USA
Opensignal is the independent global standard for analyzing consumer mobile experience. Our industry reports are the definitive guide to understanding the true experience consumers receive on wireless networks.
USA
Opensignal is the independent global standard for analyzing consumer mobile experience. Our industry reports are the definitive guide to understanding the true experience consumers receive on wireless networks.
Key Findings
T-Mobile wins Download Speed Experience with more than double the score of its rivals
T-Mobile users see the fastest average overall download and upload speeds in the U.S. The operator wins Download Speed Experience outright with a score of 79.5Mbps. This is more than twice the speeds that our AT&T (38.2Mbps) or Verizon (31.3Mbps) users observe. T-Mobile widens its lead over second-placed AT&T since the last report, from 27.3Mbps to 41.3Mbps — thanks to a score boost of 17.8Mbps (28.8%). T-Mobile remains the sole winner of Upload Speed Experience, with a score of 10.7Mbps, and has increased its winning margin from 2Mbps to 2.8Mbps over runner-up Verizon.
T-Mobile comes first for Video Experience
T-Mobile triumphs in Video Experience with a score of 60.6 points on a 100-point scale — 5.6 points ahead of AT&T and 6.1 points ahead of Verizon. Video Experience scores account for adaptive bitrate streaming (ABR), a technology that allows Opensignal to accurately represent users’ real video experience including video streams up to 4K quality.
AT&T defends its Availability award win
AT&T wins only one award outright this time around. AT&T is the sole winner of Availability with a score of 99.3%, defending the award it won in the last report. AT&T’s score beats Verizon by 0.2 percentage points while T-Mobile brings up the rear with a score of 98%.
T-Mobile holds Games Experience and Voice App Experience in a firm grip
T-Mobile retains both Games Experience and Voice App Experience awards, with scores of 68.4 and 77.3 points on 100-point scales, respectively. T-Mobile marginally bests second-placed Verizon in both awards — by 1.5 points for Games Experience and by 0.3 points for Voice App Experience. Only 1.1 points separate all three carriers in Voice App Experience.
T-Mobile remains unbeaten on Consistency
T-Mobile claims both consistency awards for the second consecutive Opensignal report. It wins Excellent Consistent Quality (HD video, group video conference calls and gaming) with a score of 81.2% and Core Consistent Quality (lower performance applications including SD video, voice calls and web browsing) with a score of 91.7%. These scores reflect the percentage of users’ tests in which the operator meets the minimum recommended performance thresholds. In both metrics, T-Mobile secures the awards with winning margins of 4.3 and 1.4 percentage points over second-placed Verizon, respectively.
UScellular jointly wins awards in many states
For the first time we include regional results for UScellular across 21 states. The operator is the most successful in Availability — winning one state award outright in West Virginia and eight jointly with other operators. On top of this, UScellular jointly wins Video Experience in South Carolina and Vermont, and shares the winners’ podium for Games Experience in Iowa. In other categories, T-Mobile secures the lion’s share of state awards, with the most outright wins in Download Speed Experience, Video Experience and Upload Speed Experience. However, it is AT&T that collected the most outright regional wins for Availability.
Mobile Experience Awards
Market Overview
In Opensignal's latest USA Mobile Network Experience report we analyze the overall experience of our users across all network technologies. There were no changes in the awards table since the last report — T-Mobile keeps its speed awards in a firm grip and widens its lead over the runner-ups.
T-Mobile also remains the sole winner of both consistency awards, along with Games Experience and Voice App Experience — and comes first in the third experiential metric as well, Video Experience, which now accounts for adaptive bitrate streaming (ABR). Meanwhile, AT&T retains its coverage award — Availability.
In this report we examine the mobile network experience of the three main mobile carriers in the U.S. — AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon — over a period of 90 days starting on September 16, 2022 and ending on December 14, 2022, to see how they fared. Users’ 5G measurements contribute to the overall experience awards in this report. In the regional analysis, we also include UScellular in 21 states where it offers cellular services.
