Verizon Wireless remains America's fastest mobile network by a nose in our closest Fastest Mobile Networks race ever. In our tests across the US, Verizon offered the most reliable and consistent high-speed network overall, but split individual wins for 36 cities and rural regions three ways with AT&T and T-Mobile—the first time we've seen that kind of an even divide.

It's clear that all three carriers are pushing hard to improve their networks. Depending on where you live, they're all great choices. While Verizon is the fastest mobile network overall, AT&T has the fastest average download speeds in the nation, and T-Mobile can cost less than Verizon while offering very close to the same performance.

For our eighth annual test, we spent most of May driving within and between 30 cities, with Samsung Galaxy S8 phones continually running speed tests based on a customized version of Ookla's Speedtest.net software. (Note: Ookla is owned by Ziff Davis, PCMag.com's parent company.) We collected more than 124,000 data points, and then balanced downloads, uploads, latency, and reliability to create our Speed Score.

AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon all offer strong performance this year, but they don't each offer strong performance everywhere. For example, AT&T is weak in New York City but strong in Indianapolis, while T-Mobile is the other way around. So it's important to check our individual city pages if you're making a carrier choice.

Sprint seems to have hit a roadblock after vaulting hugely forward between 2015 and 2016. While we saw the same spectacular peak speeds on Sprint that we got on the other carriers, they were far less consistent; Sprint's speeds would shoot up and then plummet within cities more often than other carriers, creating lower averages.

Editors' Note (7/12/2017): This story is based on a snapshot of network performance from our testing period: May 1-23. Networks and devices can, will, and should change over time. For example, Sprint is now pushing a firmware update which improves download speeds on its Galaxy S8 phones by up to 20 percent, and AT&T this week announced an upgrade to its network in Indianapolis and Austin.

All Carriers Are the Big Four

We test the four big, nationwide carriers, but these results also apply to most of the other brands available in the US.

That's because most other big names—except for U.S. Cellular, which runs its own, predominantly rural network—just borrow and rename one of these networks. For instance, Cricket is AT&T; MetroPCS is T-Mobile; Virgin and Boost are Sprint; and Google Fi is a mix of Sprint, T-Mobile, and U.S. Cellular. TracFone can be any one of the four major networks depending on what kind of SIM card you have.

If you aren't using one of the big brands, you may not get top speeds. For instance, Verizon throttles other brands' customers to 5Mbps. But our study's data on reliability and latency will still apply. For more on which low-cost brands use which networks, see our story, The Best Cheap Cell Phone Plans You've Never Heard Of.

Eight Years of Faster Networks

When we started Fastest Mobile Networks, the speeds we're seeing today were absolutely unheard of.

Fastest Mobile Networks 2010 was our first report, and at the time, Verizon was running a slow 3G data network. Sprint was on WiMAX, a now obsolete technology that claimed to be 4G, but ended up as a dead end. No carrier averaged over 5Mbps.

Verizon introduced LTE by 2011. AT&T followed a year later, and then T-Mobile and Sprint did the same. But speed increases weren't steady. AT&T's network plummeted under heavy load in 2013, with Verizon's network suffering the year after.

The leaps and bounds we've seen over the past few years show no sign of stopping. Looking at the maximum download speeds, it looks like there's a 2x jump every two years or so—from 50-60Mbps in 2014, to 120Mbps in 2016, and now to 200Mbps.

LTE has more to give. A well-designed gigabit LTE network, like Telstra's in Australia, can deliver 400-450Mbps on a regular basis. In 2018 and 2019, we're hoping to see those speeds from carriers here in the US.

By 2020 and 2021, we're going to have 5G phones. Demos I've seen at Qualcomm have shown the potential for speeds of 4 gigabits and up to each device. That will potentially enable real-time group VR and other science fiction-like experiences. We'll keep testing, just to make sure.

Gigabit LTE Isn't Just the Future

AT&T is evolving. So are T-Mobile and Verizon. All three carriers have introduced "gigabit LTE," a mix of three new technologies that can really accelerate your wireless speeds. No, gigabit LTE won't give you actual gigabit speeds, but our tests show it can double your download speeds from previous network generations.

AT&T has branded its gigabit LTE network as "5G Evolution" (it isn't 5G), and said it's coming to at least 20 cities this year. Its first two cities are Austin and Indianapolis, and true to its word, AT&T won both of those cities. It would have done even better in Indianapolis if we were only measuring speeds within AT&T's network, rather than going out to an external speed-test server. After several years of flat or declining speeds, AT&T rocketed ahead this year with its new initiative.

T-Mobile has also leapt forward with both speed and coverage. The carrier is clearly installing gigabit LTE technology, and has broader rural and suburban coverage than we saw in previous years. Any lingering ideas about T-Mobile as a discount, cities-only carrier should be dispelled.

Given how loud AT&T and T-Mobile have been about their gigabit evolutions, Verizon was the quiet surprise this year. The company has confirmed it's installing all three of the gigabit technologies—it's just not being so loud about it.

If you don't see these speeds, you might not have a gigabit LTE phone. We used the Samsung Galaxy S8, the nation's first gigabit LTE device. In Why You Need a Faster Phone, we show the huge advantage the S8 has over its competitors, especially the notoriously slow Apple iPhones. The HTC U11 and Moto Z2 Force also have gigabit LTE, and we expect to see it in more flagship phones throughout the year.

While the Galaxy S8 has gigabit speeds on three networks, during our testing there was no gigabit phone available compatible with Sprint. That might help explain Sprint's weaker performance. But it also shows a habitual problem Sprint has: Because the carrier has a unique radio network, device manufacturers have to go out of their way to optimize their phones for it. The HTC U11 is Sprint's first gigabit phone.

Looking Forward to 5G

This is our eighth year running Fastest Mobile Networks and our first looking only at LTE networks. Pretty soon, though, we'll be looking at 5G.

4G LTE speeds will continue to advance over the next year. T-Mobile will fill in its rural coverage gaps with its new deployment of 600MHz spectrum starting this fall. Sprint is working on its urban coverage gaps with its new Magic Box micro-cell units; if you have an issue with Sprint coverage, get one.

The next great leap forward will be 5G. We don't mean AT&T's "5G Evolution" (which is 4G), or the pre-5G home internet systems AT&T and Verizon are setting up this year.

Real 5G will arrive at the end of 2018. It'll require new phones, but it won't just be for phones. With very low latencies, it'll be a major technology in self-driving cars. Coming at a very low cost, it'll enable a wide variety of cheap, connected sensors; T-Mobile's COO told me it'll let you "Lo-Jack everything."

On your phone, 5G will push augmented and virtual reality experiences. It'll probably also blur the difference between home and wireless internet, letting you have one subscription or service plan for both. For people who don't use the most data-hungry services, it will hopefully bring down costs.

Looking at the growth of LTE through Fastest Mobile Networks, though, it's going to be a long time before 5G is dominant. We tested our first 4G LTE networks in 2011, but only now, six years later, are we finally casting off 3G testing. 4G will probably be the backbone of mobile data service for the next five years or so, as 5G networks spread and develop new features. For more, see What Is 5G?

Regional and National Winners

Regional and National Winners

Nationwide: Verizon Wireless

It's Verizon...by a nose. The three leading carriers evenly split our 36 cities and rural areas this year, but when we averaged it all out nationwide, Verizon came out ahead. Verizon understands that it isn't quite enough just to install fast LTE technologies. You have to have the nation's most reliable 4G network as well, and that's where it came out ahead.

That said, this was the tightest contest ever. T-Mobile has largely closed its coverage gap with Verizon within metro areas, making it an excellent lower-cost choice. And AT&T sprinted ahead this year, especially in the Southeast and Midwest. Sprint seems to have hit a speed bump, mostly in terms of consistency, but it's also much more competitive than it was two years ago.

AT&T Sprint T-Mobile Verizon Maximum Download Speed (Mbps) 202.0 195.0 199.9 215.7 Average Download Speed (Mbps) 32.6 20.5 29.3 31.1 Downloads Above 5Mbps (%) 87% 66% 83% 88% Maximum Upload Speed (Mbps) 64.7 25.0 55.9 50.0 Average Upload Speed (Mbps) 12.4 6.5 18.3 15.8 Uploads Over 2Mbps (%) 90% 72% 88% 90% Average Ping (ms) 45.42 50.74 38.91 41.21 Reliability (%) 97% 94% 96% 99% Speed Score (out of 100) 93 74 96 97

Northeast: T-Mobile

T-Mobile, Verizon, and AT&T all won cities in the Northeast, and as you can see in the chart below, the decision between T-Mobile and Verizon was as close regionally as it was nationwide. Verizon showed some spectacular peak speeds, but lower latency and greater reliability (!) pulled it out for T-Mobile.

AT&T Sprint T-Mobile Verizon Maximum Download Speed (Mbps) 170.5 115.9 121.1 181.7 Average Download Speed (Mbps) 35.0 17.2 28.3 38.0 Downloads Above 5Mbps (%) 89% 68% 87% 88% Maximum Upload Speed (Mbps) 64.7 18.7 47.5 42.3 Average Upload Speed (Mbps) 10.9 6.2 18.1 14.8 Uploads Over 2Mbps (%) 92% 69% 95% 90% Average Ping (ms) 34.82 41.29 30.18 38.49 Reliability (%) 98% 95% 99% 98% Speed Score (out of 100) 91 69 94 93

Southeast: T-Mobile and Verizon (Tie)

There's always one result every year that's a little weird, math-wise. In this region, AT&T takes the Carolinas, T-Mobile has Atlanta, and Florida belongs to Verizon. The way weighted averages work, T-Mobile's lower latency outweighs Verizon's other advantages in our Speed Score equation. That makes this region a tie.

