From a 4G-only perspective, AT&T did best, with the fastest and most reliable
4G-only network. But just as we saw in many other cities, kicking into 5G mode
is a bad thing for AT&T users in Baltimore, reducing average download speeds
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AT&T 5G phone attaches to the narrow 5G channel, it gives up some of the
wider available 4G channels.
T-Mobile 4G really struggled in Baltimore but was redeemed a bit by 5G. While
T-Mobile’s 4G was much slower than the competitors, its 5G was 79 percent
faster than its 4G. That still results in a slower and less reliable network
citywide than we saw with the other two carriers, but if you’re a T-Mobile
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BOSTON: AT&T
AT&T’s 4G network was the strongest and most reliable of the networks we
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AT&T’s and Verizon’s average speeds were very similar, AT&T’s greater
reliability and lower latency let it rise to the top.
With both AT&T and T-Mobile, we saw the same trends we saw nationally with
4G and 5G. AT&T’s 5G was actually slower than its 4G results, potentially
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5G averaged 30 percent faster than its 4G when tested at the same locations,
but neither of T-Mobile’s networks were fast enough to overcome AT&T’s and
Verizon’s leads.
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