T-Mobile is the fastest mobile network, but I won't switch - here's why

T-Mobile is the fastest mobile network, but I won't switch - here's why

T-Mobile continues to blanket the country at pink speeds as the “un-carrier” reportedly has the fastest mobile network in the United States.

A report provided by Ookla, a web testing and network diagnostics company, looked at several metrics for the first half of 2024 and found that T-Mobile was far ahead of or even dominating competitors Verizon and AT&T.

Ookla examined network carriers' mobile network speeds, 5G network speeds, network consistency, video experience, gaming experience, and how consumers feel about their carriers.

In mobile network and 5G testing, T-Mobile's network had median download speeds of over 220 megabits per second (Mbps). Verizon and AT&T's mobile networks were further apart, at around 110 Mbps. The report noted that Verizon has improved significantly since last year, with 5G speeds ranging from 146 Mbps in 2023 to 191 Mbps.

Consistency was relatively similar in Ookla's testing, with all three companies meeting throughput thresholds of 5 Mbps download and 1 Mbps upload above 80%; T-Mobile was the highest at 86%; and Verizon was the lowest at 86%.

Similar stories can be read in video and gaming for the three network carriers. AT&T also had the lowest consumer sentiment with 3.14 out of 5 stars, while T-Mobile had 3.79 out of 5 stars.

Note that these tests are general for the US. When looked at on a state-by-state basis, the story is different. For example, Illinois had the fastest median download speed, at about 160 Mbps. On the other hand, South Dakota, Maine, Vermont, and other states saw a staggering drop, with only around 42 Mbps T-Mobile was the leader in every state except North Dakota, where Verizon was the fastest.

With all this talk of superior speeds and consistency, should we consider switching to T-Mobile?

Maybe.

Since acquiring Sprint and its network in 2020, T-Mobile has integrated almost 100% of the yellow carrier's network into its pink coverage map. Nevertheless, coverage has not always been good.

Global editor-in-chief Mark Spoonauer recently switched from Verizon to T-Mobile.

For him, based in New York, T-Mobile's network has always had problems staying connected and staying connected.

“Overall, I am not satisfied with T-Mobile's network based on my experience so far. It simply has not been reliable enough for my calls. Even as I was writing this article and talking to my wife on the way home, every few sentences she would hang up and I had to listen again and again. This is unsustainable.”

How can one man's anecdotal evidence be enough to say it shouldn't be tried?

Not necessarily, but it would be something to consider if the speed test makes the network's eyes widen with envy.

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