AT&T Sprint T-Mobile Verizon Maximum Download Speed (Mbps) 149.2 165.8 147.9 155.1 Average Download Speed (Mbps) 28.7 19.7 29.8 32.6 Downloads Above 5Mbps (%) 87% 67% 87% 93% Maximum Upload Speed (Mbps) 60.3 25.0 55.9 49.7 Average Upload Speed (Mbps) 12.1 5.8 19.0 20.1 Uploads Over 2Mbps (%) 92% 64% 91% 97% Average Ping (ms) 39.66 47.94 31.42 41.42 Reliability (%) 99% 94% 97% 100% Speed Score (out of 100) 87 68 95 95

North Central: Verizon

Verizon and AT&T split the wins in Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, and Missouri, with Verizon taking the regional crown thanks to a balance of uploads, downloads, and low latency. Give AT&T a few months, though, and its steadily improving Indianapolis network could change things. T-Mobile shows great promise in Chicago and St. Louis, but still has issues in Indiana and Ohio.

AT&T Sprint T-Mobile Verizon Maximum Download Speed (Mbps) 155.0 154.8 188.3 162.5 Average Download Speed (Mbps) 37.5 26.3 29.2 32.1 Downloads Above 5Mbps (%) 95% 77% 85% 92% Maximum Upload Speed (Mbps) 57.8 24.7 52.2 49.8 Average Upload Speed (Mbps) 14.1 8.6 19.1 20.6 Uploads Over 2Mbps (%) 93% 84% 89% 96% Average Ping (ms) 43.87 54.64 42.84 36.27 Reliability (%) 98% 96% 94% 98% Speed Score (out of 100) 93 76 88 97

South Central: AT&T

AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon all notched wins in Oklahoma, Texas and Louisiana, and even Sprint marked excellent speeds in Texas. AT&T won this region by a hair thanks to a reliable network with low latency, which the company has said is a priority.

AT&T Sprint T-Mobile Verizon Maximum Download Speed (Mbps) 199.0 195.0 149.8 158.7 Average Download Speed (Mbps) 32.9 23.8 30.7 26.3 Downloads Above 5Mbps (%) 87% 66% 85% 88% Maximum Upload Speed (Mbps) 53.0 20.6 53.1 39.1 Average Upload Speed (Mbps) 15.1 5.5 18.0 12.3 Uploads Over 2Mbps (%) 95% 66% 87% 91% Average Ping (ms) 36.68 53.85 42.12 50.81 Reliability (%) 99% 95% 97% 100% Speed Score (out of 100) 98 72 94 87

Northwest: T-Mobile

T-Mobile won four out of our five Northwestern cities, and its coverage has improved quite a lot in Washington, Oregon, and Utah over the past few years. The carrier's one loss is in the San Francisco Bay Area, where AT&T has clearly put a lot of effort in and come out on top.

AT&T Sprint T-Mobile Verizon Maximum Download Speed (Mbps) 201.9 138.2 199.9 215.7 Average Download Speed (Mbps) 30.2 23.7 34.1 28.6 Downloads Above 5Mbps (%) 85% 69% 83% 82% Maximum Upload Speed (Mbps) 61.4 24.9 54.5 50.0 Average Upload Speed (Mbps) 11.4 7.7 19.0 13.7 Uploads Over 2Mbps (%) 87% 82% 88% 83% Average Ping (ms) 66.93 51.00 46.53 38.71 Reliability (%) 95% 91% 95% 98% Speed Score (out of 100) 84 77 95 93

Southwest: Verizon

Verizon's coverage advantage played out in the Southwest, where it achieved a better reliability score than its competitors. AT&T and T-Mobile also did well, but the Southwest was Sprint's weakest region.

AT&T Sprint T-Mobile Verizon Maximum Download Speed (Mbps) 169.8 150.1 139.8 121.3 Average Download Speed (Mbps) 31.4 12.2 23.5 29.3 Downloads Above 5Mbps (%) 80% 50% 71% 82% Maximum Upload Speed (Mbps) 55.8 19.0 54.8 46.3 Average Upload Speed (Mbps) 10.5 5.4 16.4 13.2 Uploads Over 2Mbps (%) 84% 66% 81% 84% Average Ping (ms) 50.56 55.73 40.37 41.58 Reliability (%) 93% 92% 94% 98% Speed Score (out of 100) 91 65 91 96

Carrier and Network Profiles

Carrier and Network Profiles

AT&T is this year's big surprise. The company has been doing fine, but not great since 2013. This year, though, it leapt forward with a massive increase in speed based on its poorly marketed 5G Evolution plan. 5G Evolution is really just gigabit LTE, the same cocktail of 4G technologies that the other carriers are installing.

AT&T is doing a good job of it, and it's only getting started. We saw in Indianapolis, for instance, that AT&T has industry-leading speeds out to the internet, while speeds to a server within AT&T's network were absolutely blistering. As the carrier further builds out connectivity, we expect to see speeds get even higher.

AT&T also may be benefitting from a dramatic loss in customers over the past few years. Millions of AT&T smartphone subscribers have been decamping to other carriers, replaced on AT&T's network by smart cars and Internet of Things devices that use less data. That's made its network less congested, and has probably helped contribute to its excellent results this year.

Sprint made a great leap forward between 2015 and 2016, becoming competitive for the first time in years. It couldn't keep up the momentum this year—its average speeds stayed pretty much the same as in 2016, while other carriers advanced. That doesn't match up with Sprint's rhetoric, but I have some ideas why we're seeing this result.

Sprint made the conscious decision to privilege downloads over uploads on its network, saying that because people mostly download, network speeds should reflect that. That argument would hold up better if Sprint showed spectacular download speeds, but its peak speeds only match, not exceed, the competition.

Sprint also struggled with severe variability within cities. The carrier relies on 2.5GHz signal for its best speeds, and that spectrum doesn't travel well. The Galaxy S8's High Performance User Equipment feature is supposed to extend 2.5GHz coverage, but we didn't see that happening enough in our nationwide tests to fill in Sprint's gaps.

A few moves later this year should help Sprint's performance. The HTC U11 and Moto Z2 Force phones have 4x4 MIMO antennas for Sprint's 2.5GHz spectrum, which will improve both coverage and speeds. And Sprint's innovative "Magic Box" micro-cells could really improve the evenness of its network if they're deployed broadly in major cities.

T-Mobile is the nation's number two wireless network, no question about it. The carrier has improved by leaps and bounds in the past few years—first on speed, now on coverage.

T-Mobile's download and upload speeds have been on a steady upward climb, aided by Gigabit LTE technologies we saw in the Galaxy S8. The carrier's major improvement this year is in coverage. Just a few years ago, we had to disqualify T-Mobile in some rural areas because of an utter lack of 4G. Now, having built out its "extended range" 700MHz network, T-Mobile can actually duke it out on coverage with Verizon and AT&T in states like North Carolina, Georgia, and Utah.

T-Mobile's coverage is only going to get better, especially in the west. The company just bought a huge amount of 600MHz spectrum nationwide, which is very good for covering rural areas. Much of it is currently occupied by TV stations, which have to vacate it within the next three years, but T-Mobile has said it'll start building out in available areas this year. Of course, you'll need a new phone to get that even better coverage—Galaxy S9, anyone?

Verizon doesn't put out as many press releases and social blasts as T-Mobile does, but it's matching T-Mobile upgrade for upgrade. The carrier has confirmed, often quietly, that it's installing all three of the Gigabit LTE technologies across its network, and our tests bear that out. We're seeing better results on the (gigabit) Galaxy S8 than the (non-gigabit) S7, and we think the gap between those two devices will grow.

Verizon has been building that speed on top of the nation's most reliable network, with the broadest existing LTE coverage. This doesn't make a huge difference in highly populated cities any longer, especially where T-Mobile has installed building-penetrating 700MHz LTE. But out in Wyoming, it's clear that Verizon still has a rural advantage.

The next stop for Verizon is 5G. The carrier is taking a detour into home internet by launching a pre-spec home 5G system later this year. That will give Verizon the option to sell home-and-mobile internet bundles that may make its network an even easier choice for subscribers.

What About Other Brands?

We only tested the four major nationwide networks. There are smaller carriers out there we didn't test, as well as many "virtual" operators, or MVNOs, that rent and resell capacity from the big four networks.

U.S. Cellular the fifth-place provider in the US, with five million customers. We don't evaluate it because its primarily rural coverage isn't compatible with our metro-centered testing.

Small regional providers also may offer great rates, such as C Spire in the Southeast; Cellcom in Wisconsin; Appalachian and Bluegrass in Kentucky; and Union and Viaero in Wyoming and Colorado. These are tiny, local companies that run their own networks and usually roam on one of the nationwide providers outside their coverage area.

For a rundown of virtual providers, check out The Best Cheap Cell Phone Plans You've Never Heard Of. These virtual networks can offer great value, but their data speeds are often limited by the contracts they've made with their host networks.

Testing Methodology

Testing Methodology

For year eight of Fastest Mobile Networks, we used custom field-test software designed by Ookla, the creator of Speedtest.net. (Note: Ookla is owned by Ziff Davis, PCMag.com's parent company.) The software was loaded onto sets of four Samsung Galaxy S8 phones, chosen because it's currently the only device able to access new "gigabit LTE" networks at full speed. Three sets of phones were driven around the country in rental cars: one down the east coast, one down the center of the country, and one down the west coast.

