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Report: T-Mobile, Verizon Now Tied in Network Speed, Coverage

A new report from Open Signal has found that T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless are now neck in neck in terms of overall network coverage and speed. The full report studied wireless broadband speeds in 33 different cities, and gives T-Mobile a slight edge in overall network speeds with an average rate of 14.7 Mbps, compared to 14.63 Mbps for Verizon Wireless. But, as T-Mobile CEO John Legere had promised, this also appears to be the year that T-Mobile finally closes the gap in terms of overall LTE network coverage as well.

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"Our testers were able to find a Verizon LTE signal 88.2% of the time, cementing Big Red's place at the top of our 4G rankings," notes Open Signal.

"But T-Mobile has been systematically closing the gap. In the fourth quarter its 4G availability was less than two percentage points below Verizon's, the closest we've seen that difference."

As the chart above notes, T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless effectively won every top honor the firm had to offer, leaving the cupboards of both Sprint and AT&T decidedly bare.

Interestingly, the firm also found that the honor of fastest 4G city in the United States goes to Detroit, where both Verizon and T-Mobile averaged more than 25 Mbps in Open Signal's LTE tests. The firm notes that there were two other cities where we found one operator with average 4G speeds of 25 Mbps or greater: Minneapolis and Chicago.

"We’re still a long way away from having a consistent national average of 25 Mbps, which has become the norm in dozens of other countries," noted Open Signal. "As has long been the case, U.S. consumers enjoy widespread access to LTE signals, but the speed at which they’re connecting is still relatively slow."

Unmentioned by the firm is the fact that US consumers also pay some of the highest prices to access these networks across developed nations, even thanks to T-Mobile's contributions to the competitive landscape.

Most recommended from 90 comments



scott2020
join:2008-07-20
MO

22 recommendations

scott2020

Member

Not Here

I'll just say that here in the rural areas, Verizon blows T-Mobile away in coverage, particularly in the old Alltel areas. I give T-mobile credit though. Things have improved greatly in a short amount of time.

srtdodge05
Premium Member
join:2011-10-16
Ypsilanti, MI

18 recommendations

srtdodge05

Premium Member

From last to first

I've always liked Verizon and had the best network. With that you always paid a premium for the service. Now it seems that Verizon is stuck in the past. T-mobile being on top hopefully makes them compete.
Chuck_IV
join:2003-11-18
Connecticut

12 recommendations

Chuck_IV

Member

Verizon will fight...

tooth and nail to discredit this in some shape or form just so they will continue to not have to compete. But time is running out. It's either compete or eventually fail.
silbaco
Premium Member
join:2009-08-03
USA

8 recommendations

silbaco

Premium Member

T-Mobile

This report includes T-Mobile partner coverage. They have almost zero native coverage in the state of Iowa outside of Des Moines. T-Mobile cannot ever truly beat Verzon in network coverage (in terms of square miles) as along as they are missing almost an entire state.
marinemaster
join:2004-04-12
Suwanee, GA

7 recommendations

marinemaster

Member

coverage matters

should be interesting comments here, but coverage matters a lot
also what IS always overlooked is what kind of phone the end user has, so is not just carrier is also the phone, i would say the carrier is 51% or higher and phone is 49% or lower
gregory_t
join:2014-10-13
Mcminnville, OR

4 recommendations

gregory_t

Member

VZ still beats them in rural Oregon

My family all live in rural parts of the Willamette valley and VZ and AT&T still vastly out perform T Mobile's coverage. Granted T Mobile has remarkably improved it is still far away from reaching parity in these parts. Maybe I'll look at them again when new 600mhz bands and phones come out.
davidhoffman
Premium Member
join:2009-11-19
Warner Robins, GA

2 recommendations

davidhoffman

Premium Member

T-Mobile coverage.

T-Mobile has terrible indoor coverage.

atuarre
Here come the drums
Premium Member
join:2004-02-14
EC/SETX SWLA

2 recommendations

atuarre

Premium Member

RE

In what markets? In the areas I visit T-Mobile is stuttering under congestion? Must be the large cities that the carriers seem to be focusing on like NY, LA, Houston, Chicago, etc.
tabernak93
join:2015-02-16
Oklahoma City, OK

2 recommendations

tabernak93

Member

This tests customer experience, not nationwide network performance

Per the website:
"Those measurements are taken wherever users happen to be, whether indoors or out, in a city or in the countryside, representing performance the way users experience it'

Which backs up user comments here. Customers in T-Mobile coverage areas are happy, but T-Mobile coverage nationally is likely much further behind than the 2% quote this article suggests. National coverage is entirely different than average customer experience.

Anon72fa1
@umaine.edu

2 recommendations

Anon72fa1

Anon

Maine

Check out the T-Mobile coverage map for Maine and zoom until you see the crosshatched lines. All that area is 2G partner roaming limited to 200mb a month...and terrible voice quality. Not even close to Verizon.