Named Best Overall Carriers in Washington, D.C. for Second Consecutive Time
Bellevue, Wash. (PRWEB) June 09, 2014 -- Verizon and T-Mobile now share the honor of being named the top-performing mobile networks in Washington, D.C., for the second consecutive time. That’s according to independent mobile analytics firm RootMetrics®, which measures mobile performance of the four national carriers with tests designed to replicate real-world consumer behavior.
The Overall performance category includes results across data, call, and text testing; the top-performing network(s) is awarded the Overall RootScore Award. A good Overall RootScore means strong overall coverage and a good consumer experience.
The final Overall Performance RootScore rankings for Washington, D.C.:
1 – Verizon (97.4)
1 – T-Mobile (97.0)
3 – AT&T (96.4)
4 – Sprint (86.3)
Network Reliability and Speed
RootMetrics measures network reliability and speed to give consumers a clear and holistic view of each network’s performance in these key areas of mobile performance. The Reliability Index is based on a combination of results from data, call, and text tests, while the Speed Index includes data and text results. Looking at the network reliability and speed indices in conjunction with Overall RootScores offers the most comprehensive look at a typical mobile experience in Washington, D.C.
Verizon and AT&T ranked highest in network reliability, while T-Mobile won the top rank in network speed.
Reliability Index rankings:
1 – Verizon (99.3)
1 – AT&T (99.0)
3 – T-Mobile (98.6)
4 – Sprint (91.8)
Speed Index rankings:
1 – T-Mobile (91.3)
2 – Verizon (90.2)
3 – AT&T (86.8)
4 – Sprint (70.0)
"In Washington, D.C., the story we’re seeing unfold is the critical importance of reliability,” said Bill Moore, RootMetrics CEO. “Speed is obviously great, but it’s meaningless if you can’t connect to a network wherever you are. All four major networks are showing improved scores on our network reliability index, which is great news for consumers.”
Verizon and T-Mobile Deliver Fastest Data Speeds in Washington, D.C.
Data RootScores factor in each network’s reliability and speed when downloading and uploading data, performing email tasks, and handling files that represent elements of a webpage. Verizon won the Data RootScore Award in Washington, D.C., and recorded the fastest median download speed at 14.4 Mbps. T-Mobile’s median download speed of 13.2 Mbps trailed that of only Verizon, but its median upload speed of 17.8 Mbps was much faster than the upload speeds recorded by the other networks.
Median download and upload speeds by network
T-Mobile: 13.2 Mbps download/17.8 Mbps upload
Verizon: 14.4 Mbps download/5.8 Mbps upload
AT&T: 9.7 Mbps download/4.0 Mbps upload
Sprint: 4.6 Mbps download/1.7 Mbps upload
Data speeds affect how quickly consumers can perform various tasks online. For example, in an ideal situation, uploading medium-sized pictures (1 MB) to Facebook or other online albums typically takes 25 seconds to 45 seconds on average at speeds below 3.0 Mbps. At speeds above 6.0 Mbps, uploading a similar picture generally takes less than 1 second.
Making the call
Making calls in the nation’s capital should be a smooth experience on any of the four networks. Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile led the charge and shared the Call RootScore Award in a three-way tie, with scores of 99.1, 98.7, and 98.4, respectively. Sprint ranked fourth with a score of 86.9.
Text me
AT&T won the Text RootScore Award with a score of 97.2, but with Text RootScores above 94 for all four networks, text performance was strong across the board.
More than 50,000 tests in Washington, D.C.
To evaluate the mobile experience in Washington D.C., RootMetrics conducted 50,928 call, data, and text tests on the networks of AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon during all hours of the day and night from March 24 - 31, 2014. The tests were conducted using the RootMetrics RootScout app running on Android-based, off-the-shelf consumer smartphones purchased from carrier stores. Tests were conducted indoors (at 84 locations) and outdoors during drive tests (covering 2,005 miles). For details about the results, see the methodology section of the RootMetrics website. Mobile performance varies depending on where people live, work, or otherwise spend time. Because a variety of factors can influence performance, examples that list what data speeds mean while performing various mobile activities are a general look at data speeds for illustrative purposes and aren’t specific to Washington, D.C.
About RootMetrics®
RootMetrics® is an independent mobile analytics firm that offers insights into the consumer mobile experience. RootMetrics provides data on mobile network performance to help people make more informed mobile decisions. The company offers its RootScore® Report series for the nation, metropolitan markets, and airports, as well as its downloadable CoverageMap app. To ensure that RootMetrics testing reflects real-world mobile usage, testing is conducted based on where, when, and how consumers use their devices most often.
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Ann Marie Ricard, Rootmetrics, +1 (206) 683-0552, [email protected]
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