The software runs tests every 90 seconds. We measured uploads and downloads to a neutral, non-carrier server, as well as pings to the nearest server in Ookla's network. Over the course of driving, we tested downloads from 160 different servers and pings to 407 different servers.

We stopped at between 12 and 15 locations, for at least 15 minutes each, in our 30 cities. We averaged the data in each location, then averaged the locations together for an overall city result. The aggregated data from traveling between the test locations counted into the overall averages as two more locations. As we are testing LTE networks, we did not average in speeds on non-LTE networks. If a phone dropped off an LTE network, it was treated as if the test failed.

Along with our 30 cities, we report suburban/rural areas, which are summaries of the drives between the metro areas. Our six regional scores are averages of the five cities in each region, plus the suburban/rural score. Our national score is an average of the 30 cities and six suburban/rural regions.

We tested mostly during business hours, from May 1 through May 22, 2017. We visited different cities on different days. We ended up with about 124,000 data points, which we processed through a MySQL database and summarized on an Excel 2016 spreadsheet.

The PCMag Speed Score

The PCMag Speed Score is a weighted average that looks at six components of the mobile data experience.

We're using the same speed score methodology as we did last year, for consistency. It takes into account downloads, uploads, latency, reliability, and consistency.

Since most mobile internet usage is web page downloads or small-screen video streaming, it's just as important to have a consistent experience as a fast one. Smartphone users may not be able to see the difference between 20Mbps and 100Mbps, but they can definitely feel the difference between 2Mbps and 5Mbps. So we created a "threshold score" showing the percentage of downloads over 5Mbps, and the percentage of uploads over 2Mbps.

To create our reliability score, we counted the number of tests and divided by the number of non-zero LTE uploads and downloads. Stalled tests, or areas without LTE coverage, received reduced scores.

Here's how it all comes together:

• Average download speed (20 percent)

• Downloads over 5Mbps threshold (20 percent)

• Average upload speed (10 percent)

• Uploads over 2Mbps threshold (10 percent)

• Ping time (20 percent)

• Reliability (20 percent)

Crowdsourcing vs. Drive Testing

There are a lot of "fastest" awards out there. They're all correct, according to their own testing and methodology, and they all have something interesting to say.

In testing, the main division is between crowdsourcing and drive testing. Crowdsourcing, which is done by Mosaik/Sensorly, Nielsen, Ookla Speedtest, and OpenSignal, relies on users to run speed tests on their own devices. With a big enough crowd, you can get a good picture of a network.

Crowdsourcing is always happening, so it's up to the minute. And it uses a great range of devices, so you can tell the difference between them. We use Ookla's crowdsourced data in our analysis showing how the Galaxy S8 is faster than earlier phones, for instance.

But crowdsourced apps often can't tell whether a test is indoors or outdoors, which make for very different results. They may not do a good job of finding dead zones, if their users don't run tests in places which obviously have no signal. They may have bigger crowds with some carriers, or in some cities. And they leave open the possibility that people using one carrier might be using better phones, in better weather, on a less congested day than people on another carrier.

Drive testing is what we do, along with Root Metrics and P3. Drive testing lets us compare carriers using the same device, in the same place, at the same time. This way we can eliminate variables and map out coverage on our route. It lets us make sure we have as much data as we want in each city, so we feel confident in our results.



Last year our cars were PCMag branded, but this year we went with more generic vehicles.

But drive testing takes enough work that it isn't happening continuously in every city. It won't show you the performance of phones you don't drive with. And it can only cover the routes you drive along.

Methodology-wise, we balance six different elements for our speed score. Other studies may focus on downloads, or use a different measurement of latency, or (in Nielsen's case) use a totally idiosyncratic attempt to measure the speeds coming into various mobile apps. We think our balance makes the most sense, but we also respect the different decisions others have made.

Why You Need a Faster Phone

Why You Need a Faster Phone

If you're annoyed by your cell phone data speeds, your phone may be the problem.

Driving around the country for Fastest Mobile Networks, we used the fastest phone in America, the Samsung Galaxy S8. It's the first phone with Qualcomm's X16 modem, which brings together three key technologies—three-carrier aggregation, 256 QAM encoding, and 4x4 MIMO antennas—to offer what carriers call "gigabit LTE." (It isn't truly gigabit, but that's the brand.)

Using Ookla's Speedtest Intelligence tools, we dug into a huge crowdsourced data set to see how much a faster phone matters. (Note: Ookla is owned by Ziff Davis, PCMag.com's parent company.) We looked at data from May 1 to May 15, surveying more than 383,000 LTE tests from 122,000 different devices on the four major US carriers. It turns out that phone model matters a lot: The Galaxy S8 has double the download speeds of the Apple iPhone 6 on AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile. Remember, this is data from the same set of days—the major variable is the phone the testers are using.

The cutting-edge Galaxy S8 will soon be joined by the HTC U11, Moto Z2 Force, and other rumored phones later this year, such as the OnePlus 5, the LG V30, and the Google Pixel 2. It won't be alone in the gigabit sweepstakes for long.

Meanwhile, it's clear that if you want the fastest LTE connections, you shouldn't buy an iPhone. Apple typically trails by a year or two when it comes to LTE technology, and you can see in our chart that the iPhone 7 is noticeably slower than the Samsung Galaxy S7 on every network, even though the Galaxy S7 came out earlier in the year.

We expect that the same thing will happen with this year's iPhones, because of Apple's ongoing war with Qualcomm. Apple is now splitting its modem purchases between Qualcomm and Intel. Qualcomm has a gigabit LTE modem this year; Intel does not. So to make sure that iPhones have consistent speeds, the Qualcomm iPhones will probably be kneecapped down to the speed of the Intel devices. The difference isn't as sharp on upload speeds, but it's still noticeable.

So if you want the best network speeds, you have to get the fastest phone. For now, that's one with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 platform and X16 modem, such as the Galaxy S8. It makes a real difference.

Atlanta

Atlanta: T-Mobile

This year's test in Atlanta turned out to be a very close battle between Verizon, which won last year, and T-Mobile. T-Mobile pulled it out, primarily thanks to faster average download speeds, although we'd like to note that Verizon was more consistent and reliable.

We're talking about two very good networks here, and if we'd weighted our score differently, the win could have gone to Verizon. All four networks acquitted themselves well, actually, with peak speeds approaching 150Mbps and few really slow spots. Sprint's lower score is partly due to the fact that at one test spot, in a parking lot right on the Emory campus, our Sprint phone dropped to 3G for the duration. That just shouldn't happen in a major city in 2017.

T-Mobile showed one spectacular test result, right on the Little Five Points bar strip. We saw an average of 124Mbps down (!) there and 21Mbps up. It's safe to say that if you're chronicling your late-night drunken escapades in Little Five Points, T-Mobile will have you covered.

AT&T Sprint T-Mobile Verizon Maximum Download Speed (Mbps) 139.6 165.8 147.9 124.4 Average Download Speed (Mbps) 20.1 34.2 52.3 49.0 Downloads Above 5Mbps (%) 80% 67% 93% 94% Maximum Upload Speed (Mbps) 27.2 15.8 44.0 46.2 Average Upload Speed (Mbps) 8.5 6.8 24.6 27.6 Uploads Over 2Mbps (%) 82% 73% 86% 99% Average Ping (ms) 30.17 34.00 30.44 40.33 Reliability (%) 100% 93% 91% 100% Speed Score (out of 100) 76 74 95 94

Austin: AT&T

Austin: AT&T

Along with Indianapolis, Austin is one of AT&T's first 5G Evolution, or gigabit LTE cities. And make no mistake: AT&T absolutely smokes it in Austin.

Along with our own tests to external servers, we did some tests within AT&T's network. The results were even faster, with a maximum download speed of 221Mbps and an average of 44Mbps, but we didn't see the kind of dramatic difference we did in Indianapolis. That may mean the Austin network is slightly more mature.

Where AT&T wins, in this case, Verizon loses. But Verizon's loss isn't as dramatic as the average speed numbers make it out to be. Take a look at the consistency number, measured as the percentage of downloads over 5Mbps: Verizon has the most consistent network across the city. While AT&T users will have the fastest connections by far, Verizon customers will still be able to plug along at decent, reliable speeds.

AT&T Sprint T-Mobile Verizon Maximum Download Speed (Mbps) 199.0 109.0 126.9 63.3 Average Download Speed (Mbps) 42.7 25.2 28.7 20.9 Downloads Above 5Mbps (%) 86% 82% 82% 95% Maximum Upload Speed (Mbps) 42.2 17.1 25.1 16.9 Average Upload Speed (Mbps) 19.7 6.4 12.3 8.5 Uploads Over 2Mbps (%) 100% 75% 87% 93% Average Ping (ms) 38.68 62.79 38.94 69.64 Reliability (%) 100% 100% 99% 100% Speed Score (out of 100) 98 72 85 75

Baltimore: Verizon

Baltimore: Verizon

Verizon showed the best overall speeds in Baltimore, a town full of surprises. Wireless carriers once used Baltimore as a test site, because it has a variety of terrain: hills, flat land, water, tall buildings, and low-slung residential areas. It can be a tough city to cover. Verizon managed speeds topping 100Mbps both at Patterson Park and by Lexington Market, while AT&T's network was stronger and faster near the Johns Hopkins campus. Verizon took the crown as a whole by offering much better balanced upload speeds as well as fast downloads.

Sprint really struggled in Baltimore at multiple locations, with average download speeds under 10Mbps at three of our test sites. T-Mobile did well, but not as well as in some other Northeastern cities, mostly because it hit a slow spot in our Druid Hill Park test but also because it never achieved the spectacular peak speeds we were seeing from Verizon and AT&T.

