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Arthur T Knackerbracket has found the following story:
The back-and-forth over which carrier has the best network continues, with Verizon Wireless taking the latest win.
The nation's largest carrier also proved to be the best, according to the results taken from the first half of the year from testing firm RootMetrics. Along with the best overall performance, Verizon took the top spot in reliability, speed, data, calling and text message. AT&T finished second in every category except for calls, where Sprint edged out its rival.
The results, which didn't differ much from RootMetrics' second-half 2015 test, give Verizon further ammunition as it touts the superiority of its network. These tests are critical to carriers as they sell you on the strength of their service. That's particularly the case for Verizon, which needs to justify the premium it charges its customers.
But RootMetrics isn't the only game in town, and the results differ radically. Rival testing firm OpenSignal has declared T-Mobile the best overall network, and Speedtest.net regularly crowns T-Mobile the fastest network to boot.
The high score among wireless carriers goes to Verizon.
The differing results come down to how each firm conducts its test. OpenSignal and Speedtest relies on tests run by regular people, which they argue offer vastly more results in real-world situations. RootMetrics uses a fleet of test vans and professional testers with a consistent set of phones.
RootMetrics said it conducted 3.7 million tests, drove 265,386 miles and tested 4,249 indoor locations to get its results.
(Score: 4, Informative) by Runaway1956 on Saturday August 27 2016, @03:00PM
Let's hear from our foreign freinds about wireless service. Internet, telephone, wireless control of your home appliances, wireless sex - and whatever else. Europe HAS wireless. The US has a sack of shite.
My home has a very weak signal. If I need to make a cell phone call from home, I have to walk outside, and find a spot where I get enough signal to do more than SMS. Half of my drive from work to home has no signal.
And, there are vast tracts of this country that have equal or worse service than I get.
And, once again, I remind everyone that congress PAID the telcos for that "last mile" long ago. The telcos were supposed to build new towers in places that had no coverage, or poor coverage. Instead, they spent part of that money in high competition areas (read big cities) and pocketed the rest.
Screw Verizon and all the rest. When they use the money they took from congress, in the manner in which congress intended it to be spent, THEN I may have something nice to say about a US telco.
“Take me to the Brig. I want to see the “real Marines”. – Major General Chesty Puller, USMC
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday August 27 2016, @03:11PM
I don't use Verizon, but I do use their towers through a MVNO. Using their towers are the only way to get service in my area.
Are you using GSM? IIRC GSM does not penetrate buildings well, so that is probably why you need to go outside for signal.
(Score: 1) by Francis on Saturday August 27 2016, @06:29PM
It depends what you're looking to do with the access, what carrier it is and where you're located. I've found T-Mobile to be more than enough to cover my needs locally and they've expanded their network to a huge degree over the last couple years. And with all the people making the switch, I expect them to have plenty of money to finish the expansion in the future.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday August 27 2016, @06:47PM
I have been hearing about tmobile 'finishing' their network since 2005. Sprint is the same way. Unless they capex some equipment and buy some cell tower space it is not going to happen.
(Score: 1) by Francis on Saturday August 27 2016, @08:50PM
If you think that, then you haven't been paying attention. Their coverage area is at least double what it was 3 years ago.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday August 28 2016, @05:12AM
Yeah, I was thinking pretty much the same thing: Verizon reigns supreme as wireless carrier in the USA...and all the while South Koreans are laughing at us! It would be funny except that it is so very true.