PROVIDENCE – Verizon matched its first-half performance by again leading the competition in overall performance in Rhode Island in RootMetrics’ latest National RootScore report, which measured the performance of the nation’s four wireless companies in the second half of 2016.
Verizon was the clear winner statewide in the overall performance category, receiving a score of 98.3, to second-place AT&T’s 96.6, third-place T-Mobile’s 94.1, and fourth-place Sprint’s 88.9.
Scores are scaled from 0-100, 100 being the best.
More than 20,000 tests were conducted in the second half of the year to determine cell performance. A total of 1,474 miles were driven and 28 indoor locations were used for testing, according to RootMetrics.
Verizon also led the competition – but just barely – in the Providence-Warwick-Fall River metropolitan area, RootMetrics said.
Verizon led in the overall performance category, as well as network reliability, network speed, and data and cell performance. T-Mobile topped text performance, and was second in overall performance, network reliability and cell performance. AT&T was third in overall performance, network reliability, and cell and text performance.
Verizon’s overall score was 98.2, while T-Mobile’s was 97.7 and AT&T’s, 97.6. Sprint’s score was 91.6. The scores of the top three providers were so close that RootMetrics declared them a “three-way tie.” T-Mobile topped the overall performance category in the first half of the year.
Verizon led all five categories, which include network reliability, network speed, data performance, cell performance and text performance. T-Mobile was second in network speed and text performance, while AT&T was third in those categories.
“These test results are absolutely overwhelming. Only Verizon’s network offers superior performance, unrivaled reliability and the best speeds for customers, making it the best option for unlimited data plans,” Nicola Palmer, Verizon’s chief wireless network officer, said in a statement.
Verizon said it has consistently invested in reliability, innovation and the latest engineering technologies. Since 2000, the company said it has invested $122 billion. It also said its 4G LTE network covers more than 2.4 million square miles and 314 million people, more than any other wireless company.
During the Providence metro testing period, which took place from Oct. 28 to Nov. 3, 1,472 miles were driven and 33 indoor locations were used to measure cell performance, RootMetrics said.
