Verizon, T-Mobile Rank America’s Top Performing Wireless Networks

A study conducted by one of the world’s largest market research firms revealed that while wireless network performance and quality varies across America’s major telecom providers — and while the shoddiness of this service, interestingly enough, appears to be on the rise in several regions of the country — Verizon Wireless ranked highest of all in terms of network quality and performance.

Although T-Mobile, mimicking the results of previous network testing, actually tied Big Red in quality and performance — though only in the Northeast, according to J.D. Power’s 2019 U.S. Wireless Network Quality Performance Study (Vol. 1.)

Methods and Findings

The study evaluated the self-reported network quality experiences of 32,159 wireless customers living in the Mid-Atlantic, North Central, Northeast, Southeast, Southwest and West regions of the country.

Interestingly, while wireless network issues appear to be on the rise as reported by customers in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and North Central regions of the country, similar network issues have reportedly decreased in the Southeast — but overall are less-common in suburban areas, and more common in rural and urban areas.

“As consumers anxiously await the availability of 5G outside of urban areas, providers that have invested in current 4G LTE infrastructure to improve network quality in the rural areas they serve have seen the fewest amount of network problems,” said Ian Greenblatt, Managing Director at J.D. Power.

“It is no secret that the ROI on investing in rural areas is quite low, but as more rural customers shift to unlimited data plans, the notable incremental demand on the system necessitates investment to maintain the reliable network quality those customers have come to expect and enjoy.”

Ultimately, the findings revealed that Verizon ranks highest in terms of both call, messaging and LTE data quality and performance in all six regions — achieving the “lowest network quality problems per 100 connections (PP100).” T-Mobile, in the Northeast, tied Verizon in data quality.

Of course these findings, accessible in more detail via J.D. Power’s official report, aren’t exactly “news,” as both Verizon and T-Mobile have achieved acclaim for the quality of their networks before.