Verizon Snags Top Spot In National Network Performance Test

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According to a test from RootMetrics, Verizon has the best cellular network in the US. Other providers are, however, steadily improving.

The independent test from RootMetrics took place across all 50 states, examining reliability, speed, call, text, network and overall performance. Verizon was unchallenged in five categories and tied for first place in text performance. Of the 300 possible State RootScore Awards that RootMetrics handed out for this six-month stretch (one for each category in each state), Verizon managed to collect 272 of them, an improvement over the 253 it won in the first half of 2015.
 
I've been with them for a long time now. Zero complaints. Very few spots I don't have solid 4G service even out in the boonies. I've got unlimited talk and text and 6GB a month and my bill is a little over $100 after taxes.
 
All I have to say to this just reconfirms what I already know. After selling the stuff for 4 years I can tell you it's by far the best. It is a bit pricey though.
 
I switched to Verizon in 2012 for their better network, giving up my grandfathered unlimited AT&T plan in the process, after having been a customer of theirs (well, Cingular) since 2002.

I have to admit that Verizon has been a better experience - network wise - than AT&T was, but in the time since then, judging by others performance around me, they have been catching up. Even my fiance's Sprint phone seems to do quite well these days.

My gripe with Verizon - however - has been that they are control freaks about their devices. I can't ge the devices I want on their network, and the devices they sell are bootloader locked, with enough bloatware and pre-installed uninstallable apps to make me want to scream. This and they tend to be a bit pricy.

My contract is up in October. As my data usage per month averages ~1.5GB, and rarely ever goes over 2GB, this has me wondering if it's time to switch to a cheaper MVNO, like TING, or maybe even get a Nexus phone and try Project Fi.

Actually Project Fi would be really interesting to try. It's a little disappointing that it's only available on Nexus phones though. I might just wait for the next ~5" Nexus, as I have no interest in a huge phablet (ought to be one in Sept/Oct, right?) and as long as it isn't designed by a Chinese company. I'm still not comfortable enough to buy a Huawei phone.
 
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I've been with Verizon a long time. Around 8-10 years. They have higher prices, locked down phones, but have always had great service. They did jack my phone bill (everyone on a UDP) up $20 for still being an unlimited data customer. I now pay $84 a month and have to buy my smartphones outright. Still love the service.
 
CreatedTheMultiverse said:
I've been with Verizon a long time. Around 8-10 years. They have higher prices, locked down phones, but have always had great service. They did jack my phone bill (everyone on a UDP) up $20 for still being an unlimited data customer. I now pay $84 a month and have to buy my smartphones outright. Still love the service.
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You can use device payment plans now on UDP, try the promo code UPGRADE for another $100 off. I got an S6 64GB in early December for $376 brand new.
 
Damn they pretty much obliterated the competition. Been with Verizon about 8 years. Don't think I've ever had an issue with their service. Top notch all around. Use my phone as my home internet too. Using 200gb+ a month, never a complaint or slowdown from them.

CreatedTheMultiverse said:
I've been with Verizon a long time. Around 8-10 years. They have higher prices, locked down phones, but have always had great service. They did jack my phone bill (everyone on a UDP) up $20 for still being an unlimited data customer. I now pay $84 a month and have to buy my smartphones outright. Still love the service.
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The price hike was avoidable, but too late if you already have it.

Also look here: Verizon - How to Use a Subsidized Upgrade and Keep Your Unlimited Data Plan Or Avoid A 2 year Data Plan on a Nationwide Basic Line

Waste of money buying phones outright and not using your subsidized upgrades.
 
CreatedTheMultiverse said:
How did some people get out of it? Can't believe I missed that.

That's one old thread. Hard to know what to do...lol.
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Just had to renew a 2 year contract before the price hike went on your bill. I renewed mine Nov 27, so have until then at least with no increase.
Ever since the unlimited price hike, Verizon also made it much more difficult to use a subsidized upgrade and keep unlimited. Prior it was very simple. Easiest way now is just use the Best Buy method, and either sell the phone or trade it with someone else. Just cannot use the phone you bought on your line, unless you do the number change trick. I did Note 5 for $50, sold it for $450. Will buy 6P soon since it's unlocked.
 