We have published a companion USA 5G Experience report which analyzes the experience of our 5G users when they were connected to 5G.
Overall Experience
National Analysis
T-Mobile wins Video Experience outright with a score of 60.6 points on a 100 point scale. It beats second-placed AT&T by 5.6 points and third-placed Verizonby 6.1 points. Video Experience scores account for adaptive bitrate streaming (ABR), a technology that allows Opensignal to represent users’ real video experience in markets where they can stream up to 4K resolution, for example using 5G.
Definitions
Opensignal’s Video Experience quantifies the quality of video streamed to mobile devices by measuring real-world video streams over an operator's networks. The metric is based on an International Telecommunication Union (ITU) approach, built upon detailed studies which have derived a relationship between technical parameters, including picture quality, video loading time and stall rate, with the perceived video experience as reported by real people. To calculate video experience, we are directly measuring video streams from end-user devices and using this ITU approach to quantify the overall video experience for each operator on a scale from 0 to 100. The videos tested include a mixture of resolutions — including Full HD (FHD) and 4K / Ultra HD (UHD) — and are streamed directly from the world’s largest video content providers.
In addition to Video Experience, we report on the following metrics related to video experience:
- 5G Video Experience: The average Video Experience of Opensignal users when they were connected to an operator’s 5G network.
- Video Experience – 5G Users: The average Video Experience of Opensignal users with a 5G device and a 5G subscription across an operator's networks. It factors in 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G video experience along with the availability of each technology.
- 4G Video Experience: The average Video Experience of Opensignal users on an operator's 4G network.
- 3G Video Experience: The average Video Experience of Opensignal users on an operator’s 3G network.
National Analysis
T-Mobile remains the sole winner of Games Experience, scoring 68.4 points on a 100-point scale. Verizon follows closely, 1.5 points behind the winner. AT&T brings up the rear with a score of 64.2 points. Both T-Mobile and Verizon users observed increases of 2.3 and 2.1 points, respectively, while AT&T’s score remains unchanged.
Thanks to a boost in its score, Verizon moves a category up from Poor (40-65) to Fair (65-75), where it joins T-Mobile. This rating means that users find the experience to be average. In most cases, the game is responsive to the actions of the player with most users reporting that they feel like they have control over the game. The majority of players report that they notice a delay between their actions and the outcomes in the game.
Definitions
Opensignal’s Games Experience measures how mobile users experience real-time multiplayer mobile gaming on an operator’s network. Measured on a scale of 0-100, it analyzes how our users’ multiplayer mobile gaming experience is affected by mobile network conditions including latency, packet loss and jitter.
Games Experience quantifies the experience when playing real-time multiplayer mobile games on mobile devices connected to servers located around the world. The approach is built on several years of research quantifying the relationship between technical network parameters and the gaming experience as reported by real mobile users. These parameters include latency (round trip time), jitter (variability of latency) and packet loss (the proportion of data packets that never reach their destination). Additionally, it considers multiple genres of multiplayer mobile games to measure the average sensitivity to network conditions. The games tested include some of the most popular real-time multiplayer mobile games (such as Fortnite, Pro Evolution Soccer and Arena of Valor) played around the world.
Calculating Games Experience starts with measuring the end-to-end experience from users’ devices to internet end-points that host real games. The score is then measured on a scale from 0 to 100.
In addition to Games Experience, we report on the following metrics related to games experience:
- 5G Games Experience: The average Games Experience of Opensignal users when they were connected to an operator’s 5G network.
- Games Experience – 5G Users: The average Games Experience of Opensignal users with a 5G device and a 5G subscription across an operator's networks. It factors in 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G games experience along with the availability of each technology.
- 4G Games Experience: The average Games Experience of Opensignal users on an operator's 4G network.
- 3G Games Experience: The average Games Experience of Opensignal users on an operator's 3G (e.g. UMTS/HSPA or CDMA 1X EV-DO) network.
