AT&T Emerges as Top Overall Mobile Performer in Boston

BELLEVUE, Wash., Nov. 17, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- RootMetrics®, the standard for independent mobile performance testing, today is out with its latest report from the Boston metro area and AT&T emerges ahead of the pack for overall performance. The carrier won outright or shared awards across every single category tested, according to the 2nd Half 2015 Boston Metro RootScore Report. This includes outright wins in overall mobile performance, network reliability, and data performance.

AT&T may be the overall winner in Boston, but some of the other carriers are trailing close behind. For instance, T-Mobile shared the award for network speed with AT&T, while call performance resulted in a three-way tie between AT&T, Sprint and Verizon. The report from RootMetrics, an IHS (NYSE:IHS) company, also had Verizon only about one point behind AT&T when it came to overall mobile performance. Furthermore, although AT&T won the award for network reliability outright, the other three carriers earned excellent scores, trailing only about two points behind.
 
"Although AT&T shot ahead of the competition when it came to overall mobile performance in Boston, there seems to be excellent reliability across all carriers," said Julie Dey, RootMetrics vice president. "With high scores in reliability, call and text performance, our latest testing reveals great news and great choices for mobile consumers in the Boston metro area."
 
This is the tenth time RootMetrics has tested the mobile networks in Boston and issued its findings for the metro area. RootScore Reports provide a scientific, independent, consumer-focused assessment of mobile network performance.
 
The final RootMetrics Overall Performance RootScore rankings for Boston:
1 – AT&T (98.2)
2 – Verizon (97.0)
3 – T-Mobile (95.9)
4 – Sprint (93.4)
 
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.

In Boston, there seems to be excellent reliability across all carriers. AT&T was awarded the top spot with a near-perfect score, but the other three carriers also earned high scores of 97.3 and above. Network speed, on the other hand, placed AT&T and T-Mobile at the top, with Verizon closely trailing. Sprint lagged far behind in this category, scoring a 75.2—almost a full 20 points behind the first-place winners.

Reliability Index rankings:
1 – AT&T (99.5)
2 – Sprint (98.6)
2 – Verizon (98.5)
4 – T-Mobile (97.3)
 
Speed Index rankings:
1 – AT&T (94.1)
1 – T-Mobile (94.0)
3 – Verizon (91.7)
4 – Sprint (75.2)
 
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.
 
For the seventh consecutive time, AT&T came out on top in the data performance category, with T-Mobile falling just short. AT&T recorded the fastest median download speed at 19.0 Mbps, while T-Mobile recorded the fastest median upload speed at 13.9 Mbps.
 
Data Performance rankings:
1 – AT&T (97.5)
2 – T-Mobile (97.4)
3 – Verizon (95.6)
4 – Sprint (89.1)
 
Call and Text Performance

When it came to call performance in Boston, AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon shared the top spot, an award that resulted in a four-way tie during the last round of testing. Text performance resulted in a shared win between all four carriers.

Call Performance rankings:
1 – AT&T (99.1)
1 – Sprint (98.7)
1 – Verizon (98.7)
4 – T-Mobile (93.7)
 
Text Performance rankings:
1 – AT&T (98.1)
1 – T-Mobile (97.8)
1 – Verizon (97.7)
1 – Sprint (97.5)
 
Comprehensive Testing

To evaluate the mobile experience in Boston, RootMetrics performed 61,799 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 106 locations, outdoors and while driving 3,462 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.