AT&T Sprint T-Mobile Verizon Maximum Download Speed (Mbps) 170.5 99.6 71.0 128.1 Average Download Speed (Mbps) 43.7 19.9 23.3 47.9 Downloads Above 5Mbps (%) 90% 72% 88% 93% Maximum Upload Speed (Mbps) 26.3 17.4 37.9 42.3 Average Upload Speed (Mbps) 8.9 6.0 15.4 16.5 Uploads Over 2Mbps (%) 97% 69% 97% 93% Average Ping (ms) 35.44 39.03 30.79 39.89 Reliability (%) 100% 92% 100% 95% Speed Score (out of 100) 90 69 88 94

Boston: AT&T

Boston: AT&T

Last year's race in Boston was tight. This year, AT&T pulls ahead with the fastest and most consistent downloads in the city by a sizeable margin. It's also worth noting that in our Suburban/Rural Northeast area, which includes our drives through Connecticut and Rhode Island, AT&T also triumphed.

Sprint and Verizon both suffered a bit with consistency at our Boston test sites. Verizon had issues at the Back Bay train station and by the airport. Those are busy areas, which tells us that it's probably network congestion.

Boston may be a metro area where AT&T's recent loss in customers has been to its advantage. AT&T has dropped millions of subscribers in favor of T-Mobile and Verizon over the past few years. A less congested network is a more reliable network, and a shift of customers from AT&T to Verizon in the Boston area seems to have changed network conditions to AT&T's advantage.

AT&T Sprint T-Mobile Verizon Maximum Download Speed (Mbps) 143.6 74.3 94.6 171.4 Average Download Speed (Mbps) 51.7 13.0 27.2 32.5 Downloads Above 5Mbps (%) 99% 60% 84% 79% Maximum Upload Speed (Mbps) 64.7 18.7 47.5 37.8 Average Upload Speed (Mbps) 18.0 5.5 20.3 14.5 Uploads Over 2Mbps (%) 99% 64% 90% 81% Average Ping (ms) 30.69 43.40 29.51 36.51 Reliability (%) 100% 99% 99% 100% Speed Score (out of 100) 98 60 87 80

Charlotte: AT&T

Charlotte: AT&T

AT&T has done well in the Carolinas for several years, and it maintains its lead in Charlotte. While we saw some variability citywide, AT&T managed to maintain very respectable download speeds of 50-60Mbps through several of our tests, outpacing its competitors, although Verizon had slightly higher peak speeds.

This wasn't a good city for T-Mobile or Sprint. T-Mobile's network was reliable and usable, but it couldn't keep speeds high enough to compete against AT&T or Verizon. Sprint's network guttered out at several locations, and doesn't come off as a reliable choice across Charlotte.

AT&T Sprint T-Mobile Verizon Maximum Download Speed (Mbps) 133.9 56.4 73.3 155.1 Average Download Speed (Mbps) 27.9 7.3 19.2 22.1 Downloads Above 5Mbps (%) 87% 35% 78% 94% Maximum Upload Speed (Mbps) 41.3 17.6 28.1 23.4 Average Upload Speed (Mbps) 11.0 2.3 9.6 11.4 Uploads Over 2Mbps (%) 92% 35% 94% 95% Average Ping (ms) 37.82 54.02 28.27 38.47 Reliability (%) 100% 93% 100% 100% Speed Score (out of 100) 93 47 89 90

Chicago: AT&T

Chicago: AT&T

AT&T won Chicago by having the most consistent high-speed network citywide. While Verizon offered higher average upload and download speeds, AT&T edged it out in terms of the percentage of tests with downloads over 5Mbps. Reliability is as important an aspect of perceived speed as the maximum speed you get in a city, and so AT&T's slightly more reliable network tipped the balance. While Chicago is one of AT&T's upcoming 5G Evolution (gigabit LTE) cities, we didn't see the huge difference from its competitors we saw in Austin and Indianapolis, so the upgrades must not be in place yet.

All of the carriers performed well in Chicago. Even Sprint, the slowest of the four, showed a more consistent experience than it did in other major cities, making it an acceptable choice. While AT&T was consistent citywide, Verizon and T-Mobile both had hot spots where they showed spectacular speeds. In Verizon's case, it was right behind the Merchandise Mart, where we saw 127Mbps average speeds. Motorola is based in the Merchandise Mart, so maybe some of its employees should yoke their new Z2 Force phones to Verizon. For T-Mobile, stellar speeds erupted at Union Station.

AT&T Sprint T-Mobile Verizon Maximum Download Speed (Mbps) 148.9 132.4 188.3 162.5 Average Download Speed (Mbps) 44.0 24.4 41.2 47.3 Downloads Above 5Mbps (%) 96% 90% 93% 90% Maximum Upload Speed (Mbps) 45.1 23.4 42.3 49.8 Average Upload Speed (Mbps) 20.6 11.2 24.9 28.5 Uploads Over 2Mbps (%) 100% 95% 89% 100% Average Ping (ms) 27.89 30.96 33.37 37.24 Reliability (%) 100% 98% 93% 100% Speed Score (out of 100) 96 80 90 94

Dallas: T-Mobile

Dallas: T-Mobile

Dallas has always been a strong spot for T-Mobile. The city was the home of MetroPCS, which T-Mobile bought a few years ago, and as a result T-Mobile has a deep bench of spectrum and strong coverage throughout the Dallas Metroplex.

Verizon really gave T-Mobile a run for its money, though, as we've seen in many other cities. The constant back-and-forth dueling is what put them so close in our national results. T-Mobile primarily won in Dallas because of better upload speeds, which are important now that many people are uploading videos to social media. T-Mobile's reliability is also now within one percent of Verizon's and AT&T's in the Dallas area.

As we saw elsewhere, Sprint achieved very good peak speeds, but was hit by consistency issues. Sprint lacks low-band spectrum, which fills the gaps between high-frequency hot spots. In Dallas, Sprint stalled out at South Beacon Street and Lindsley Avenue, and our phone dropped off the LTE network entirely on one of our downtown tests. Sprint needs to fill in these gaps.

AT&T Sprint T-Mobile Verizon Maximum Download Speed (Mbps) 141.9 120.9 142.4 158.7 Average Download Speed (Mbps) 28.3 17.4 39.3 39.3 Downloads Above 5Mbps (%) 90% 63% 94% 92% Maximum Upload Speed (Mbps) 30.4 17.6 53.1 39.1 Average Upload Speed (Mbps) 14.2 4.1 22.4 18.3 Uploads Over 2Mbps (%) 91% 56% 91% 86% Average Ping (ms) 29.58 38.55 24.21 39.07 Reliability (%) 100% 89% 99% 100% Speed Score (out of 100) 86 61 100 89

Denver: T-Mobile

Denver: T-Mobile

With the fastest download and especially upload speeds, T-Mobile is the clear choice in Denver. The biggest difference we saw between the winner and the competition in Denver was on uploads. That'll make a big difference if you have your GoPro live streaming through your phone on the ski run, if you're trying to broadcast tasty videos of your pot edibles, or if you're doing any other task that involves content creation and cheap Denver stereotypes.

Digging a little deeper, Sprint fell back this year because of consistency issues. While all of the carriers hit soft spots, a third of our test locations were tough for Sprint, which dragged down both its overall averages and its consistency score. We didn't see spectacular speeds in Denver all around.

T-Mobile's network stayed solid from Denver up through Fort Collins; its coverage has improved a lot in the past year or two. If you regularly go to Wyoming, though, you need Verizon. All of the other carriers dropped to 3G or worse on our trip through Wyoming. We also hit a deer.

AT&T Sprint T-Mobile Verizon Maximum Download Speed (Mbps) 103.7 83.3 113.8 54.2 Average Download Speed (Mbps) 20.3 12.3 26.7 14.4 Downloads Above 5Mbps (%) 91% 54% 89% 71% Maximum Upload Speed (Mbps) 18.7 16.1 29.0 14.6 Average Upload Speed (Mbps) 9.3 6.4 15.9 4.0 Uploads Over 2Mbps (%) 89% 77% 89% 77% Average Ping (ms) 70.36 68.58 22.92 32.52 Reliability (%) 100% 93% 99% 100% Speed Score (out of 100) 78 59 99 71

Detroit: Verizon

Detroit: Verizon

Detroit was almost a three-way tie between AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon. But Verizon just nabs it according to our testing methodology. Verizon had by far the highest peak LTE download speeds and the best average upload speeds, although AT&T beat it on average download speeds.

Verizon's gigantic 150Mbps peak was a bit of a fluke in a city that, all around, was not one of our fastest. But the carrier didn't hit any noticeable slow spots, while speeds on T-Mobile and Sprint varied sharply from test site to test site.

AT&T Sprint T-Mobile Verizon Maximum Download Speed (Mbps) 88.3 90.8 88.8 150.1 Average Download Speed (Mbps) 33.7 15.5 20.1 25.2 Downloads Above 5Mbps (%) 99% 75% 78% 96% Maximum Upload Speed (Mbps) 28.0 23.3 52.2 49.1 Average Upload Speed (Mbps) 11.7 6.9 22.7 23.6 Uploads Over 2Mbps (%) 91% 79% 88% 98% Average Ping (ms) 41.58 56.94 22.58 38.36 Reliability (%) 99% 96% 93% 99% Speed Score (out of 100) 85 63 85 86

Houston: T-Mobile

Houston: T-Mobile

Houston delivered fast speeds on all four major carriers, with everyone peaking over 100Mbps. It was also Sprint's fastest city, and one of a very few cities where Sprint had the fastest average download speeds.