National Analysis
The Voice App Experience award goes to T-Mobile, which wins it outright with a score of 77.3 points on a 100 point scale. T-Mobile commands a modest lead of 0.3 points over second-placed Verizon, down from 0.8 points seen in the previous report. All operators observed increases in their scores, of 0.4 and 0.5 points for AT&T and T-Mobile, respectively, and one point for Verizon.
Only 1.1 points separate all three carriers in Voice App Experience and they all place in the Acceptable (74-80) category. This rating means that some users are satisfied. Perceptible call quality impairments are experienced by some users. Clicking sounds of short duration or distortion are heard, and/or the volume may not be sufficiently loud. Listeners are generally able to comprehend without repetition.
Definitions
Opensignal's Voice App Experience measures the quality of experience for over-the-top (OTT) voice services — mobile voice apps such as WhatsApp, Skype and Facebook Messenger — using a model derived from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) approach for quantifying overall voice call quality and a series of calibrated technical parameters. This model characterizes the exact relationship between the technical measurements and perceived call quality. Voice App Experience for each operator is calculated on a scale from 0 to 100.
In addition to Voice App Experience, we report on the following metrics related to voice app experience:
- 5G Voice App Experience: The average Voice App Experience of Opensignal users when they were connected to an operator’s 5G network.
- Voice App Experience – 5G Users: The average Voice App Experience of Opensignal users with a 5G device and a 5G subscription across an operator's networks. It factors in 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G voice app experience along with the availability of each technology.
- 4G Voice App Experience: The average Voice App Experience of Opensignal users on an operator's 4G network.
- 3G Voice App Experience: The average Voice App Experience of Opensignal users on an operator's 3G (e.g. UMTS/HSPA or CDMA 1X EV-DO) network.
National Analysis
Once again, T-Mobile users enjoy the fastest average overall download speeds in the U.S. The operator increased its winning margin over second-placed AT&T from 27.3Mbps to 41.3Mbps. As a result, it wins the Download Speed Experience award outright with a score of 79.5Mbps — more than double AT&T’s (38.2Mbps) and Verizon’s (31.3Mbps) scores.
T-Mobile strengthens its position as the leader thanks to a sizable boost in its users’ average overall download speeds of 17.8Mbps — which means a 28.8% rise compared to the last report. Both AT&T and Verizon users observed substantially lower increases, of 3.8 and 1.5Mbps, respectively.
Definitions
Measured in Mbps, Download Speed Experience represents the typical everyday speeds a user experiences across an operator’s mobile data networks.
In addition to Download Speed Experience, we report on the following metrics related to download speeds:
- 5G Download Speed: The average download speed observed by Opensignal users with active 5G connections.
- Download Speed Experience – 5G Users: The average download speeds experienced by Opensignal users with a 5G device and a 5G subscription across an operator’s networks. It factors in 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G download speeds along with the availability of each technology.
- 4G Download Speed: The average downlink speed observed by Opensignal users when they were connected to 4G.
- 3G Download Speed: The average downlink speed observed by Opensignal users when they were connected to 3G (e.g. UMTS/HSPA or CDMA 1X EV-DO).
National Analysis
T-Mobile leads Upload Speed Experience with a score of 10.7Mbps, followed by Verizon which takes second place with a score of 7.9Mbps. AT&T brings up the rear with a score of 6.3Mbps.
T-Mobile increased its winning margin from 2Mbps to 2.8Mbps over the runner-up Verizon due to a rise of user speeds to 0.9Mbps (8.9%) compared to the last report. Meanwhile, our AT&T and Verizon users saw very limited increases in their average overall upload speeds, of 0.2 and 0.1Mbps, respectively.
Definitions
Upload Speed Experience measures the average upload speeds for each operator observed by our users across their mobile data networks. Typically upload speeds are slower than download speeds, as current mobile broadband technologies focus resources on providing the best possible download speed for users consuming content on their devices. As mobile internet trends move away from downloading content to creating content and supporting real-time communications services, upload speeds are becoming more vital and new technologies are emerging that boost upstream capacity.
