In search of: True, consistent 4G

With each of the major carriers touting the benefits of its particular LTE or WiMAX or HSPA+ flavor, 4G seems to be everywhere.  Except, of course, when it’s not: maybe the carrier’s 4G footprint isn’t as robust as you thought, maybe those promised 4G speeds aren’t as consistent as you had expected, or maybe you aren’t even sure if 4G means the same thing from one carrier to the next.  The landscape is notoriously confusing, with each carrier promoting competing claims of its 4G prowess:

·         - Verizon purports to have the “Fastest, Most Advanced 4G Network in America.”

·         - T-Mobile says it has “America’s Largest 4G network.”

·         - Sprint touts itself as “America’s favorite 4G network.”

·         - AT&T suggests that “Not all 4G is created equal.” 

The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) hasn’t exactly clarified the 4G situation either.  Officially, a mobile device will need to offer download speeds of 100 Mbps to be considered 4G.  Of course, no carrier can come close to this number right now.  Recognizing this gap between definition and reality, the ITU loosened the reins and has acknowledged that the term “4G” also applies to technologies that are only precursors to “full” 4G.  With competing marketing claims and even competing definitions from the ITU, it’s no wonder consumers are confused. 

At RootMetrics, we’ve sorted and analyzed over 60,000 data points to weed through the clutter and chaos.  We’ve aggregated measurements from eight major markets for one seemingly innocent task: to find 4G. 

To find 4G, we first had to isolate exactly what we were looking for.  Rather than compare the maximum speeds of each network or analyze how often a consumer could expect to be on a specific version of “4G” (such as LTE, or WiMAX, or HSPA+), we’ve cut through the rival definitions and leveled the playing field by establishing a threshold speed for our study: we’ve set the bar (rather generously low) so that any data download speed greater than 3 Mbps will be considered “4G speed” for the purposes of this carrier comparison. 

We’re not, then, looking at each network for its maximum theoretical download speed, or even its average download speed; instead, we’re charting how consistently each network reaches our threshold 4G speed.  After all, it’s great to hit 4G speed, but it’s equally important to know how often you can actually expect to reach those numbers. 

To complement the picture, we’ve also sifted through the data to examine what speed range a consumer would be most likely to experience if the service “dropped” below the 4G threshold.  We’ve identified how often each carrier performed at “3G speed” (500 kbps –3 Mbps), as well as how often speeds dropped to a tortoise-like rate below 500 kbps.  Finally, we’ve rounded out the study with a look at download data failure rates for each carrier so that you can balance the quest for 4G speed with the reliability of service. 

In short, we’ve put together a study of speed consistency that cuts through competing carrier claims about what constitutes 4G and allows consumers to decide where the crossover point between “4G speed,” data slowdown, and data failure is for their unique needs. 

To put it in real-world terms, I know that an HD movie is a data-intensive file and I’m curious whether it’s worth the effort to try and watch it on my mobile device.  I don’t want playback to stutter, stall momentarily, or stop completely.  Before I start downloading the data stream, I’d like to know:

·         - what are the odds that I will find 4G speeds? 

·         - what is the next most likely speed range that I will experience during downloading if I don’t find 4G speeds? 

·         - what are the odds that I will experience a data failure?  

Knowing what the likelihood is that my carrier will reliably deliver 4G speeds helps me decide if I should go get the popcorn, or not even bother.

A note regarding methodology and the numbers.  RootMetrics looks at network coverage from a consumer’s rather than a carrier’s point of view.  We measure carrier performance using off-the-shelf smartphones in everyday conditions, when and where you are most likely to use your phone.  Our phones are not capped or throttled in any way.  The data for this report comes from our exhaustive testing in eight major markets: Atlanta, Boston, New York, San Francisco, San Jose, Philadelphia, Denver, and Minneapolis.  The measurements and charts cited here consist of the aggregated results from over 67,000 tests in these eight major markets.  We are currently gathering test data from other cities and will continue to offer in-depth analyses of individual market areas, but keep in mind that the numbers in this report are not a national average.  

Verizon

Verizon is fast.  And reliable.  They most consistently hit the 4G speed mark, reaching our threshold an impressive 75% of the time.  If you are dropped from 4G speed, though, you have almost as good a chance of dropping below 500 kbps as you do of moving into 3G speed. 

T-Mobile

T-Mobile hit 4G speeds almost 50% of the time.  However, if you do drop below 4G speed, prepare for a wait: we measured download speeds in the 0-500 kbps range in approximately 1/5 of our tests.    

AT&T

AT&T presents a mixed bag.  You might not find the fastest speeds with AT&T, but they did hit 3G speeds more often than any of the other carriers.  Though not the quickest,  AT&T was very consistent. 

Sprint

Sprint delivered 4G speeds less often than any of the carriers.  And when you missed 4G speed, you were even slightly more likely to drop all the way below 500 kbps than you were to experience 3G speed.  A failure rate of almost 9% could also give consumers pause. 

As our data shows, the larger point to remember is that 4G is more than maximum speeds or the size of a carrier’s footprint.  At RootMetrics, we’ve rounded out the 4G picture by adding another dimension to the debate: consistency. 

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Bill Moore is CEO and President of Bellevue, Washington-based RootMetrics, which is building a movement to create a more open mobile market that democratizes mobile performance data. Deploying a sophisticated smartphone application, RootMetrics partners with consumers to collect network signal strength and data throughput speeds, aggregating collected metrics into easy-to-understand maps that rate each carrier's performance. This comparative data provides transparency into comparative carrier performance down to the most granular levels. For more information, visit www.rootmetrics.com.