T-Mobile won by pairing fast download speeds with equally excellent upload speeds, for a network that's equally enjoyable for content creators and consumers. T-Mobile's network was also more consistent than Sprint's, offering fewer ups and downs as we traveled around the city.

AT&T also did well in Houston, and it might be the best choice for people who travel more widely around Texas. While T-Mobile's coverage in Houston was excellent, we got the occasional dead spot around smaller towns like Columbus and La Grange. AT&T maintained coverage a bit better between Austin and Houston.

AT&T Sprint T-Mobile Verizon Maximum Download Speed (Mbps) 153.7 134.0 126.9 111.1 Average Download Speed (Mbps) 40.1 43.8 41.8 36.3 Downloads Above 5Mbps (%) 85% 80% 90% 97% Maximum Upload Speed (Mbps) 53.0 18.1 52.0 27.0 Average Upload Speed (Mbps) 16.5 10.2 29.8 15.6 Uploads Over 2Mbps (%) 96% 88% 95% 99% Average Ping (ms) 24.74 53.68 27.69 39.00 Reliability (%) 97% 92% 99% 99% Speed Score (out of 100) 91 77 95 85

Indianapolis: AT&T

Indianapolis: AT&T

Indianapolis is one of AT&T's 5G Evolution markets, and we saw its speeds rocket upward this year, enough to easily take the crown. But our official results only tell half the story in Indy.

Along with our own tests, we ran a set of backup tests to servers that were often within their carriers' networks. We didn't use those download speeds in the official results because we feel that most of the data you're downloading is from outside of your carrier's network. But if you look at those results, AT&T's maximum speed shoots up to 196Mbps and its average download speed rockets to 59Mbps. That's the biggest difference between on-carrier and off-carrier connections we saw nationwide.

What's happening is that AT&T's gigabit LTE network is mid-build. It's built out the radio connections, but may not have linked it up fully to the rest of the internet yet. As AT&T finishes its buildout in Indy this year, expect speed and performance to grow by leaps and bounds. AT&T will be an even stronger choice in the city as time goes on.

Indianapolis is also one of T-Mobile's weakest cities. T-Mobile has had historic problems here based on a lack of broad, deep spectrum lanes in Indiana and Ohio. Hopefully, it can close the gap over the next few years.

AT&T Sprint T-Mobile Verizon Maximum Download Speed (Mbps) 49.8 42.6 27.9 46.5 Average Download Speed (Mbps) 22.4 14.5 12.9 20.9 Downloads Above 5Mbps (%) 94% 67% 83% 98% Maximum Upload Speed (Mbps) 57.8 24.7 25.3 25.3 Average Upload Speed (Mbps) 20.0 9.4 14.5 14.6 Uploads Over 2Mbps (%) 99% 90% 93% 96% Average Ping (ms) 35.92 38.33 54.10 33.19 Reliability (%) 100% 96% 100% 100% Speed Score (out of 100) 98 77 77 96

Kansas City: AT&T and Verizon (Tie)

Kansas City: AT&T and Verizon (Tie)

We saw some of our highest Sprint speeds nationwide in Kansas City, the carrier's hometown. And yet AT&T and Verizon share the crown here—AT&T for spectacular download speeds, and Verizon for consistency and low latency.

Sprint's problem was all about consistency. Throughout our Kansas City tests, we saw our Sprint devices shoot up to spectacular speeds, then plummet to very low speeds at a different location an hour later. While that doesn't show up in our download averages, Sprint really took a hit in our measurement of the percentage of tests above 5Mbps.

Building a uniform network has been a problem for Sprint, because the carrier's spectrum is predominantly high-band and thus short distance. The Galaxy S8's HPUE (high performance user equipment) feature should have extended the reach of Sprint's spectrum in Kansas City, but it doesn't seem to have done quite enough.

Let's note that KC was one of the fastest cities we saw overall. All of the carriers are powerful choices here, and it's one of the few Google Fiber cities. Kansas City is growing as a Midwestern tech hub, and it looks like it has the infrastructure to suit.

AT&T Sprint T-Mobile Verizon Maximum Download Speed (Mbps) 155.0 154.8 120.5 139.8 Average Download Speed (Mbps) 60.5 47.1 38.0 28.1 Downloads Above 5Mbps (%) 99% 68% 86% 89% Maximum Upload Speed (Mbps) 28.4 18.3 40.9 25.8 Average Upload Speed (Mbps) 10.5 8.8 21.5 12.8 Uploads Over 2Mbps (%) 93% 77% 97% 99% Average Ping (ms) 65.01 80.33 52.00 28.49 Reliability (%) 100% 97% 98% 100% Speed Score (out of 100) 83 68 80 83

Las Vegas: Verizon

Las Vegas: Verizon

When the going gets tough, Verizon keeps going. We've seen this phenomenon before in Fastest Mobile Networks: When we encounter a city where, for some reason, speeds are low all around, Verizon tends to do well.

Such is the case in Las Vegas this year, where the average speeds are half what we saw in some other cities. T-Mobile, especially, guttered out across Vegas, although it picked up wins in the next two cities on this drive route, Salt Lake City and Denver.

None of the carriers in Las Vegas had what we'd call strong, consistent showings. That's in line with my experience on many trips to Vegas, where tall buildings on the Strip and Downtown tend to create reflections and canyons that can bedevil wireless signal. Our driver is a Vegas local, though, and we got slow speeds in places like Warm Springs and Enterprise where signal should be just fine.

AT&T had a strong second place showing, which is a leap forward for a carrier that we hadn't considered to be a major player in the city for a while. With Sprint and T-Mobile winning Vegas in previous years, it's clear that this is a competitive market where anyone can win if they get lucky.

AT&T Sprint T-Mobile Verizon Maximum Download Speed (Mbps) 144.5 60.9 71.4 99.1 Average Download Speed (Mbps) 18.9 11.3 8.7 18.8 Downloads Above 5Mbps (%) 69% 49% 39% 72% Maximum Upload Speed (Mbps) 29.8 18.1 37.0 17.8 Average Upload Speed (Mbps) 7.8 6.2 9.5 5.3 Uploads Over 2Mbps (%) 83% 63% 77% 65% Average Ping (ms) 57.31 43.46 29.71 34.34 Reliability (%) 100% 96% 98% 98% Speed Score (out of 100) 88 73 79 90

Los Angeles: Verizon

Los Angeles: Verizon

Verizon repeated its dominance of Los Angeles with the fastest upload and download speeds, although T-Mobile really gave it a run for its money. AT&T's recent network improvements paid off with high peak speeds, but that high-speed network hasn't been laid out all around the LA metro area, as AT&T's lower consistency score shows. Verizon offered the best overall experience across our 14 test locations.

AT&T Sprint T-Mobile Verizon Maximum Download Speed (Mbps) 136.1 88.6 116.4 121.3 Average Download Speed (Mbps) 22.3 19.5 33.0 35.7 Downloads Above 5Mbps (%) 63% 80% 75% 94% Maximum Upload Speed (Mbps) 55.8 16.7 44.5 46.3 Average Upload Speed (Mbps) 8.8 6.4 18.0 21.4 Uploads Over 2Mbps (%) 67% 83% 85% 93% Average Ping (ms) 31.86 39.71 31.39 30.85 Reliability (%) 91% 100% 98% 100% Speed Score (out of 100) 75 75 91 100

Miami: T-Mobile

Miami: T-Mobile

T-Mobile crushed the competition in Miami. The carrier got a perfect score by dominating or tying every one of our assessment categories. No matter what aspect of your Miami experience you want to make wireless—uploads, downloads, Snapchat major key alerts—T-Mobile will serve you best across the metro area.

Verizon also did pretty well in Miami. Sprint suffered from the same inconsistency issues we saw in many other cities. While it's doing well on peak speeds, its average speeds were just too variable from test spot to test spot for it to succeed this year. That's not all bad news for Sprint subscribers. The company's new "Magic Box" micro-cell units can help smooth out coverage, and if you're having issues with Sprint speed, we suggest you get one.

AT&T Sprint T-Mobile Verizon Maximum Download Speed (Mbps) 117.3 92.5 131.5 112.0 Average Download Speed (Mbps) 32.5 25.1 44.3 35.1 Downloads Above 5Mbps (%) 89% 73% 96% 95% Maximum Upload Speed (Mbps) 28.3 18.3 52.5 45.5 Average Upload Speed (Mbps) 12.6 7.1 33.9 27.7 Uploads Over 2Mbps (%) 98% 75% 99% 99% Average Ping (ms) 38.86 30.21 22.98 35.39 Reliability (%) 100% 94% 100% 99% Speed Score (out of 100) 79 70 100 87

New Orleans: Verizon

New Orleans: Verizon

New Orleans could have been Sprint's big win this year. This should be Sprint's first gigabit city, where it tried out its fastest LTE technologies during a demo in March. But Sprint suffered in our ratings because of its lopsided network. While it had the highest peak and average download speeds in New Orleans, it had very low upload speeds, which will make it a more frustrating network for content creators and Snapchatters.

Verizon, our winner in New Orleans, won because of a balanced network. Its fast download speeds were very consistent across our test locations, and it had the best average upload speeds of any carrier. AT&T came a close second, but Verizon takes the crown here.

