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Watch out, Verizon: Sprint and T-Mobile are making big progress in NYC

Published Oct 8th, 2015 7:00PM EDT
Verizon Vs. AT&T Vs. Sprint Vs. T-Mobile: New York

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Sprint and T-Mobile offer some incredible wireless deals. The downside, however, is that they’ve traditionally offered inferior service compared to Verizon and AT&T. However, RootMetrics’ latest study of all four major wireless carriers in New York City has found that Sprint and T-Mobile are improving by leaps and bounds in the Big Apple.

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RootMetrics took a look at wireless performance at several different places around the city, including major venues like Yankee Stadium, college campuses, airports and public transportation centers. In all, it found Verizon had the best coverage in the most overall places, but it was followed fairly closely by T-Mobile and Sprint, with AT&T trailing in fourth.

“The big takeaway is that competition between the networks is heating up,” RootMetrics explains. “Verizon has often led our scoring in other reports, and Verizon once again offered excellent service in our testing of mobile life in the New York City area. Sprint and T-Mobile, however, also caught our attention with strong performances in the densely-populated area of New York City. Continuing a trend we have seen in our other recent testing, Sprint’s reliability and call performance were particularly strong, while T-Mobile’s speed and data performance were especially noteworthy.”

Both Sprint and T-Mobile have been putting considerable resources into improving their coverage in major cities, although studies have consistently found they’re behind rival carriers in more rural areas. That said, if you’re someone who spends most of their time in a big city, both carriers have made major improvements over the past couple of years compared to what they once offered.

Check out RootMetrics’ full report on wireless service in New York here.

Brad Reed
Brad Reed Staff Writer

Brad Reed has written about technology for over eight years at BGR.com and Network World. Prior to that, he wrote freelance stories for political publications such as AlterNet and the American Prospect. He has a Master's Degree in Business and Economics Journalism from Boston University.