RootMetrics Report: Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile In Three-Way Tie for Top-Performing Mobile Networks in St. Louis; T-Mobile Named Fastest

Bellevue, Wash. (PRWEB) June 24, 2014

In a new report released today, Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile were named joint top-performing carriers in St. Louis. Verizon and T-Mobile moved up the ranks to join AT&T for first place in overall performance, a title that AT&T had held outright in the city for two consecutive RootMetrics test periods. T-Mobile is now the fastest carrier in St. Louis, earning distinction for data performance and network speed for the first time. That’s according to independent mobile analytics firm RootMetrics®, which measures mobile performance of the four major 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 RootMetrics Overall Performance RootScore rankings for St. Louis:

1 – Verizon (97.3)
1 – AT&T (96.6)
1 – T-Mobile (96.5)
4 – Sprint (88.0)

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 usage. 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 St. Louis.

Verizon and AT&T tied for the top rank in network reliability, while T-Mobile ranked first in network speed.

Reliability Index rankings:
1 – Verizon (99.1)
1 – AT&T (99.1)
3 – T-Mobile (98.0)
4 – Sprint (94.2)

Speed Index rankings:

1 – T-Mobile (92.6)
2 – Verizon (90.8)
3 – AT&T (87.7)
4 – Sprint (65.7)

“Our recent visit to St. Louis highlights all four carriers’ increased focus on reliability,” said Bill Moore, RootMetrics CEO. “Verizon and AT&T tied in the category, but with scores over 94 for all four networks, reliability in St. Louis was outstanding. We also found fast data speeds, but speed doesn’t mean much if you can’t reliably connect to your network. Consumers in St. Louis have multiple options for choosing a carrier with both reliability and speed.”

Data Performance: T-Mobile Clocks Fastest Data Speeds in St. Louis

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. T-Mobile won the Data RootScore Award outright for the first time in St. Louis with a score of 97.2. T-Mobile’s blazing-fast median download speed of 22.4 Mbps and its likewise impressive median upload speed of 11.0 Mbps were significantly faster than those of the other networks. AT&T’s and Verizon’s Data RootScores of 96.7 and 94.9 were close behind, and each network delivered fast data speeds in the city. Meanwhile, Sprint’s data speeds were much slower than those of the other networks.

Median download and upload speeds by network
T-Mobile: 22.4 Mbps download/11.0 Mbps upload
Verizon: 13.8 Mbps download/7.6 Mbps upload
AT&T: 10.1 Mbps download/4.9 Mbps upload
Sprint: 3.0 Mbps download/0.9 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 St. Louis should be a pleasant experience on any of the four networks. Verizon and AT&T shared the Call RootScore Award, with close scores of 98.4 and 98.3. T-Mobile followed in third place with a score of 96.0, while Sprint placed fourth at 93.7.

Text me
T-Mobile and AT&T were in a neck-in-neck tie for the Text RootScore Award with scores of 96.2 and 96.1. With Text RootScores above 94.0 for all four networks, text performance in St. Louis should be a smooth experience for all four networks.

More than 53,000 tests in St. Louis
To evaluate the mobile experience in St. Louis, RootMetrics conducted 53,068 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 April 28 through May 7, 2014. The tests were conducted using the RootMetrics RootScout app running on Android-based, consumer smartphones purchased off-the-shelf from carrier stores. Tests were performed indoors (at 83 locations) and outdoors during drive tests (covering 2,205 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 St. Louis.

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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