This year we dropped Verizon and switched to Cricket (ATT).

Went from $200 a month to $100 a month and can add another line for free. We had 2 smart phones and 2 feature phones and now have 3 smart phones and 1 feature. 2.5 GB a month each though cricket does throttle 4G speeds to something like 8mbps.

I think best network really is in the location and where you go frequently. I had no problem with Verizon in the city, service was great. Though at my cabin I would have to sit by a window to get 1 bar. Cricket/ATT same location, 3 bars min and works find in my major metropolitan area (Minneapolis MN).

Personally I am liking the switch to pay as you go, I have options now to go any service I want... AND I save money to boot.
 
Zarathustra[H] said:
Actually Project Fi would be really interesting to try. It's a little disappointing that it's only available on Nexus phones though. I might just wait for the next ~5" Nexus, as I have no interest in a huge phablet (ought to be one in Sept/Oct, right?) and as long as it isn't designed by a Chinese company. I'm still not comfortable enough to buy a Huawei phone.
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Maybe I am going crazy in my old age, but I just ordered a used 10/10 Nexus 5X from B&H last night. When it gets here, my plan is to use the project fi invite I just received and port out of VZW, and eat the ETF.

I put together a spreadsheet, and ETF + New Phone cost - Project Fi Savings until end of contract - Sale of current Droid Turbo should only wind up being ~$50 or so, and I can live with that.

$35 per month for my phone bill will be a nice change.
 
dandirk said:
This year we dropped Verizon and switched to Cricket (ATT).

Went from $200 a month to $100 a month and can add another line for free. We had 2 smart phones and 2 feature phones and now have 3 smart phones and 1 feature. 2.5 GB a month each though cricket does throttle 4G speeds to something like 8mbps.

I think best network really is in the location and where you go frequently. I had no problem with Verizon in the city, service was great. Though at my cabin I would have to sit by a window to get 1 bar. Cricket/ATT same location, 3 bars min and works find in my major metropolitan area (Minneapolis MN).

Personally I am liking the switch to pay as you go, I have options now to go any service I want... AND I save money to boot.
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I agree, it is location dependent.

My experience has been that Verizon has far more consistent coverage than any of the other competitors in the U.S, but regardless of this, all carriers have their strong and their weak areas.

I'm excited to try out Google Fi, as it uses both T-Mobile and Sprints networks and dynamically switches between them based on what offers the best signal.

I'd argue that if you picked a large enough sample of random locations across the U.S. Verizon has the best coverage on average, by far of any individual mobile network. The question is, will it be better than the combined power of T-Mobile and Sprint as part of Googles Fi?

I'm looking forward to find out for myself. Either way, even if coverage isn't quite as good, the promise of a $35 per month phone bill is opne that I am really looking forward to!
 
I had Sprint for 8 years and switched to Verizon a little over a year ago. I'll never switch from Verizon. Best network and speeds. Coverage everywhere. With Sprint I'd have no service out in the middle of a lake, Verizon I get full signal. Article is correct.
 
No question that Verizon has always had the best coverage - if anyone has a signal, it is usually me, and it's been like that for as long as I've had a cell phone and been with Verizon.

But I feel that they've become a bit like Intel in the fact that they have pretty much no competition when it comes to what they do best, so they haven't really gotten any better over at least the last few years. I've moved 10 miles farther into the suburbs and I encounter a few more dead spots where I drop calls - 10 years ago I would've expected those dead spots to have mostly been eliminated by now.
 
Does not matter to me as long as I can get my email and texting when I need too. Heck, the only reason I switched is because I use less than 1GB of data a month and I wanted a new phone. Ended up being cheaper than staying with T Mobile at the time and I have better connectivity now.
 
Switched to Straightalk earlier this month. On Verizon i did'nt get good reception at the house. Given my job pretty much requires me to be on call 24/7... I was getting fed up with it. Otherwise no complaints.

$45 a month, unlimited talk/text an 5GBs data is plenty for me.
 
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