PCMag is out today with its annual mobile networks report. The report tests the four biggest networks in the United States to find out which one is actually the fastest carrier. This year’s results show a tight race for the first three spots, and a distant fourth place.
Over the past 10 years, the results of PCMag’s annual test has flip-flopped between Verizon and AT&T. This year, AT&T has come out on top, earning an overall score of 97, compared to Verizon at 94, T-Mobile at 91, and Sprint at 82. All four carriers improved in speed and reliability compared to last year.
Verizon, the previous longtime winner, continued to be strong in the Northeast, winning or tying 12 cities or regions. T-Mobile took seven awards, and Sprint got one win and a tie. Sprint had the best download speeds in nine cities, though; it just kept getting dinged on the other parts of our scoring algorithm.
To test network speeds, PCMag drove through 30 cities and 25 states, running over 60,000 speed tests to determine the fastest – and most reliable – network in the United States.
AT&T has made headlines for its questionable 5G E branding, but PCMag says it’s actually a step in the right direction:
PCMag also points out that the vast majority of people will still be using 4G for many years to come – which further underscores AT&T’s need to improve its 4G LTE network ahead of widespread 5G adoption. It notes, however, that only the iPhone XS and iPhone XS max support gigabit LTE – which means they’re the only devices able to take full advantage of AT&T’s upgraded LTE network.
The full PCMag report is absolutely worth a read and can be found here.