AT&T Sprint T-Mobile Verizon Maximum Download Speed (Mbps) 141.5 164.6 75.4 120.3 Average Download Speed (Mbps) 25.8 29.2 16.3 27.9 Downloads Above 5Mbps (%) 83% 66% 80% 97% Maximum Upload Speed (Mbps) 39.2 9.7 31.6 36.4 Average Upload Speed (Mbps) 15.7 2.3 13.7 16.7 Uploads Over 2Mbps (%) 98% 41% 84% 99% Average Ping (ms) 43.43 62.72 77.65 48.69 Reliability (%) 99% 95% 94% 99% Speed Score (out of 100) 94 72 75 97

New York City: Verizon

New York City: Verizon

Verizon and T-Mobile are the best choices in New York City, as they have been for the past few years. Verizon has a near-perfect network in the five boroughs, with breathtaking speeds and relentless consistency across all of our test sites. It's a carrier that New Yorkers can truly rely on.

While AT&T did very well in much of the rest of the country, New York is the carrier's weakest major market. AT&T has struggled in New York for years, and our tests showed surprisingly low upload speeds and less consistency than we expected.

AT&T Sprint T-Mobile Verizon Maximum Download Speed (Mbps) 119.4 81.4 121.1 181.7 Average Download Speed (Mbps) 20.6 21.4 30.9 45.1 Downloads Above 5Mbps (%) 86% 80% 89% 99% Maximum Upload Speed (Mbps) 18.2 17.6 43.0 36.7 Average Upload Speed (Mbps) 9.7 7.3 22.0 19.9 Uploads Over 2Mbps (%) 86% 77% 100% 100% Average Ping (ms) 32.99 37.54 28.35 35.00 Reliability (%) 96% 96% 100% 100% Speed Score (out of 100) 76 71 92 95

Oklahoma City: T-Mobile

Oklahoma City: T-Mobile

T-Mobile's LTE network stayed solid all the way from Kansas City to OKC, and then remained rock steady down into Texas. In Oklahoma City and Moore, meanwhile, T-Mobile hit it out of the park, with upload and download speeds that simply scorched competitors—all this without its 700MHz "extended range" LTE.

T-Mobile achieved just about 100Mbps in Midtown OKC, while AT&T hit 100Mbps or more by the 40/44 junction. Sprint, as we saw in several other cities, was handicapped by very inconsistent performance. In four out of our 12 test locations, Sprint showed very low speeds, while it hit peaks of nearly 100Mbps elsewhere. The carrier needs to get a handle on its coverage issues in the Oklahoma City area.

AT&T Sprint T-Mobile Verizon Maximum Download Speed (Mbps) 125.1 95.3 149.8 85.2 Average Download Speed (Mbps) 30.2 13.2 40.7 17.7 Downloads Above 5Mbps (%) 95% 49% 80% 80% Maximum Upload Speed (Mbps) 32.1 14.8 42.0 18.2 Average Upload Speed (Mbps) 12.6 4.4 18.5 7.4 Uploads Over 2Mbps (%) 99% 63% 82% 88% Average Ping (ms) 34.38 51.59 36.16 44.37 Reliability (%) 100% 96% 98% 100% Speed Score (out of 100) 92 58 94 74

Philadelphia: T-Mobile

Philadelphia: T-Mobile

We didn't see very fast speeds in Philadelphia all around. T-Mobile takes the crown for having a symmetrical, reliable network with a great balance of uploads and downloads across the city.

Fastest Mobile Networks isn't just about downloads—average download speeds are only 20 percent of the score. While Verizon had faster average downloads than T-Mobile, T-Mobile had more consistently reliable broadband upload and download speeds, as well as faster overall uploads. That makes for a better, broader LTE experience.

AT&T Sprint T-Mobile Verizon Maximum Download Speed (Mbps) 79.9 54.6 71.6 85.5 Average Download Speed (Mbps) 19.5 16.1 20.2 26.1 Downloads Above 5Mbps (%) 77% 75% 83% 80% Maximum Upload Speed (Mbps) 27.2 16.8 43.1 25.5 Average Upload Speed (Mbps) 9.2 7.0 15.8 9.7 Uploads Over 2Mbps (%) 99% 73% 99% 83% Average Ping (ms) 38.57 39.10 28.76 37.40 Reliability (%) 100% 99% 100% 95% Speed Score (out of 100) 84 77 95 88

Phoenix: Verizon

Phoenix: Verizon

Verizon took the crown in Phoenix with the fastest average download and upload speeds. We tested across the sprawling Phoenix metro area, including in Chandler, Mesa, and Scottsdale to make sure that we collected the best possible data on coverage and speeds.

Both Sprint and T-Mobile showed some interesting results. Sprint had very good, but inconsistent download speeds and very poor upload speeds. This is a choice that Sprint's made, preferring downloads over uploads in a big way. We agree that people download more than they upload, but we think Sprint has gone a bit overboard with the weighting.

T-Mobile had very good upload and download speeds, but it got socked on consistency because of slow results at two of our 12 test points. Verizon delivered fast speeds at more places across the Phoenix area.

AT&T Sprint T-Mobile Verizon Maximum Download Speed (Mbps) 108.8 150.1 139.8 115.8 Average Download Speed (Mbps) 29.4 20.3 26.4 30.1 Downloads Above 5Mbps (%) 94% 54% 79% 78% Maximum Upload Speed (Mbps) 26.1 19.0 54.8 28.3 Average Upload Speed (Mbps) 10.5 3.7 23.5 11.3 Uploads Over 2Mbps (%) 89% 49% 77% 87% Average Ping (ms) 51.10 57.98 50.73 31.13 Reliability (%) 99% 92% 91% 98% Speed Score (out of 100) 86 61 84 91

Portland: T-Mobile

Portland: T-Mobile

T-Mobile's home is in the Pacific Northwest, and it's by far the fastest carrier in both Portland and Seattle. For a Northeasterner like myself, it's surprising to see a region where Verizon doesn't do all that well. But T-Mobile has clearly poured network resources into Portland, giving it the fastest uploads and downloads in the city, as well as excellent coverage.

One thing that jumps out is how much more consistent T-Mobile's Portland network is at delivering broadband speeds than the other carriers. Using our measurement of the percentage of tests over 5Mbps, we see that T-Mobile simply didn't hit any weak spots around the city, while the other carriers each had a soft spot or two. That makes T-Mobile the best choice in the Portland area.

AT&T Sprint T-Mobile Verizon Maximum Download Speed (Mbps) 100.3 109.3 114.7 92.2 Average Download Speed (Mbps) 30.1 27.3 46.5 28.2 Downloads Above 5Mbps (%) 78% 77% 97% 84% Maximum Upload Speed (Mbps) 25.1 16.7 53.6 32.6 Average Upload Speed (Mbps) 9.9 7.5 27.4 14.3 Uploads Over 2Mbps (%) 95% 86% 97% 94% Average Ping (ms) 71.26 36.47 37.91 35.09 Reliability (%) 99% 98% 99% 99% Speed Score (out of 100) 72 78 99 84

Raleigh-Durham: AT&T

Raleigh-Durham: AT&T

It's been true for a few years now that if you want great service in the Carolinas, you go with AT&T. The former Southern Bell(e) racked up wins in both the Triangle and Charlotte areas with download speeds noticeably faster than the competition.

In the Raleigh-Durham area, we tested in Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, and even Apex. (Why Apex? One of our readers asked, and we do our best to accommodate.) Verizon scored some excellent peak speeds, but AT&T's downloads were faster at more locations.

We got especially spectacular speeds on both AT&T and Verizon in central Cary, at Walnut Street and Buck Jones Road. There, both carriers pushed 100Mbps down.

I have family in the Raleigh-Durham area, and I know they've been hesitant about considering T-Mobile as a choice, especially considering the carrier had poor coverage in North Carolina as recently as two years ago. The good news is, T-Mobile's coverage has really shaped up. Our T-Mobile device almost never dropped off the LTE network.

AT&T Sprint T-Mobile Verizon Maximum Download Speed (Mbps) 119.9 86.0 80.4 128.2 Average Download Speed (Mbps) 47.5 25.5 25.8 38.0 Downloads Above 5Mbps (%) 91% 80% 90% 95% Maximum Upload Speed (Mbps) 35.4 15.4 29.3 34.2 Average Upload Speed (Mbps) 13.4 4.4 15.3 13.6 Uploads Over 2Mbps (%) 92% 50% 96% 98% Average Ping (ms) 44.66 54.99 31.33 47.43 Reliability (%) 98% 97% 100% 100% Speed Score (out of 100) 91 66 90 88

St. Louis: Verizon

St. Louis: Verizon

Both of our Missouri test cities showed excellent performance. In St. Louis, Verizon took the lead with faster uploads and downloads than any of its competitors, although they all turned in very respectable speeds.

If you travel a lot in the St. Louis area, you may also be interested in our results from our Missouri and Illinois drive corridors. Verizon did best on the Illinois side of the border, while Verizon and T-Mobile shared the honors in Missouri. If you've been concerned about T-Mobile's coverage, think again. Our T-Mobile device didn't drop LTE signal all along the I-55 and I-70 corridors.

AT&T Sprint T-Mobile Verizon Maximum Download Speed (Mbps) 119.3 95.3 145.5 100.5 Average Download Speed (Mbps) 35.4 36.0 43.1 45.3 Downloads Above 5Mbps (%) 98% 91% 98% 98% Maximum Upload Speed (Mbps) 29.8 17.6 39.3 48.1 Average Upload Speed (Mbps) 12.8 8.2 17.9 27.2 Uploads Over 2Mbps (%) 94% 94% 95% 99% Average Ping (ms) 42.78 69.57 48.45 38.15 Reliability (%) 100% 100% 98% 99% Speed Score (out of 100) 88 78 91 100

Salt Lake City: T-Mobile

Salt Lake City: T-Mobile

It's T-Mobile by a nose in Salt Lake City, and I'm going to go as far as to say it's T-Mobile with a big asterisk. T-Mobile barely won over Verizon according to our methodology because of much faster uploads and, surprisingly, better reliability in the urban Salt Lake area. T-Mobile has also dramatically improved its coverage in recent years, and we had solid LTE signal all the way down the I-15 corridor, including in Provo.

