P3, the global leader in benchmarking and testing mobile networks, has today released its latest report: “P3 Data Speed Report”. With this report, the company aims to bring more transparency into the discussion about network speed in the US. P3 has examined and compared the four big mobile network operators: AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon looking at the Network Top Speed as well as the User Speed Experience perceived by the users in the US markets, defined as the Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSA). The corresponding data was collected within three months, May, June and July 2018, in 383 MSAs and comprises of 472,760,281 speed samples out of 41.3 billion total samples from 2,195,628 users. The results show:
“This benchmark is significantly different to typical speed tests we call old fashioned,” says Hakan Ekmen, CEO P3 communications. “Those tests are normally based on artificially initiated data transfers - thus, they do not represent real life conditions. In contrast to that, the P3 methodology looks at the real life data traffic speed and analyzes what really happens on the consumers’ smartphones when using any of their apps. Compared to old fashioned speed tests that are based on downloading bulks of artificial data, the analysis of real life traffic for doing a meaningful speed benchmark is much harder, but it is worth it.”
If you want to find out more about our methodology, please read the “P3 Methodology Whitepaper”.
The P3 Data Speed Report is the third of a series of reports measuring and analyzing the US mobile networks, following the “P3 Connectivity on Interstates Report” and the “P3 State Connectivity Report”. In the following months, P3 will extend its measurements to the whole mobile infrastructure in the US, applying the worldwide accepted P3 Score, to evaluate which operator offers the “Best in Test” network performance and coverage.
P3 has gained extensive experience in collecting, storing and analyzing huge amounts of data. The P3 solution is integrated into 800+ very diverse Android apps and passively collects data in the background. If one of the applications is installed on the end-user’s phone, the data collection takes place continuously – 24/7/365 – on this device. The unique userbase and dataset allow P3 to collect data about the real-world customer experience – wherever and whenever customers use their phones.
- Verizon leads the Network Top Speed benchmark.
- Verizon shows higher top speeds than the competition in more than 75% of the metro areas and provides the most consistent Network Top Speeds across the country.
- T-Mobile stands out with high speeds in Florida.
- Sprint customers face less limitations in their real life smartphone usage than users in the other networks.
“This benchmark is significantly different to typical speed tests we call old fashioned,” says Hakan Ekmen, CEO P3 communications. “Those tests are normally based on artificially initiated data transfers - thus, they do not represent real life conditions. In contrast to that, the P3 methodology looks at the real life data traffic speed and analyzes what really happens on the consumers’ smartphones when using any of their apps. Compared to old fashioned speed tests that are based on downloading bulks of artificial data, the analysis of real life traffic for doing a meaningful speed benchmark is much harder, but it is worth it.”
If you want to find out more about our methodology, please read the “P3 Methodology Whitepaper”.
The P3 Data Speed Report is the third of a series of reports measuring and analyzing the US mobile networks, following the “P3 Connectivity on Interstates Report” and the “P3 State Connectivity Report”. In the following months, P3 will extend its measurements to the whole mobile infrastructure in the US, applying the worldwide accepted P3 Score, to evaluate which operator offers the “Best in Test” network performance and coverage.
P3 has gained extensive experience in collecting, storing and analyzing huge amounts of data. The P3 solution is integrated into 800+ very diverse Android apps and passively collects data in the background. If one of the applications is installed on the end-user’s phone, the data collection takes place continuously – 24/7/365 – on this device. The unique userbase and dataset allow P3 to collect data about the real-world customer experience – wherever and whenever customers use their phones.
