If you want to sign up for a carrier that will do your 5G phone justice, this is not an easy choice. RootMetrics released its 5G scorecard for May 2021, and there is no network that can be considered the best – it really depends on your priorities.
AT&T had the best 5G daily download speeds in the study, with the provider leading in 15 of the cities studied. However, T-Mobile’s low-frequency service offered the highest availability as the faster connection was switched on more frequently in 44 cities. Verizon (Disclaimer: This author also writes for Verizon Engadget) topped the reliability tables because it was most stable in 47 cities.
Connected: T-Mobile versus Verizon
As usual, the likelihood of getting this connectivity varied from city to city. You would find the best availability of AT&T 5G from the Portland, Oregon study, but you would have to travel to Kansas City, Missouri to get the fastest average speed. T-Mobile and Verizon had similar variations.
The results are good news if you are concerned that one particular carrier is clearly worse than the others. However, it also shows that no company currently has the best 5G in the country. You will be making some kind of sacrifice to get the fastest or most consistent access. Coverage may need to mature further before you can assume that your telecommunications company offers strong service across all categories.