But Verizon showed higher download speeds and better coverage in severely rural areas, which don't factor into our SLC city score. If you go to Wyoming, for instance, you need Verizon. Ultimately, we recommend T-Mobile for the content-creating, urbanized Silicon Slopes set, churning out videos in Salt Lake's new tech hubs, and Verizon for people going to the actual slopes.

AT&T Sprint T-Mobile Verizon Maximum Download Speed (Mbps) 123.9 86.1 106.2 109.7 Average Download Speed (Mbps) 19.5 17.7 26.8 31.3 Downloads Above 5Mbps (%) 82% 53% 72% 81% Maximum Upload Speed (Mbps) 26.5 16.5 41.2 37.6 Average Upload Speed (Mbps) 8.8 5.8 17.6 12.9 Uploads Over 2Mbps (%) 82% 83% 96% 66% Average Ping (ms) 72.54 89.52 62.91 62.40 Reliability (%) 100% 94% 99% 97% Speed Score (out of 100) 83 69 94 93

San Diego: AT&T

San Diego: AT&T

AT&T commanded some absolutely slamming download speeds in San Diego this year, showing a dramatic improvement over last year. Seriously, AT&T's average speeds more than doubled from previous San Diego tests, letting it pull ahead of Verizon and a somewhat congested T-Mobile network to nab the win.

I suspect these speeds are part of AT&T's 5G Evolution plan, which is otherwise known as gigabit LTE. That means that for the best AT&T performance in San Diego, you're going to need a Samsung Galaxy S8, HTC U11, or other rumored future phones such as the Motorola Z2 Force that can handle gigabit LTE. AT&T customers in the San Diego area should definitely switch phones before they think of switching carriers.

Sprint was very weak in both San Diego and Tucson.

AT&T Sprint T-Mobile Verizon Maximum Download Speed (Mbps) 115.1 46.5 78.4 106.3 Average Download Speed (Mbps) 49.0 6.4 20.3 36.2 Downloads Above 5Mbps (%) 99% 35% 81% 90% Maximum Upload Speed (Mbps) 39.7 18.0 49.7 34.5 Average Upload Speed (Mbps) 17.6 4.5 17.3 18.9 Uploads Over 2Mbps (%) 100% 58% 96% 99% Average Ping (ms) 31.54 57.13 30.07 30.94 Reliability (%) 100% 91% 100% 100% Speed Score (out of 100) 98 47 84 92

San Francisco: AT&T

San Francisco: AT&T

Every year, we pick one city to go deep on, doing twice the number of test sites we normally hit. This year we decided to focus on the home of the US tech industry, the San Francisco Bay Area. While the Bay Area is a huge sprawl, we tried to get to the cities of San Francisco and San Jose, as well as key points in the East Bay and on the peninsula.

The old Pacific Bell, San Francisco's local phone company, AT&T did spectacularly well in our tests around the Bay Area. None of the carriers did very badly here—even Sprint had solid speeds. But AT&T distinguished itself on all of our measures.

That said, if you don't have the best experience with AT&T in the SF area, try getting a new phone with a Qualcomm X16 modem, such as the Samsung Galaxy S8 or HTC U11. The terrific performance we saw, with peak speeds over 200Mbps, is probably in part thanks to new technologies in our Galaxy S8 test devices.

Verizon was no slouch either, with an amazing 215Mbps peak speed at one point and consistent speeds around 173Mbps in south San Jose. The carriers are clearly pouring capacity into the nation's tech center.

T-Mobile and Sprint both suffered a little bit from lack of consistency. In T-Mobile's case, we hit a soft spot in the Mission that weakened its score a bit. In Sprint's case, the network's choice to greatly privilege downloads over uploads hurt it.

AT&T Sprint T-Mobile Verizon Maximum Download Speed (Mbps) 202.0 138.2 110.7 215.7 Average Download Speed (Mbps) 46.2 28.6 29.2 39.9 Downloads Above 5Mbps (%) 96% 85% 88% 94% Maximum Upload Speed (Mbps) 61.4 18.9 54.5 48.3 Average Upload Speed (Mbps) 22.6 9.2 18.9 19.9 Uploads Over 2Mbps (%) 98% 93% 94% 95% Average Ping (ms) 28.34 32.84 31.32 27.51 Reliability (%) 99% 96% 99% 100% Speed Score (out of 100) 99 80 86 95

Seattle: T-Mobile

Seattle: T-Mobile

In our tests in Seattle, Redmond, and Bellevue, the hometown hero did best. T-Mobile proved itself Seattle's best carrier with a peak speed of just about 200Mbps and average upload and download speeds better than the competition.

Nobody did that badly in Seattle, and it was one of Sprint's stronger markets. We were surprised to find that Sprint had faster and more consistent downloads than Verizon did, although we dinged Sprint for its slower upload speeds, which are a choice that the carrier has made (to focus on downloads instead) rather than a flaw in its network.

AT&T Sprint T-Mobile Verizon Maximum Download Speed (Mbps) 113.4 124.5 199.9 119.9 Average Download Speed (Mbps) 37.2 37.8 56.2 36.1 Downloads Above 5Mbps (%) 97% 90% 96% 87% Maximum Upload Speed (Mbps) 22.4 24.9 51.5 50.0 Average Upload Speed (Mbps) 11.9 10.5 24.6 19.9 Uploads Over 2Mbps (%) 99% 99% 95% 93% Average Ping (ms) 74.00 29.49 38.14 26.11 Reliability (%) 100% 99% 98% 99% Speed Score (out of 100) 75 84 92 88

Tampa: Verizon

Tampa: Verizon

Verizon absolutely destroyed its competition in our tests across Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Clearwater. The win isn't even because Verizon was spectacularly fast—it's that the other carriers were surprisingly slow. And it wasn't just about one bad location, either; AT&T, for instance, was reliable and consistent, just slow, across the whole metro area.

Some of the issue may be which carrier has the best connectivity in the Tampa area beyond its own network. Testing entirely within the T-Mobile network, for instance, showed better results than going out to external servers on the internet. (People using the consumer Speedtest.net app often see results from those in-network servers.) But web users roam far and wide in the virtual world, and Verizon therefore offers the best experience for them.

AT&T Sprint T-Mobile Verizon Maximum Download Speed (Mbps) 15.6 19.5 52.1 68.5 Average Download Speed (Mbps) 7.6 8.9 9.5 22.4 Downloads Above 5Mbps (%) 83% 80% 81% 94% Maximum Upload Speed (Mbps) 29.2 17.6 49.4 47.1 Average Upload Speed (Mbps) 10.9 8.0 16.6 25.6 Uploads Over 2Mbps (%) 100% 83% 89% 100% Average Ping (ms) 40.39 57.75 38.01 47.04 Reliability (%) 100% 96% 99% 100% Speed Score (out of 100) 78 69 81 96

Tucson: AT&T

Tucson: AT&T

Tucson wasn't one of our fastest cities, but AT&T separates itself from a tight pack with a noticeable lead on download speeds. We saw 100Mbps maximums in the city, while some other places showed 200Mbps. But AT&T users won't have a problem: it got an average of 34Mbps down with solid consistency across the city. Verizon came in second with equally solid reliability.

Sprint had a tough time in Tucson. Its performance was so poor that we double-checked to make sure our test server selection wasn't a problem; performance was just as bad to a different server. We can't recommend Sprint in Tucson at this time.

AT&T Sprint T-Mobile Verizon Maximum Download Speed (Mbps) 108.5 27.8 80.7 109.3 Average Download Speed (Mbps) 34.1 3.9 28.2 29.0 Downloads Above 5Mbps (%) 91% 31% 71% 85% Maximum Upload Speed (Mbps) 39.1 15.5 48.1 36.7 Average Upload Speed (Mbps) 10.9 6.1 18.4 13.5 Uploads Over 2Mbps (%) 99% 84% 75% 91% Average Ping (ms) 68.96 71.24 55.11 71.74 Reliability (%) 100% 100% 86% 100% Speed Score (out of 100) 92 56 87 88

Washington, DC: T-Mobile

Washington, DC: T-Mobile

T-Mobile's network blazes in the nation's capital, with the highest upload and download speeds and the lowest latency of any carrier. That makes it by far the best choice for Washington area residents.

Sprint, as we saw elsewhere, just got socked by the variability of its network. While Sprint's maximum speeds are nothing to be ashamed of, it couldn't keep those speeds up across our ten test sites. Our test sites at Courthouse in Arlington and just south of the Smithsonian especially suffered. A new technology called HPUE (high performance user equipment) in the Galaxy S8 is supposed to help smooth out those peaks and valleys, and we saw that in our initial Galaxy S8 review, but it didn't bear out on the streets of DC.

Verizon and AT&T both managed to occasionally reach some spectacular speeds. Verizon blew past the competition near American University with average speeds over 100Mbps. But T-Mobile takes the day across the metro area as a whole.

