Bellevue, WA (PRWEB) August 18, 2014 -- RootMetrics®, the standard for independent mobile performance information, released the results from its 2014 Midyear US National RootScore Report, the industry’s most comprehensive study of mobile network performance. The 2014 Midyear RootMetrics US National RootScore Report provides insights and comparisons of network performance for the entire United States, within each of the 50 states, as well as in the 125 largest metro areas in the country.
During the first half of 2014, RootMetrics drove more than 234,000 miles, visited 6,400 indoor locations, and conducted more than 5.6 million tests across all 50 states using the same phones consumers can buy from the carriers’ stores. The RootMetrics US National RootScore Report utilizes results from its comprehensive testing to provide a statistical characterization of mobile network performance from a consumer point of view at the national level and for each of the 50 states.
The 2014 Midyear RootMetrics US National RootScore Report shows that Verizon is the leading mobile network in nearly all aspects of testing, sweeping overall performance, network reliability, and network speed. Verizon was also the top-performing network in the data and call categories. AT&T also made a strong showing, winning the text category and closely following Verizon in all other categories. Meanwhile, Sprint and T-Mobile have made significant improvements since the previous RootMetrics US National RootScore study, conducted in the second half of 2013.
“Increasingly, a good mobile experience has become a fundamental part of our daily lives, but determining which network performs best seems to have become more difficult,” said Bill Moore, CEO of RootMetrics. “We conducted such a large-scale study on mobile network performance to provide depth and transparency around how the networks really perform. We firmly believe consumers deserve clear, unbiased, and accurate information in order to make the most informed decisions to improve their everyday mobile experience.”
National Report Findings
The Midyear US National RootScore Report shows that the four major networks can be divided into two tiers of performance: Verizon and AT&T finished as the top two networks in every category; and Sprint and T-Mobile followed. However, Sprint and T-Mobile have closed the gap since testing performed in the second half of 2013. T-Mobile’s improvements are especially clear when comparing its results from the recent national study to those of the RootMetrics 2013 study. In the previous report, T-Mobile finished last in five of the six categories. In the recent study, however, T-Mobile jumped ahead of Sprint and finished in third place in four of the six categories.
In addition to the overall performance category, the midyear US National RootScore Report shows which networks provided the most reliable and fastest experience, as well as each network’s performance across data, call, and text testing.
US National RootScore Overall Performance rankings:
1 – Verizon (81.6)
2 – AT&T (79.5)
3 – T-Mobile (71.5)
4 – Sprint (69.6)
RootMetrics offers two indices within RootScore Reports that give consumers a clear view of each network’s performance in the key areas of network reliability and speed. 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.
Verizon ranked highest in both network reliability and network speed.
Reliability Index rankings:
1 – Verizon (83.4)
2 – AT&T (82.1)
3 – Sprint (73.8)
4 – T-Mobile (73.0)
Speed Index rankings:
1 – Verizon (75.7)
2 – AT&T (71.1)
3 – T-Mobile (64.4)
4 – Sprint (54.2)
Data Performance rankings:
1 – Verizon (81.5)
2 – AT&T (78.1)
3 – T-Mobile (67.1)
4 – Sprint (63.7)
Call Performance rankings:
1 – Verizon (82.0)
2 – AT&T (80.5)
3 – T-Mobile (74.4)
4 – Sprint (73.6)
Text Performance rankings:
1 – AT&T (81.2)
2 – Verizon (80.4)
3 – Sprint (78.8)
4 – T-Mobile (78.4)
National, State, and Metro Performance Summarized
In addition to Verizon’s strong results at the national and state levels, it also shined in metro testing, easily outperforming all networks in overall performance, data performance, and network speed – taking the lead in metro award wins from AT&T, which led the metro awards pack in the second half of 2013. T-Mobile also showed improvement in the metro awards count, earning 169 outright and shared awards, compared to 60 during the last period. Likewise, Sprint more than doubled its metro award count from 13 in 2013 to 27 this period. Meantime, AT&T took the top overall texting title from Verizon, which carried the award in the last report. The RootMetrics Midyear US National RootScore Report offers a detailed and easy-to-understand summary of network performance for the entire United States, within each of the 50 states, as well as in the 125 largest metro areas in the country.
The company also offers consumers an online CoverageMap that combines professional and crowdsourced results and a free downloadable app that allows people to test performance down to the street level. Taken together, the RootMetrics suite of products lets consumers find the insights that are most relevant for their individual needs.
For details on the RootMetrics testing methodology, visit: http://www.rootmetrics.com/us/methodology.
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.
Ann Marie Ricard, RootMetrics, +1 (206) 683-0552, [email protected]
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