New RootMetrics® Report Shows Verizon and AT&T Lead the Mobile Performance Race in Seattle

BELLEVUE, Wash., Sept. 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- A new report from RootMetrics by IHS Markit, the gold standard for mobile performance benchmarking, reveals AT&T and Verizon receive top honors in Seattle, sharing the overall performance award, which T-Mobile previously won outright. According to the latest 2nd Half 2018 Seattle Metro RootScore Report, AT&T and Verizon also tie for awards in network reliability and call performance. However, T-Mobile holds onto the Network Speed RootScore® Award for the fourth consecutive testing period and shares the Data Performance RootScore Award with AT&T.

Looking at data speeds in the metro area, Sprint records the fastest median download speed at 44.9 Mbps, which is a significant jump from the 29.1 Mbps recorded in the last round of testing. Meanwhile, T-Mobile and Verizon record the fastest median upload speeds at 15.2 Mbps and 14.2 Mbps, respectively, allowing subscribers to upload a picture to social media in about two seconds.

"The mobile performance race in Seattle is heating up, with multiple award-wins for AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile," said Doug King, director of business development at RootMetrics. "AT&T and Verizon are clearly making network reliability a top priority, while T-Mobile continues to get ahead in areas like network speed and data performance. This is great news for consumers in Seattle, as it's obvious that all of the networks are working to fit the needs of the modern smartphone user."

This is the sixteenth time RootMetrics has tested the mobile networks in Seattle 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 high scores of 97.0 and above in the network reliability category, Verizon and AT&T tie for the win, which is an award the two carriers previously shared with T-Mobile. Meanwhile, T-Mobile earns an outright award in network speed for the fourth 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 and AT&T tie for the Data Performance RootScore Award, which was previously held outright by T-Mobile. T-Mobile and Verizon, however, record the fastest median upload speeds in Seattle at 15.2 Mbps and 14.2 Mbps, respectively. Sprint records the fastest median download speed at 44.9 Mbps, allowing subscribers to download a high-definition television show in less than two minutes.

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 and AT&T share the award for call performance, while Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT&T all share the Text Performance RootScore Award for the third consecutive testing period.

Comprehensive Testing

To evaluate the mobile experience in Seattle, RootMetrics conducted tests across all hours of the day and night from August 3 through August 9. Using smartphones purchased off the shelf at carrier stores, tests were conducted indoors at 118 locations and while driving 1,915 miles. For details about RootMetrics testing, see the methodology section of the RootMetrics website.

About RootMetrics® 

RootMetrics®, by IHS Markit, is mobile analytics 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.

© 2018 RootMetrics. All rights reserved.

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

SOURCE RootMetrics

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