AT&T Sprint T-Mobile Verizon Maximum Download Speed (Mbps) 136.3 92.8 117.8 131.1 Average Download Speed (Mbps) 33.0 17.3 40.5 39.0 Downloads Above 5Mbps (%) 93% 68% 91% 95% Maximum Upload Speed (Mbps) 24.8 17.8 43.1 29.3 Average Upload Speed (Mbps) 8.4 6.7 20.4 15.5 Uploads Over 2Mbps (%) 86% 67% 98% 98% Average Ping (ms) 34.89 37.10 31.71 39.44 Reliability (%) 99% 96% 100% 100% Speed Score (out of 100) 87 69 99 93

Rural/Suburban Northeast: AT&T

Rural/Suburban Northeast: AT&T

Our drive through the Northeast took us down from Boston diagonally across Connecticut to New York, down the Garden State Parkway in New Jersey to Atlantic City, then through Amish Country and York, PA to Baltimore. In Virginia, we took a long amble off of interstates along side roads down to North Carolina. (We consider Virginia part of our Northeastern journey because the Washington, DC metro area extends into it. Also, that lets us draw a line across the country that matches up with the bottom of Missouri.)

AT&T had the best overall performance along this drive route, although no carrier was perfect and they all hit dead zones. While AT&T and Verizon both did very well through New England and Verizon was superior in the immediate New York metro area, AT&T was clearly faster through rural Virginia.

There's a big asterisk on that, though. Driving down Route 20 from Charlottesville to Hampden-Sydney, for instance, both our AT&T and Verizon phones would drop to 3G or sometimes drop out entirely. Rural coverage still isn't perfect.

T-Mobile and Sprint coverage in most of the Northeast is much, much better than it used to be. They're both basically reliable in the suburban Northeast, but they got hit pretty hard on that rural Virginia drive, with T-Mobile dropping out entirely for a while south of Charlottesville. AT&T is the most reliable choice there, as well as the fastest.

AT&T Sprint T-Mobile Verizon Maximum Download Speed (Mbps) 166.6 115.9 115.0 151.0 Average Download Speed (Mbps) 41.8 15.4 28.0 37.1 Downloads Above 5Mbps (%) 90% 55% 85% 86% Maximum Upload Speed (Mbps) 54.0 18.2 44.2 37.5 Average Upload Speed (Mbps) 11.4 4.6 14.8 13.0 Uploads Over 2Mbps (%) 84% 65% 85% 85% Average Ping (ms) 36.33 51.56 31.96 42.70 Reliability (%) 96% 86% 95% 99% Speed Score (out of 100) 95 60 91 91

Rural/Suburban Southeast: AT&T

Rural/Suburban Southeast: AT&T

Our drive through the Southeast took us from the Triangle to the Triad, down I-85 to Charlotte and Atlanta with a stop in Greenville, down I-75 to Orlando, over to Tampa, and then back across on FL-70 to West Palm Beach and Miami.

As we saw in the Northeast, AT&T did the best on our Southeastern segment, in this case with the best upload and download speeds. Verizon, long renowned for excellent coverage, came a close second.

But in my mind, the big news here is that T-Mobile is now a viable player in North Carolina, where it struggled with coverage for a while. T-Mobile was in the green all though our NC drive, while Sprint coverage dropped a few times north of Charlotte.

Verizon may be a better choice than AT&T in Florida, because of coverage. AT&T's LTE network struggled a bit on our cross-Florida drive, with dropouts in the swampy middle of the state along FL-70. Verizon kept on truckin' with LTE the whole time.

AT&T Sprint T-Mobile Verizon Maximum Download Speed (Mbps) 149.2 85.9 108.7 144.4 Average Download Speed (Mbps) 36.8 17.0 27.8 29.0 Downloads Above 5Mbps (%) 90% 64% 86% 86% Maximum Upload Speed (Mbps) 60.3 25.0 55.9 49.7 Average Upload Speed (Mbps) 16.3 6.0 13.9 14.9 Uploads Over 2Mbps (%) 87% 70% 84% 92% Average Ping (ms) 46.07 56.65 37.47 39.83 Reliability (%) 96% 92% 94% 100% Speed Score (out of 100) 95 66 91 93

Rural/Suburban North Central: Verizon

Rural/Suburban North Central: Verizon

This drive took us from Detroit down past Toledo, then on state highways through Ohio and Indiana to Indianapolis, up to Chicago, down to St. Louis on I-55, stopping in Springfield, across Missouri on I-70, and then down through Kansas on I-35, stopping in Emporia and Wichita.

Verizon outpaced AT&T primarily because of the weight we give to uploads and reliability. On our whole trip, Verizon's network only dropped once, briefly, in the middle of Missouri. AT&T didn't do that much worse, but it hit weak spots on and off in Kansas.

Sprint is based in Kansas City, and coverage varied sharply depending on which state we were in. In Illinois, Missouri, and eastern Kansas, it's great, but the carrier really struggled in Indiana. Sprint's score mostly got socked for having slow uploads, though.

If this is your region, I'd like to throw in one more option out of left field: Google Fi. Google Fi combines Sprint, T-Mobile, and U.S. Cellular, a predominantly rural carrier we don't test, but which has very good coverage in rural Illinois, Wisconsin, Kansas, and Missouri. Combining the three less-expensive carriers will give you a better experience than running with just one of them.

AT&T Sprint T-Mobile Verizon Maximum Download Speed (Mbps) 109.1 93.6 84.3 95.2 Average Download Speed (Mbps) 29.3 20.0 19.8 25.7 Downloads Above 5Mbps (%) 82% 68% 72% 81% Maximum Upload Speed (Mbps) 53.5 24.7 50.3 47.4 Average Upload Speed (Mbps) 9.0 7.3 13.0 16.9 Uploads Over 2Mbps (%) 82% 70% 68% 85% Average Ping (ms) 50.02 51.71 46.54 42.17 Reliability (%) 88% 87% 84% 92% Speed Score (out of 100) 91 78 83 97

Rural/Suburban South Central: AT&T

Rural/Suburban South Central: AT&T

AT&T's traditional strength in Texas gave it a solid win in our South Central drive, which took us down I-35 from Oklahoma City to Dallas and Austin, and then across primarily on I-10 to Houston and New Orleans. We made extra stops in Purcell, OK, Temple, TX, and Lake Charles, LA.

AT&T had the fastest download and upload speeds in Texas and Oklahoma, making this one an easy pick. The biggest surprise here, meanwhile, was when Sprint did very well. 87Mbps and 113Mbps downloads in Temple? Yes, please. Sprint's wobblier coverage on the Texas-Louisiana border prevented it from scoring better, though.

AT&T Sprint T-Mobile Verizon Maximum Download Speed (Mbps) 142.8 195.0 75.9 83.8 Average Download Speed (Mbps) 30.2 13.9 17.6 15.8 Downloads Above 5Mbps (%) 82% 58% 82% 71% Maximum Upload Speed (Mbps) 51.1 20.6 52.7 35.6 Average Upload Speed (Mbps) 12.2 5.4 11.0 7.5 Uploads Over 2Mbps (%) 87% 76% 80% 82% Average Ping (ms) 49.26 53.76 48.07 64.06 Reliability (%) 95% 96% 96% 99% Speed Score (out of 100) 99 74 89 78

Rural/Suburban Northwest: Verizon

Rural/Suburban Northwest: Verizon

Our Northwest driving segment included the I-5 corridor from Seattle to San Francisco, I-15 through Utah, I-80 through Wyoming, and I-25 from Fort Collins to Denver.

Verizon won by a landslide here because of coverage. It's the only nationwide carrier with a solid LTE network through both Utah and Wyoming. AT&T had surprising coverage drops in both Utah and southern Oregon.

T-Mobile also failed in Wyoming, but it was a pleasant surprise in Utah, where it rarely dropped. T-Mobile won most of our Northwest cities, and if you spend a lot of your time in western Washington or the more populated parts of Utah, it's a very good choice.

AT&T Sprint T-Mobile Verizon Maximum Download Speed (Mbps) 158.0 113.9 114.8 111.9 Average Download Speed (Mbps) 27.7 18.6 19.3 22.0 Downloads Above 5Mbps (%) 66% 53% 57% 75% Maximum Upload Speed (Mbps) 41.4 22.8 50.2 46.0 Average Upload Speed (Mbps) 5.5 6.7 9.5 11.0 Uploads Over 2Mbps (%) 59% 53% 58% 74% Average Ping (ms) 85.08 49.10 86.02 48.60 Reliability (%) 72% 68% 74% 96% Speed Score (out of 100) 77 75 72 96

Rural/Suburban Southwest: T-Mobile

Rural/Suburban Southwest: T-Mobile

Our Southwest drive took us along the I-5 corridor in California, I-8 across to Tucson, and Route 93 up to Las Vegas. T-Mobile's surprise win speaks to its dramatically improved rural coverage over the past few years. The carrier did especially well in southern California, with good speeds and few dropped connections. T-Mobile has also focused on building out popular corridors, so it's very solid along the Tucson/Phoenix corridor and between Las Vegas and Boulder City.

That said, if you're going to be way out in the desert, Verizon had the most consistent network in extremely rural areas such as on I-8 west of the Sonoran Desert National Monument. AT&T had the highest download speeds on this route overall, but dropped to 3G through almost all of our drive through northern Arizona, which really hurt its reliability score.

AT&T Sprint T-Mobile Verizon Maximum Download Speed (Mbps) 169.8 80.1 116.0 118.8 Average Download Speed (Mbps) 34.4 11.8 24.5 25.8 Downloads Above 5Mbps (%) 65% 55% 80% 75% Maximum Upload Speed (Mbps) 46.2 18.7 49.6 45.3 Average Upload Speed (Mbps) 7.5 5.5 11.7 8.9 Uploads Over 2Mbps (%) 66% 59% 78% 72% Average Ping (ms) 62.58 64.84 45.22 50.46 Reliability (%) 72% 76% 89% 91% Speed Score (out of 100) 81 63 94 89 Rural/Suburban Northwest: Verizon 41/41

Further Reading