New RootMetrics Report for Philadelphia: T-Mobile Excels in the Mobile Performance Race

BELLEVUE, Wash., June 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- A new report from RootMetrics^®, an IHS Markit company and the gold standard for mobile performance benchmarking, reveals that T-Mobile excels when it comes to providing consumers in Philadelphia with a strong mobile experience. According to the latest 1st Half 2018 Philadelphia Metro RootScore Report, T-Mobile takes awards outright in three out of the six categories, including overall performance, network speed, and data performance. Verizon also heats up the competition in Philadelphia, sharing the award for network reliability with T-Mobile and claiming the call performance award outright.

Looking at data performance in the metro area, AT&T and T-Mobile record the fastest median download speeds at 37.4 Mbps and 39.4 Mbps, respectively, allowing a subscriber to download a high-definition TV show in about two minutes. T-Mobile records the fastest median upload speed at 20.5 Mbps, allowing a subscriber to upload an image to social media in about two seconds. Notably, Sprint made strides in data performance, increasing its median download speed from 14.9 Mbps to 24.0 Mbps since the previous round of testing.

"It's clear that T-Mobile is doing everything it takes to provide a top-notch mobile experience in Philadelphia," said Doug King, director of business development at RootMetrics. "While T-Mobile records some of the fastest speeds in the city, the rest of the carriers improved their median download and upload speeds, showcasing their commitment to aligning with consumers' demands for more complex mobile tasks, like uploading images to social media, downloading files, or sending emails."

This is the fourteenth time RootMetrics has tested the mobile networks in Philadelphia and issued findings for the metro area. RootScore Reports provide a scientific, independent, consumer-focused assessment of mobile network performance.

Mobile Performance You Can Depend on

Reliability and speed are crucial to a consistently good mobile experience. RootMetrics indicates performance in these key areas with its network reliability category, a combination of results from data, call, and text tests; and its network speed category, which examines results across testing of data transfers, downloading email, and web/app tasks. While all four carriers earn excellent scores of 98.5 or higher in the network reliability category, Verizon and T-Mobile tie for the award. Meanwhile, T-Mobile earns an outright win in network speed for the ninth consecutive testing period.

Data Performance

The data performance category reflects how well networks perform in downloading and uploading data, performing email tasks, and downloading files that approximate loading typical webpages or apps. T-Mobile wins the Data Performance RootScore Award outright for the seventh consecutive report, while also recording the fastest median upload speed at 20.5 Mbps. Both AT&T and T-Mobile record the fastest median download speeds at 37.4 Mbps and 39.4 Mbps, respectively. Notably, AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon all made data speed improvements in Philadelphia during the first half of 2018.

Call and Text Performance

Call and text capabilities are fundamental to a strong mobile experience. Call performance testing is based on how reliably each network can place and maintain calls, while text performance measures how reliably and quickly consumers can send and receive text messages. Verizon wins the Call Performance RootScore Award outright for the second consecutive report. Meanwhile, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon share the Text Performance RootScore Award for the second consecutive testing period.

Comprehensive Testing
To evaluate the mobile experience in Philadelphia, RootMetrics conducted tests across all hours of the day and night from April 30 through May 4. Using smartphones purchased off the shelf at carrier stores, tests were conducted indoors at 175 locations and while driving 3,005 miles. For details about RootMetrics testing, see the methodology section of the RootMetrics website.

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.
© 2017 RootMetrics. All rights reserved.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Lori Niquette for RootMetrics
[email protected]
617-779-1800

SOURCE RootMetrics

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