T-Mobile has cleared the field in Opensignal’s latest Mobile Network Experience Report released Thursday, finishing first in 12 out of 16 categories and confirming its reputation for fast 5G and overall performance.
The findings, which are based on billions of real-world results from consumer devices throughout the United States, indicate dramatic improvements in average download speeds, upload speeds, and 5G availability — even as Verizon continues to hold an edge in overall coverage.
What Opensignal Measured in Its Latest U.S. Report
Opensignal measures mobile performance based on crowdsourced data reflecting how networks perform where people actually live and use them. The report covers main user-oriented parameters such as average download and upload speeds, 5G availability, coverage experience, consistency, and quality categories ranging from video and gaming to voice app use. And because Opensignal’s readings are taken in real-world settings across a variety of devices and locations, the results provide an on-the-ground view of how each carrier’s service performs beyond cozy lab environments.
Where T-Mobile Pulled Ahead on Speed and 5G Availability
Speed remains T-Mobile’s headline story. The carrier provided an average download of 184.7 Mbps across the country, which was more than twice as fast as AT&T and Verizon — both in the high-70s Mbps range. And that speed advantage flows into improved video streaming and snappier app experiences — especially in dense urban areas where it can really shine.
T-Mobile was also the front-runner for 5G availability, or the time users spend on 5G instead of LTE. In Opensignal’s 5G Coverage Experience, T-Mobile scored an 8.3 out of 10, followed by Verizon with a score of 7.6 and AT&T at a score of 7.4. Throughout the report, T-Mobile took top rank in 75% of measured categories — a continuation of a several-years-long trend of leading its competitors on speed and availability measurements.
Where Rivals Still Lead on Coverage and Reliability
Verizon also holds a major advantage in coverage, an important consideration for travelers and rural residents who value reach over speed. Though the speed gap is significant, Opensignal’s data also indicates that there are experience-based categories in which the margins can be relatively tight, suggesting AT&T and Verizon are generally tied in terms of reliability and quality across the country.
It’s also worth noting that third-party benchmarks often tell a complementary story: The speed tests conducted by Ookla often reflect T-Mobile’s lead in this area as well; likewise, RootMetrics reports have long favored Verizon for coverage and reliability. Together those sources paint a portrait of a trade-off narrative — T-Mobile courts speed and 5G time-on-network, Verizon continues to smash out the reach aspects it wants you to feel about its network (most of the time!), and AT&T often threads the middle with steady performance.
Why T-Mobile’s Strategy Is Working in 5G Performance
The basis for T-Mobile’s lead is the carrier’s huge mid-band 5G network, constructed mainly on its hoard of 2.5 GHz spectrum obtained from Sprint during the merger. Mid-band is the compromise band, finding a balance between capacity and coverage: You get faster speeds than low-band without the hugely limited range of millimeter wave. T-Mobile was also aggressive on standalone core 5G technology and continued to add densification, turning spectrum assets into incremental speed improvements every day.
Verizon’s aggressive rollout of C-band and AT&T’s continued 5G+ expansion are helping close gaps across many markets, but network modernization does not happen overnight. As more C-band sites light up and carrier aggregation matures across equipment, you can expect both rivals to erode T-Mobile’s advantage — especially in the suburbs where mid-band deployments are ramping quickly.
What Consumers Need to Know About Carrier Performance
For most users, T-Mobile’s improvements will mean faster downloads, less jittery video, and more time on 5G. People who are tethering, streaming constantly, or living their lives in cloud apps stand to benefit the most. But coverage does still matter: People in rural areas, off major highways, or who travel a lot may find Verizon’s wider reach more attractive, while AT&T’s consistent performance could be what households value when weighing speed against reliability.
Local results may differ since Opensignal’s methodology is crowdsourced and geographically diverse.
Before you jump ship, think about your device’s 5G band support and the carriers’ coverage maps — and also how they work compared with city-specific service.
If you can, try out a carrier for a week — most have trial periods now — and consider network quality as important, if not more so, than features and perks of available plans.
What it means: T-Mobile’s clean sweep of the latest Opensignal awards highlights a very obvious speed and 5G availability lead today. Competition is tightening, but T-Mobile currently sets the pace for many users — especially in cities and suburbs.
