When it comes to the number of subscribers that each carrier has, the top performers in the United States are Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, and then T-Mobile. However, when looking at how fast is the data service that users on those networks can expect, the rankings see some surprising shifts.
PCMag has released its annual Fastest Mobile Networks survey and found some surprising news. While AT&T was the leading carrier in the 2013 edition of the test, the most recent findings see Big Blue falling to No. 3 in the rankings. Verizon has obtained the crown as the leading network, followed by T-Mobile. It's a surprising move because fourth place, in terms of subscribers, T-Mobile couldn't even compete with the larger carriers in most markets last year. Yet in the Fastest Mobile Networks 2014 survey, T-Mobile actually lead the competition in 15 of the 30 markets tested.
Verizon turned in faster speeds that rivals and was far more consistent thanks to its expansive coverage and introduction of XLTE. T-Mobile lost points because it's coverage outside of major metropolitan areas dropped off significantly. Sprint ranked far behind the competition by turning in average speeds that were below half as fast as the leading companies. Sprint also had the lowest download and upload speeds, and embarrassing continuation of its poor showing last year. You can find more details about how the survey tested network speeds and a breakdown of PCMag's presentation of national, regional, and city results.
