The 4 and 6 Reign Supreme for Data and Social Media Performance While the J and Z Come in Dead Last
NEW YORK – December 15, 2016
For the third year in a row, independent benchmarking company Global Wireless Solutions (GWS) has released its
findings determining Wi-Fi and overall cellular performance across the New York City Subway System in Manhattan. The 4 and 6 are the best performing lines when considering both overall data and social media performance, while the J and Z lines were among the worst performers in this year’s test.
For cellular performance across major mobile carriers, riders can expect speeds averaging 11.0 Mbps (megabits per second) in Manhattan when viewing typical online content on their smartphones (for example, checking out small videos, pictures, attachments in emails, listening to music, etc.). This represents a 36% increase over last year’s speed. For Wi-Fi, the subway has seen immense improvements, clocking in at an average speed of 16.7 Mbps, doubling last
year’s speed.
The lines were ranked using OneScore™, a performance metric developed by GWS that considers both in-depth network testing data and an understanding of how consumers are actually using their mobile devices (based on a third-party survey vetting the sentiments of 5,000 US adult consumers). GWS ranked the lines according to overall data performance (considering reliability of completed tasks and average throughputs for all data-related actions) and social media performance (measuring reliability of completed tasks and speed related to social media activities such as uploading a photo to Instagram, posting to Facebook, sending a Snapchat).
GWS tested subway stations in Manhattan south of 125th St. that claim to have network connectivity, per Transit Wireless, the mobile networking firm currently supplying subway stations across New York City with Wi-Fi. In total, GWS tested 104 active subway stations, a 55 percent increase in the number of active stations tested last year.
The total rankings are:
|
Overall Rankings for 2016 — New York City Subway |
||
|
Ranking |
Line — Overall Data Performance |
Line — Social Media Performance |
|
1 |
4/6 |
4/6 |
|
2 |
5 |
5 |
|
3 |
F |
F |
|
4 |
1 |
1 |
|
5 |
M |
M |
|
6 |
A/C |
B |
|
7 |
B |
A/C |
|
8 |
R |
3 |
|
9 |
Q |
Q |
|
10 |
3 |
R |
|
11 |
2 |
2 |
|
12 |
N |
N |
|
13 |
L |
L |
|
14 |
E |
E |
|
15 |
D |
D |
|
16 |
J/Z |
J/Z |
Using OneScore, GWS also identified specific stations with corresponding subway lines across Manhattan that have the overall best and worst mobile performances. They are:
|
Top Performing Stations |
Worst Performing Stations |
|
103rd Street – 1 |
Sprint Street – A, C, E |
|
28th Street – 1 |
Prince Street – N, Q, R |
|
110th Street – 2, 3 |
Houston Street – 1, 2, 3 |
|
96th Street – 4, 6 |
World Trade Center – E |
|
110th Street – 4, 6 |
Canal Street – J, Z |
“It’s not uncommon to see subway riders on their phone struggling to send an email, load a news article or check their Facebook page not realizing that their connection has become intermittent or disappeared altogether,” said Dr. Paul Carter, CEO and founder of Global Wireless Solutions. “This year is our third annual test of Manhattan subway stations while Transit Wireless has been outfitting platforms with wireless connectivity and we are seeing a marked
improvement. This annual evaluation is important for us given its impact on New Yorkers over the years, helping them understand where on the subway they can reliably use their phones, and where they can’t.”
Performance over the years
Last year, GWS reported that the best-connected lines on the NYC Subway were, by top five rankings, the Q, B, R, N and F. In this year’s report, only one of the best performing lines from last year made the top five rankings—the F. The upset in rankings this year versus last year’s report results from more subway stations coming online over the year, increasing overall connectivity for lines 4, 6, 5, F, 1 and M.
GWS sets out to vet mobile performance of networks, keenly looking at mobile services consumers value most, at popular venues and locations across the world. To read more about these noted projects including recent network evaluations involving Florida’s Disney World, the United Kingdom, and Rio de Janeiro’s summer games and tourist hotspots, please visit: http://davidf238.sg-host.com/news/
Methodology and notes to editors
GWS conducted these series of tests to evaluate mobile network performance of the New York City Subway stations in Manhattan south of 125th St. Only stations, per Transit Wireless’ website as of August 2016, that claim to have mobile connectivity were tested. Over 70,000 task tests were conducted to evaluate network performance of Tier 1 US carriers (AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon) and public Wi-Fi. Testing was conducted between October 3 rd and October 21st, 2016. The tests were conducted using the GWS Mobile Diagnostic App running on five separate Samsung Galaxy S7 smartphones.
About Global Wireless Solutions, Inc.
Global Wireless Solutions, Inc. defines the industry standard for network benchmarking, analysis and testing. Its proprietary OneScore™ network ranking combines high-level network testing data with real world network usage scenarios to make the results of testing relatable and easy to understand. Working with some of the world’s largest wireless network providers, GWS offers standardized, high-quality network data and engineering analysis through a suite of benchmarking products, services, and diagnostic apps that includes drive, venue and in-building testing.
Firmly rooted in a deep understanding of network engineering, GWS provides best-in-class, turnkey solutions to help customers better understand overall network performance as today’s wireless networks grow and evolve. Founded in 1996, GWS is headquartered in Dulles, VA. At last count, GWS has driven 10.5 million data collection miles for its customers. For more information, visit www.gwsolutions.com and follow us on
Twitter at @gwsolutionsinc.
Media Contact:
Global Wireless Solutions, Inc.
703-661-7000
