Verizon Takes The Lead Role In Mobile Performance In Los Angeles

Posted by IHS Markit

Verizon continues its reign as the top mobile network in Los Angeles; however, consistent data speed improvements from AT&T are heating up the mobile performance competition in the metro area. A new report from RootMetrics by IHS Markit, the standard for mobile performance benchmarking, reveals AT&T significantly increases its median download speed for the second straight report in Los Angeles, growing from 19.5 Mbps in the first half of 2018 to 36.5 Mbps in this latest round of testing.

In addition to improving its speed, AT&T earns two awards in the 1st Half 2019 Los Angeles Metro RootScore Report, including a shared win with Verizon in call performance and a four-way tie in text. Across all the remaining mobile performance categories, AT&T finishes a close second behind Verizon.

“Verizon has long dominated our mobile performance awards in Los Angeles, and its stellar reliability is helping keep it on top, but network improvements from AT&T are tightening the race,” said Francis Sideco, vice president, technology at IHS Markit. “From nearly doubling its median download speed within a year to earning first and second place finishes across all categories in this round of testing, AT&T is closing the gap with Verizon.”

This is the sixteenth time IHS Markit has tested the mobile networks in Los Angeles and issued findings for the metro area. RootScore Reports provide a scientific, independent, consumer-focused assessment of mobile network performance.

Mobile Performance You Can Depend On

Verizon earns the Network Reliability RootScore Award outright, snapping the three-way tie it held with AT&T and T-Mobile in the second half of 2018. Verizon also holds the network speed award outright for the eleventh consecutive report. Reliability and speed are crucial to a consistently good mobile experience. The network reliability category is a combination of results from data, call and text tests, while the network speed category examines results across testing of data transfers and web/app tasks.

Data Performance

Verizon takes the Data Performance RootScore Award outright for the eleventh report in a row. However, AT&T records the fastest median download speed at 36.5 Mbps, while T-Mobile records the fastest median upload speed at 21.7 Mbps. During outdoor walking tests in the dense urban core of Los Angeles, Verizon records the fastest median download speed at 47.7 Mbps and T-Mobile records the fastest median upload speed at 27.9 Mbps. These speeds suggest that the two carriers shine even with a higher volume of users on their networks. The data performance category reflects how well networks perform in downloading and uploading data and downloading files that approximate loading typical webpages or apps.

Call and Text Performance

Verizon and AT&T share the award for call performance for the third consecutive report, while all four carriers share the Text Performance RootScore Award. Call performance testing is based on how reliably each network can place and maintain calls, while text performance measures how reliably and quickly consumers can send and receive text messages.

Comprehensive Testing

To evaluate the mobile experience in Los Angeles, IHS Markit conducted tests across all hours of the day and night from March 24 through April 4. Using smartphones purchased off the shelf at carrier stores, tests were conducted indoors at 174 locations and while driving 3,310 miles. For details about RootMetrics testing, see the methodology section of the RootMetrics by IHS Markit website.―CT Bureau