What's faster, AT&T or T-Mobile?
You might think AT&T is faster than T-Mobile or perhaps T-Mobile is faster than AT&T?
In fact, the speed of a wireless network is crucial, which is why we will look at it more closely in the next section. Customers also desire quick internet connection for watching videos and streaming, app use, or simply browsing on their mobile devices. Both AT&T and T-Mobile are among the top providers of telecommunication services in the United States, but which one is better in terms of network connection? Their are some few factors that influence the speeds within a network.
Coverage Area
There are several aspects of speed, which is important to consider: one of them is coverage area. For instance, if a certain carrier has an ultra-modern network technology that provides high-speed connectivity, it will not assist if a person cannot access the network. Currently, both companies provide the AT&T Mobility Nationwide 4G LTE service and the T-Mobile USA Nationwide 4G LTE service utilizing similar frequency ranges. Nevertheless, AT&T has been offering its services for a longer period hence it has a more developed 4G LTE network that has a population coverage of over 300 million. T-Mobile is not far from the mark with 290 million people covered. Generally, both carriers are adequate for most customers and in many regions they offer a comparable service level, although if you live in a rural area, providers are still expanding their networks.
Network Technology
Another factor is the standards on the wireless technologies that each use in its network too affect these speeds. In fact T-Mobile was the first among all the major carriers to launch a 4G network based on LTE technology back in year 2013. Since then, it has extended the network coverage and enhanced technology with the help of programmes like LTE-Advanced including least network crowding, carrier aggregation for higher speed, and 256 QAM modulation to send more data. Phone network T-Mobile was originally geared for 5G in 2019 using high-band mmWave spectrum, which will further pave it for future faster speeds.
On the other hand, AT&T has improved its own 4G LTE network over the years with things like carrier aggregation, LTE-Advanced Pro for lower latency, and further optimization. The company is also expanding its 5G connectivity to the lower band and the high band mmWave for coverage and faster connectivity. The two carriers keep refining network technology but T-Mobile appears considerably further along in extending speed capacity.
Frequency Bands
The overall use of wireless spectrum each carrier utilizes in their network also determines speed capability. Low band frequencies less than 1GHZ have excellent signal range and penetration but has low data transfer rate while high band greater than 1 GHZ has high data transfer rate but low signal range and penetration. T-Mobile has got great hold of 600 MHz and 700 MHz bands which give good coverage in indoor and rural areas with satisfactory download speeds around 50 to 60 Mbps. However, its ultra-fast 5G network built on the high band mmWave spectrum at around 28 GHz and 39 GHz has an impressive speed of over 500 Mbps in some places but with extremely poor building penetration.
Like T-Mobile, AT&T also has a substantial amount of low-band 700 MHz spectrum alongside a bit of mid-band around 1.7/2.1 GHz for higher speeds. Similarly to T-Mobile, AT&T is utilizing high-band 5G mmWave in targeted cities with the help of utilizing 39GHz spectrum for speeds over 1 Gbps. To the best interest of both carriers, the goal is to optimize both coverage and speeds. However, taking a quick look at the balance sheet, T-Mobile appears to lean more towards speed with how much high-band spectrum it has.
Real-World Speed Test Results
This is further illustrated by the following results achieved when conducting actual speed tests based on real usage scenarios. This is usually done by research firms such as OpenSignal, RootMetrics, Ookla, and PCMag, through Mobile Network Speed tests conducted across various locations in the US, with parameters such as average download/upload speeds, latency among others. The outcomes can vary depending on the approach to the test, yet it reflects the true speed rate.
For instance, the May 2022 OpenSignal report revealed that T-Mobile again claimed a faster 5G download speed across the country at around 113 Mbps, while AT&T was second-best at 93.7 Mbps. The same is to be observed with respect to the metro area results that show that T-Mobile possesses a higher speed compared to AT&T. Nonetheless, RootMetrics testing for the first half of 2022 shows that AT&T has been the fastest provider of data in the nation in terms of median download speeds. Therefore, the findings are not exactly the same but imply that T-Mobile might offer the better connectivity speed than AT&T according to the most recent information.
Thus, both companies provide customers with high-speed network connection based on the most advanced 4G/LTE technology and 5G. In terms of the actual speed that users get on average, Speedtest does show T-Mobile to be a little ahead. But still, AT&T is a fierce contender that’s why speeds are primarily determined by your location and availability of newer spectrum bands that have been rolled out. In most cases, either carrier has the capacity and technology to meet mobile needs, so choice is not a significant concern. The differences in the terms such as price, the scope of the offered plans, and perks that come with them may mean more here. During the onset of the 5G technology, the user of the service will be able to enjoy a high speed connection with the network service providers such as T-Mobile and AT&T.
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