As T-Mobile’s lead in the 5G race soars – both in speeds and reliability – AT&T and Verizon’s positions are too close to call at this time. This is according to newly released data from RootMetrics (refer to the November Scorecard). Tests were completed in about 60 cities, out of a total 125 they will eventually incorporate for later tests. T-Mobile US had the most 5G availability in 42 cities, AT&T led in 25 markets and Verizon in 4.
Cities with the most 5G coverage were also reported. Specifically, RootMetrics reported cities where each of the carriers had achieved the most extensive amount of 5G coverage. This includes:
- El Paso, Texas (98% 5G coverage by T-Mo)
- Indio, California (96.8% 5G coverage by AT&T)
- Rockford, Illinois (91.7% 5G coverage by Verizon)
The cities where each carrier clocked the fastest speeds thus far during RootMetrics testing were:
- Kansas City, Missouri, where T-Mobile US achieved a blazing 273.3 Mbps
- Ann Arbor, Michigan, where Verizon’s network registered median 5G download speeds of 98.3 Mbps
- Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where AT&T saw median 5G download speeds of 71 Mbps
In this round of testing, Patrick Linder, CMO of RootMetrics, said in a statement, “We…witnessed firsthand just how dynamic the 5G race can be, with a new leader for speed and a shift in the reliability standings since our testing in the first half of 2021. With another 65 markets to test and all carriers aggressively continuing 5G deployment and optimization, things could certainly change again as we continue our 2H 2021 testing.”