BELLEVUE, Wash., Nov. 19, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today RootMetrics®, the standard for independent mobile performance testing, is out with its latest rankings which revealed all four mobile carriers display solid mobile service throughout the Dallas metro area. According to the 2nd Half 2015 Dallas Metro RootScore Report, AT&T and Verizon shared first place when it came to overall mobile performance and Sprint and T-Mobile were close behind, with only about two points separating the first-place winners and last place. In fact, every category tested resulted in less than a five-point spread between first and last.
Although AT&T was the only carrier to win awards across the board, each category tested resulted in two and three-way ties. During the previous round of testing in March, AT&T ranked first outright in overall mobile performance, network reliability, network speed, data, and call performance, while this time around, Sprint and/or Verizon shared awards with the carrier in these categories. The latest rankings from RootMetrics, an IHS (NYSE: IHS) company, suggest that the carriers are making strides all aspects of mobile performance.
"AT&T and Verizon topped our rankings when it came to overall mobile performance in Dallas, but the competition is intensifying," said Julie Dey, RootMetrics vice president. "With close rankings across the board, and particularly high scores in overall mobile performance, network reliability, data, call, and text performance, mobile consumers in are the real winners."
This is the eleventh time RootMetrics has tested the mobile networks in Dallas. RootScore Reports provide a scientific, independent, consumer-focused assessment of mobile network performance.
The final RootMetrics Overall Performance RootScore rankings for Dallas:
1 – AT&T (98.3)
1 – Verizon (98.0)
3 – Sprint (97.2)
4 – T-Mobile (96.1)
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 quality 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.
All the carriers earned excellent network reliability scores in Dallas. AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint tied for first place with scores approaching 100, and T-Mobile came in about two points behind. Network speed, on the other hand, resulted in a tie between AT&T and Verizon. This was the only category in which a carrier scored below 90.0, with Sprint at 88.7.
Reliability Index rankings:
1 – AT&T (99.8)
1 – Verizon (99.6)
1 – Sprint (99.6)
4 – T-Mobile (98.0)
Speed Index rankings:
1 – AT&T (93.2)
1 – Verizon (92.9)
3 – T-Mobile (91.1)
4 – Sprint (88.7)
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.
After winning the data performance award for two consecutive testing periods, AT&T shared first with Verizon this time around. All four carriers earned high scores in this category, with less than three points between first and last. Sprint and Verizon recorded the fastest median download speeds at 19.0 Mbps and 18.2 Mbps, respectively, while T-Mobile recorded the fastest median upload speed at 21.9 Mbps.
Data Performance rankings:
1 – AT&T (97.3)
1 – Verizon (97.1)
3 – T-Mobile (96.0)
4 – Sprint (95.0)
Call and Text Performance
In Dallas, Sprint and AT&T shared the top spot when it came to call performance, with Sprint not recording any blocked or dropped calls. Meanwhile, text performance resulted in a three-way tie between Sprint, AT&T, and Verizon.
Call Performance rankings:
1 – Sprint (100.0)
1 – AT&T (99.7)
3 – Verizon (99.1)
4 – T-Mobile (96.0)
Text Performance rankings:
1 – Sprint (99.0)
1 – AT&T (98.4)
1 – Verizon (98.2)
4 – T-Mobile (97.8)
Comprehensive Testing
To evaluate the mobile experience in Dallas, RootMetrics performed 61,396 call, data and text tests across all hours of the day and night from Oct. 16 through Oct. 23. Using smartphones purchased off the shelf at carrier stores, tests were conducted indoors at 111 locations, outdoors and while driving 3,557 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 the nation, 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 150 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 about 8,800 people in 32 countries around the world.