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AT&T Leads with Fastest Network Data Speeds Nationwide, Study Shows

by Caleb Johnson on June 4, 2010 at 05:10 PM

PC magazine says AT&T has the fastest data network.Cell phone providers are scrambling to offer customers the speediest connection, and while every provider claims it's the fastest, PCMag recently decided to put our wireless overlords to the test. Using custom-designed software and people based in 18 U.S. cities, the magazine tested speeds from AT&T, Cricket, T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless, Sprint 3G and Sprint 4G to find out which was the fastest on a given day.

First, let's get this clear: This study didn't include categories like voice quality, dropped calls or coverage areas. The sole focus was on raw data speed. Nationwide, AT&T was crowned the fastest network, although it was the least reliable. T-Mobile came in second and Verizon registered third. If you're looking for the most consistent connection, albeit at the expense of speed, then Sprint's 3G network was the best option. But these guys didn't stop the ratings there; the study was also broken down by region. In the Northeast, T-Mobile offered the fastest mobile Internet connection, and AT&T still remained the fastest in the Southeast, Central and West.


Of course, these rankings are no reason to rush out and switch providers. Connections can be faster or slower from one day to the next based on a number of factors, like area usage, time of day, and so on. PCMag's study is simply a snapshot, although an interesting one, of a single day in different locations. [From: PCMag]

Tags: ATT, cellphone, cricket, data, download, network speed, NetworkSpeed, pcmag, sprint, study, TMobile, top, upload, Verizon

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