• Verizon earns outright awards in five of the six categories at the national level
  • Verizon, AT&T and Sprint share award at the national level for text performance
  • AT&T is the only carrier to make gains in every category at the state level
  • T-Mobile increases total awards for network speed at the metro level

RootMetrics®, the independent source for real-world mobile performance comparison, today announced the release of its first- half 2017 review of Mobile Network Performance in the US report, the most comprehensive summary of mobile network performance across the entirety of the country as well as at the state and metro levels. This is the eighth time RootMetrics has issued nationwide results, providing mobile users with an independent and scientific look at network performance where they live, work and play. 

This new report provides the most comprehensive view of mobile network performance available anywhere, across three complementary levels: the entire United States, each of the 50 states, and the 125 largest metropolitan areas in the country. During the first half of 2017, RootMetrics scouters drove 276,607 miles, more than the distance from the earth to the moon; visited 8,847 indoor locations; and conducted nearly 4.7 million tests in order to statistically reflect performance across 100 percent of the US population. All tests were conducted using unmodified off-the-shelf phones purchased from carrier stores. 

Performance at the national level

Verizon continued to lead in mobile network performance at the national level during the first half of 2017. The carrier captured RootScore Awards outright in five of six categories measured, including the coveted national award for overall mobile performance for the eighth consecutive time. AT&T and Sprint made improvements during this round of testing, sharing the RootScore Award for text performance with Verizon. For AT&T, this is the first time the carrier has earned an award at the national level since the second half of 2015. In Sprint’s case, this is its first-ever national award since testing began.  

“It’s no longer about whether you’re using a smartphone, but how you’re using it. These devices have become a lifeline and we expect strong reliability and high performance regardless of where we are or what we’re doing,” said Annette Hamilton, RootMetrics director. “At RootMetrics, we’re on a mission to provide unbiased, scientific information about mobile performance that can help consumers make the smart decisions based on how and where they use their mobile devices. It’s not enough just to get a signal anymore; consumer demand has evolved, becoming more heavily focused on data reliability and speeds as we shift from primarily making calls and sending texts to uploading videos to social media, streaming movies and downloading large amounts of data for business. As a result, competition between the networks continues to intensify, with the carriers expanding their LTE footprints and implementing new technologies to provide the best possible mobile experience for consumers across the country.”

Overall performance scoring is broken down in two ways. First, RootMetrics offers two holistic categories that give consumers a clear view of each network’s performance in the key areas of Network Reliability and Network Speed. Network Reliability is based on how reliably calls could be made and texts delivered, as well as how often RootMetrics was able to make a data network connection and then stay connected during data testing. Network Speed factors in how quickly a network can download and upload files, send email and perform typical web and app-related tasks. 

Scoring is further broken down into call, data and text RootScores. Looking at all RootScore categories together offers the most comprehensive look at a typical mobile experience; since not everyone uses their phones in the same way, RootMetrics also offers the ability for consumers to slice the data in the way that helps them most.

You can find a full breakdown of mobile network performance during the first half of 2017 at the national level here.

State performance summarized

 At the state level in the first half of 2017, Verizon took home the most RootScore Awards at 268, outright or shared, across all six categories tested. This was a slight decline from the 278 awards earned during the last round of testing. Meanwhile, AT&T was the only carrier to increase the number of awards it won or shared in every category at the state level, with a jump from 92 awards during the last round of testing to 140 awards this round. 

Sprint showed a slight decline in awards at the state level, earning 31 awards during this round of testing, three fewer than the carrier won in the previous report. T-Mobile showed improvements at the state level, moving from 13 awards during the last testing period to a total of 21 for the first half of 2017. This gain in awards is mostly in the Network Speed category, where they improved by nine awards, from four last half to 13 this half. 

You can find a full breakdown of mobile network performance during the first half of 2017 at the state level here.

Metro performance summarized

Mobile performance at the metro level often provides the strongest gauge of a network for consumers. According to this latest testing, Verizon earned by far the most metro-level RootScore Awards at 617 total across all six categories tested, although down somewhat from the 658 awards during the second half of 2016. Meanwhile, AT&T increased the number of awards earned from 372 during the last testing period to 396 for the first half of 2017. AT&T was also the only carrier to earn excellent reliability performance for getting connected and staying connected in all 125 metro markets tested.

T-Mobile won or shared 271 awards across all six categories during this latest round of testing, which is a slight increase of one award since the second half of 2016. However, T-Mobile’s median download speeds at the metro level continue to improve with the carrier recording 20 Mbps or faster in 76 markets during this round of testing compared to 52 last half. Sprint showed a slight decline at the metro level, from previously earning 246 total awards to now winning 211 across all six categories. When it came to reliability, Sprint earned the mark of excellence for getting connected in 106 markets and staying connected in 114 markets. 

You can find a full breakdown of mobile network performance during the first half of 2017 at the metro level here.

For details on the RootMetrics testing methodology, visit: http://www.rootmetrics.com/en-US/methodology.

 About RootMetrics®

RootMetrics®, an IHS Markit company, is an independent mobile analytics firm that measures mobile network performance and offers insights into the consumer mobile experience. RootMetrics provides data on mobile network performance to help the networks improve and give consumers an end-to-end look at mobile performance. To ensure that RootMetrics testing reflects real-world mobile usage, testing is conducted based on where, when and how consumers use their smartphones most often. 

About IHS Markit (www.ihsmarkit.com)

IHS Markit (Nasdaq: INFO) is a world leader in critical information, analytics and solutions for the major industries and markets that drive economies worldwide. The company delivers next-generation information, analytics and solutions to customers in business, finance and government, improving their operational efficiency and providing deep insights that lead to well-informed, confident decisions. IHS Markit has more than 50,000 key business and government customers, including 85 percent of the Fortune Global 500 and the world’s leading financial institutions.  Headquartered in London, IHS Markit is committed to sustainable, profitable growth.

IHS Markit is a registered trademark of IHS Markit Ltd. All other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners © 2017 IHS Markit Ltd. All rights reserved. 

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A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/82cb164d-aec2-4633-8cfb-96002eb144c2

Lori Niquette
RootMetrics
617-779-1800
rootmetrics@shiftcomm.com
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