BELLEVUE, Wash., May 25, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In the latest report from RootMetrics®, the standard for independent mobile performance information, two carriers have taken the lead in the overall mobile performance rankings in Philadelphia. In the 1st Half 2016 Philadelphia Metro RootScore Report, T-Mobile shared the award for Overall Performance with AT&T, after a previous tie between T-Mobile and Verizon in the last round of the testing. Until now, Verizon had won or shared this award in every single round of RootMetrics mobile performance testing in Philadelphia.
When it came to Network Reliability, all four carriers excelled with scores of 98.3 and above. Ultimately, AT&T and Verizon shared the RootScore Award in this category. The latest report from RootMetrics, an IHS (NYSE: IHS) company, also revealed T-Mobile earned outright wins in both Network Speed and Data Performance in Philadelphia.
"Looking across the latest rankings in Philadelphia, each carrier appears to have strengths in particular aspects of mobile performance," said Julie Dey, RootMetrics vice president. "All the networks displayed excellent reliability, call, and text capabilities and four of the six categories resulted in shared awards, which suggests that the mobile networks are working hard to improve the experience for mobile consumers in Philadelphia."
This is the tenth time RootMetrics has tested the mobile networks in Philadelphia and issued findings for the metro area. RootScore Reports provide a scientific, independent, consumer-focused assessment of mobile network performance.
The RootMetrics Overall Performance RootScore rankings for Philadelphia:
1 – AT&T (97.5)
1 – T-Mobile (97.2)
3 – Verizon (96.5)
4 – Sprint (95.1)
RootScores are on a scale of 0 to 100. A good Overall RootScore means strong all-around performance and a good consumer experience.
Mobile Performance You Can Depend on
Reliability and speed are crucial to a consistently good mobile experience. RootMetrics indicates performance in these key areas with its Network Reliability category, a combination of results from data, call, and text tests; and its Network Speed category, which examines results across testing of data transfers, downloading email, and web/app tasks.
After a tight race, AT&T and Verizon came out on top in the Network Reliability category, while T-Mobile and Sprint fell only one point behind. In Network Speed, T-Mobile took first place outright for the fifth consecutive testing period.
Network Reliability rankings:
1 – AT&T (99.3)
1 – Verizon (99.1)
3 – Sprint (98.7)
4 – T-Mobile (98.3)
Network Speed rankings:
1 – T-Mobile (94.9)
2 – AT&T (91.0)
3 – Verizon (88.1)
4 – Sprint (82.4)
Data Performance
Data Performance RootScores reflect how well networks perform in downloading and uploading data, performing email tasks, and downloading files that approximate loading typical webpages or apps.
T-Mobile took the Data Performance RootScore Award outright for the third consecutive time in Philadelphia, while also recording the fastest median download and upload speeds by far, at 17.8 Mbps and 16.5 Mbps, respectively. On this network, it would only take about two seconds to download a picture.
Data Performance rankings:
1 – T-Mobile (97.7)
2 – AT&T (95.9)
3 – Verizon (94.9)
4 – Sprint (92.0)
Call and Text Performance
Both Call and Text Performance categories resulted in three-way ties. AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon shared first in Call Performance for the second time in a row, while AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon shared the top spot in Text Performance.
Call Performance rankings:
1 – AT&T (99.4)
1 – Sprint (99.0)
1 – Verizon (98.5)
4 – T-Mobile (96.4)
Text Performance rankings:
1 – AT&T (99.1)
1 – T-Mobile (99.0)
1 – Verizon (98.4)
4 – Sprint (97.6)
Comprehensive Testing
To evaluate the mobile experience in Philadelphia, RootMetrics performed 60,236 call, data, and text tests across all hours of the day and night from April 13 through April 19. Using smartphones purchased off the shelf at carrier stores, tests were conducted indoors at 93 locations and while driving 3,827 miles. For details about RootMetrics testing, see the methodology section of the RootMetrics website.
About RootMetrics®
RootMetrics® is an independent mobile analytics firm that offers insights into the consumer mobile experience. RootMetrics provides data on mobile network performance to help people make more informed mobile decisions. RootMetrics offers its RootScore® Report series for nations, states, metro areas, airports, campuses, venues, and transit stations, as well as its downloadable CoverageMap app. To ensure that RootMetrics testing reflects real-world mobile usage, testing is conducted based on where, when and how consumers use their smartphones most often.
About IHS
IHS (NYSE: IHS) is the leading source of insight, analytics and expertise in critical areas that shape today's business landscape. Businesses and governments in more than 140 countries around the globe rely on the comprehensive content, expert independent analysis and flexible delivery methods of IHS to make high-impact decisions and develop strategies with speed and confidence. IHS has been in business since 1959 and became a publicly traded company on the New York Stock Exchange in 2005. Headquartered in Englewood, Colorado, USA, IHS is committed to sustainable, profitable growth and employs nearly 9,000 people in 33 countries around the world.