How Network Testing Methods Shape U.S. Mobile Rankings
New mobile performance reports from Ookla show U.S. carriers ranking differently depending on how speeds are measured.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 9, 2026 – U.S. mobile carriers posted divergent results across two major network performance reports covering the second half of 2025, with rankings shifting depending on whether data came from millions of consumer speed tests or from structured, on-the-ground measurements conducted by professional testers.
Ookla’s Speedtest Connectivity Report for July through December 2025 draws on millions of user-initiated tests collected through its Speedtest app, reflecting real-world experiences across devices, locations, and service plans.
By contrast, Ookla’s RootMetrics State of the Mobile Union Report relies on controlled drive and walk testing using standardized devices and routes to assess network performance under consistent conditions.
T-Mobile leads on consumer-measured speeds
Based on crowdsourced Speedtest data, T-Mobile led the mobile market across key performance metrics in the second half of 2025. The carrier recorded a median download speed of 259.48 Megabits per second (Mbps) across all mobile technologies and a median 5G download speed of 309.41 Mbps, the fastest among national providers.
T-Mobile also posted the highest mobile network consistency, with nearly 88 percent of its samples meeting minimum performance thresholds, and recorded the highest 5G availability, with users connected to 5G more than 91 percent of the time. Verizon, meanwhile, led in overall mobile coverage, reflecting broader geographic reach rather than peak speeds.
The Speedtest report focuses on how networks perform in everyday use, measuring web browsing, video streaming, and gaming alongside basic speed tests.
RootMetrics puts Verizon ahead on overall performance
By comparison, RootMetrics, which conducts its own nationwide study of more than three million tests across all 50 states and 125 metropolitan areas, reports different performance outcomes.
Verizon earned the Overall RootScore Award for best national network performance in the second half of 2025, along with top marks for network reliability and Best 5G Experience. RootMetrics testing showed Verizon improving performance in both urban and rural areas, particularly among its slowest-performing connections, which carry significant weight in RootMetrics’ emphasis on reliability and consistency.
AT&T shared national awards for network speed, call performance, and text performance, while showing steady improvement in median download speeds across states and major cities. T-Mobile tied with AT&T for the national Network Speed RootScore Award but did not secure the overall performance title, in part because of weaker results at the lower end of its speed distribution.
Why the results differ
The contrasting rankings show how measurement methodology influences carrier comparisons.
Speedtest data reflects what consumers actually experience day to day, capturing performance across a wide range of devices, locations, and usage conditions. RootMetrics testing, by contrast, standardizes devices, routes, and testing conditions nationwide, allowing for more controlled comparisons across carriers.
RootMetrics also places greater emphasis on reliability and consistency, including how networks perform in rural areas and at the edge of coverage rather than focusing solely on peak speeds.
Narrowing performance gaps
Despite differences in rankings, both reports point to a broader trend: Performance gaps among the nation’s three largest mobile carriers continue to narrow as 5G networks mature.
According to RootMetrics data, nationwide median mobile download speeds rose from 212 Mbps in the second half of 2024 to 276 Mbps in the second half of 2025, while the availability of a 5G signal increased to nearly 90 percent of all tests.
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