Verizon Outpaces T-Mobile in New 5G Reliability Study — What It Means for You

Two new studies have been published from mobile analytics firm RootMetrics that look at carrier performance in the first half of 2024.

The first study looked at the state of 5G connectivity in the United States. T-Mobile took the top spot for speed and coverage in a speed study by Ookla. Surprisingly, and for the first time in a while, another carrier took the top spot in RootMetrics’ 5G tests.

Of the three key metrics considered, Verizon was picked as the winner in two areas: speed and reliability. T-Mobile won for availability, confirming the data from the previous Ookla report. AT&T was ranked third overall.

It’s a significant change from the 2023 report released earlier this year. In that study, T-Mobile came out on top for availability and speed. Verizon still won for reliability in that study.

Across the board, Verizon seemed to differentiate itself from its competitors with the company’s network speeds outside of major metropolitan areas. All three carriers seem to have similar performance in cities, but once you get out of densely populated areas, things can get more spread out.

Based on the most recent study and the previous study from 2023, the difference is which data Rootmetrics used. Previous studies appear to have looked primarily at metropolitan areas or combined urban and rural statistics.

The newer study looked at the data for rural areas separately and shows a clear difference between carriers as they move further away from cities.

Verizon also won its seventh consecutive “Most Reliable 5G” award from RootMetrics, a distinction bolstered by the new addition of rural area scores in this year’s study.

Perhaps T-Mobile will follow suit, as the company is committed to being available everywhere.

The company’s second survey looked at the state of mobile in the first half of the year.

It is largely a summary of “awards” for how each carrier performed in various markets across the country. However, there are some insights that can be gleaned.

T-Mobile continued to offer the best download speeds in its major markets, hitting 100 Mbps in every market.

Overall, each company was able to improve its download speeds, though AT&T trailed the other two by a fair margin in most tests. Though the report did say AT&T performed better in categories like calling and texting performance.

Should you consider switching providers if the numbers appeal to you?

Maybe. Verizon seems to have the most consistent performance across the board, while AT&T seems to be decent in everything, and T-Mobile has the coverage and speed.

None of this guarantees that you’ll be able to connect to the network and get those services. Tom’s Guide editor Mark Spoonauer recently switched from Verizon to T-Mobile and found that his devices didn’t have the speeds and coverage that the network supposedly offers.

And they’re so close in score that you should have pretty good service everywhere, especially in metropolitan areas.

If the network doesn’t work, you can always look at the best providers that aren’t part of the big three.

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Verizon Outpaces T-Mobile in New 5G Reliability Study — What It Means for You

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