In addition to Upload Speed Experience, we report on five supporting metrics related to upload speeds:
- 5G Upload Speed: The average upload speed observed by Opensignal users with active 5G connections.
- Upload Speed Experience – 5G Users: The average upload speeds experienced by Opensignal users with a 5G device and a 5G subscription across an operator’s networks. It factors in 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G upload speeds along with the availability of each technology.
- 4G Upload Speed: The average uplink speed observed by Opensignal users when they were connected to 4G.
- 3G Upload Speed: The average uplink speed observed by Opensignal users when they were connected to 3G (e.g. UMTS/HSPA or CDMA 1X EV-DO).
Regional Analysis
In this report we analyze the mobile network experience across all 50 U.S. states, plus the capital Washington D.C. On top of AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon, we also include results for UScellular across 21 states. Additionally in Alaska, the three active operators are AT&T, GCI and Verizon.
T-Mobile secures the lion’s share of state awards in the Overall Experience section, as it wins 166 awards outright and 42 jointly, out of 250 awards available (all regions safe for Alaska where it does not operate) — with the most outright wins in Download Speed Experience, Video Experience and Upload Speed Experience. Both Verizon and AT&T were eligible for 255 regional awards. Verizon wins 28 state awards outright — mainly in Games Experience and Voice App Experience — and completes its haul with 46 shared wins. AT&T takes home six awards and shares 31 more with its competitors. UScellular wins no awards outright but shares the winners’ podium three times in the Overall Experience section. GCI wins two awards outright and one jointly, all in Alaska where it operates.
T-Mobile smashes the award table for Download Speed Experience, winning outright in 47 regions and jointly in two more states — it shares the award in Montana with AT&T and in North Dakota with both AT&T and Verizon. Our T-Mobile users enjoy the fastest download speeds in the U.S. in the District of Columbia, clocking in at 125.4 Mbps for Download Speed Experience. This is 28.4% faster than the speed our T-Mobile users see in Illinois (97.7 Mbps), who see the second-best result in the U.S. There are only two states where T-Mobile doesn’t come first — Alaska, where GCI claims the award outright, and Vermont where AT&T secures its only sole win in this category.
T-Mobile also dominates the regional award table for Upload Speed Experience, with 42 outright and five joint wins — all shared with Verizon in Arkansas, Indiana, Minnesota, West Virginia and Wyoming. Our T-Mobile users see the fastest upload speeds in the U.S. in the District of Columbia, clocking in at 18.9Mbps — ahead of New York (18.2Mbps) and New Jersey (15.9Mbps). Verizon wins outright in three states — Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota — while GCI comes first in Alaska.
T-Mobile wins Video Experience in 44 regions outright and six jointly — all of the states where the operator is present. Verizon secures its only outright win for Video Experience in Alaska. AT&T and Verizon jointly win five Video Experience awards each — together with T-Mobile in Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont and Wyoming. UScellular joins the winners’ podium with all three operators in Vermont and shares an additional win for Video Experience in South Carolina, with T-Mobile.
Looking at the Games Experience and Voice App Experience categories, we observe a more balanced distribution of awards. T-Mobile wins 19 regional awards outright and 10 jointly for Games Experience, with our T-Mobile users seeing the best gaming experience in the District of Columbia (79.4 points). The operator is also the sole winner of 14 regional awards and shares 19 more recognitions for Voice App Experience. Verizon wins 16 awards outright and 11 jointly for Games Experience, while it also secures eight awards solely and shares 24 for Voice App Experience. AT&T ends with a smaller haul — two awards outright for Games Experience (Mississippi and Oklahoma) and three for Voice App Experience (Mississippi, Oregon and Washington), while it also jointly wins nine and 15 awards, respectively. UScellular jointly wins one award, for Games Experience in Iowa.
Regional Analysis Summary: USA, Mobile Network Experience Report, January 2023
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A-D
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
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E-H
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
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I-L
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
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M-P
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
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Q-T
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
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U-X
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
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Coverage
AT&T
T-Mobile
Verizon
