Verizon edged out AT&T and T-Mobile in a sweeping new assessment of U.S. wireless performance, but it couldn’t clinch the speed crown. The latest State of the Mobile Union from RootMetrics gives Verizon the overall win and top honors for reliability, responsiveness, and data and video performance, while naming AT&T and T-Mobile co-leaders for network speed.
The margins are razor thin for most everyday tasks. RootMetrics’ composite “RootScore” shows only a 1.5-point gap between T-Mobile at 96.7 and Verizon at 98.2, with AT&T nearly tied at 97.9. Reliability scores were similarly clustered, with Verizon barely ahead of AT&T and T-Mobile not far behind.
How the Rankings Were Decided by RootMetrics
RootMetrics, a unit of Ookla, based its rankings on more than 3 million tests across the country, including over 246,000 miles of drive testing. The firm uses controlled, automated measurements on Android phones, then applied statistical analysis to determine whether observed differences are truly meaningful or effectively ties.
Those methods matter in categories like calling and texting, where AT&T and Verizon tied at the top while T-Mobile lagged. RootMetrics recorded a call-performance score of 92.4 for T-Mobile versus a 97.1 tie for AT&T and Verizon. Texting followed the same pattern, with T-Mobile at 96.4 trailing AT&T at 98.8 and Verizon at 99.2.
Speed Is the Sticking Point for Verizon’s Network
Speed is the one category where Verizon clearly trails. RootMetrics found T-Mobile’s median download rate at 374.5Mbps, a commanding lead over Verizon’s 226.5Mbps and AT&T’s 193Mbps. That gap aligns with T-Mobile’s long-running mid-band 5G advantage and ongoing optimizations.
For on-phone use, the practical difference is narrower than the raw numbers suggest. RootMetrics analyst Mike Dano notes that once you’re consistently above 100Mbps, typical mobile activities—from social feeds to HD video—feel similarly snappy. Where top-end speed still matters is in scenarios like tethering a laptop, grabbing large app updates on the go, or handling heavy traffic in packed venues.
5G Upgrades Driving the Gap Between Carrier Speeds
The performance spread reflects how each carrier has rolled out next-gen 5G features. At AT&T, RootMetrics did not consistently observe the operator’s recently activated standalone 5G during its test window, though it did detect early use of 3.45GHz mid-band spectrum and improved results where AT&T has shifted from Nokia to Ericsson network gear.
T-Mobile’s standalone 5G is nearly ubiquitous, according to the report, and the carrier is leaning heavily on carrier aggregation to combine channels for higher throughput. RootMetrics saw that technique in use across more than two-thirds of T-Mobile samples, helping explain its speed dominance.
Verizon, meanwhile, showed standalone 5G in almost 60% of metro tests and is pushing efficiency with features like massive MIMO and Sounding Reference Signal beamforming. Its millimeter-wave 5G still delivers eye-watering peaks—RootMetrics observed urban bursts around 5.5Gbps—though coverage remains highly localized.
What It Means for Consumers Choosing a Carrier
All three nationwide carriers now deliver more than enough speed for routine mobile use, and the overall experience is converging. That means your best choice often comes down to local coverage, plan features, and where you travel—especially if you spend time in rural areas, where RootMetrics expects continued investment and improvement.
Network speeds are also trending up across the board. RootMetrics reports that national median downloads have climbed markedly between its most recent editions, a testament to mid-band 5G buildouts from AT&T and Verizon’s C-band and T-Mobile’s 2.5GHz holdings. Independent auditors such as Opensignal and J.D. Power have documented similar progress, often splitting awards across categories like speed, availability, and consistency.
Bottom line: Verizon holds a slight overall edge today, especially for reliability and responsiveness, while T-Mobile remains the speed leader and AT&T keeps pace in key categories. For most people, any of the big three will feel fast and dependable; the smartest move is to check performance where you live and work, and pick the plan that best fits your priorities.
