States with the Best Wireless Connectivity

August 14, 2017

Though the United States is not exactly up to snuff with the rest of the connected world when it comes to internet speed and wireless connectivity, some providers are starting to catch up, signaling that we are going in the right direction. Consumers today are more demanding than ever, and carriers are in a heated race to expand their reach, add network volume and adopt the latest technologies in order to convince their subscribers not to jump ship.

What it boils down to for most people is who provides the best coverage in their area. Of course, there are few, if any, who would move just to gain access to better connections. But let’s make the assumption that someone would. Where, then, would the wireless promised land be?

States with the Best Wireless Connectivity

The Many Variables of Wireless Connectivity

Network strength varies immensely, and can often be affected by the weather, the time of day and where you are situated inside a building. Since carriers are constantly upgrading their networks and adding towers, it’s nearly impossible to pin down any one provider as “the best” for any length of time. To be a contender, a provider must anticipate the changing ways in which their users access the wireless network, and strive to constantly meet those needs.

The Top Four Dominate

Ultimately, it comes down to the top four providers – AT&T, Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile – to offer what is widely considered to be the best performance. According to Root Metrics, an organization that researches the mobile experience and makes their findings available to the public, these are the carriers that are leading the pack – not just in terms of speed and reliability, but also in terms of network availability and customer service, as well.

Verizon seems to be on top for the moment, but Root Metrics reports significantly increased speeds and performance from T-Mobile and AT&T, while Sprint’s standings have declined over the previous period. According to Open Signal’s State of Mobile Networks Report, T-Mobile tied with Verizon for the top spot in the last quarter of 2016, but in reality, all carriers have seen a sharp improvement in 4G availability and LTE coverage.

Speed vs. Availability: the Top States

In terms of which states fare better, it comes down to download speed and availability. Verizon tends to outclass its contenders in availability, with Georgia, Ohio, Michigan, Washington and parts of Florida and Texas topping out at 95 percent or better availability. On the issue of speed, Michigan, Georgia, Ohio, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, and Oregon all cross the finish line at upwards of 25-30 Mbps.

Though there are pockets of fantastic performance, such as Silicon Valley in Northern California, the Midwest seems to be leading the charge, perhaps in part because of its wide-open spaces. As with most things in the telecom industry though, it’s all a moving target, and there’s nothing to say these stats won’t change drastically between now and the end of the year.

One thing we can count on, however, is that there is still plenty of work to be done. With mobile being as important as it is to the vast majority of people in the United States, wireless connectivity will only continue to improve and push the boundaries of what we now know is possible.

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