GWS OneScore Data Reveals Quality of Service Travelers Can Expect from AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon
Dulles, VA – January 17, 2017
Leading independent network benchmarking specialists Global Wireless Solutions, Inc.
(GWS) today reveal how well-prepared Dulles International Airport is to
support travelers looking to connect to their wireless operators. Overall,
AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon, performed well in terms of data speeds and
task success rates while Sprint was not as robust.
Using rigorous testing procedures, GWS network specialists evaluated the
mobile network performance of AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon in an
effort to assess what kind of experience travelers can expect while passing
through the airport. The main airport areas—baggage claim, check-in area
and Gates A-D—were then ranked using OneScore, a performance metric
developed by GWS that considers both in-depth network testing data and an
understanding of how consumers are using their mobile devices (based on a
third-party survey vetting the sentiments of 5,000 US adult mobile phone
users). GWS ranked each area 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, and sending a
Snapchat).
When measuring overall performance of the carriers throughout Dulles
International Airport, AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon were tied for the
best overall OneScore ranking with Sprint following behind. T-Mobile
performed most favorably throughout the airport when looking specifically
at the social media OneScore ranking, AT&T was second with Verizon and
Sprint third and fourth respectively.
Other key findings include the following:
- When measuring potential capacity download throughputs, AT&T ranked
the highest at Gates C and D while Verizon had the highest at all other
areas tested (check-in, baggage claim and Gates A and B). This means that
AT&T and Verizon networks were capable of delivering the highest speeds
to customers located in those particular areas of the airport. On average,
Verizon had the highest potential capacity download, roughly 31 Mbps,
throughout the airport. - When looking at streaming activities such as a watching YouTube or a
video on Facebook, AT&T had the best performance throughout the airport
averaging nearly 15 Mbps including the highest speeds at the baggage claim
area and Gates C and D ranging from 16 to 21 Mbps. - T-Mobile had the best performance with large task uploads simulating the
posting of a Facebook video. T-Mobile averaged 10 Mbps throughout the
airport including the highest speed of 13 Mbps at the baggage claim area.
Dr. Paul Carter, CEO of Global Wireless Solutions, commented:
“Record numbers of travelers were predicted this holiday season; it’s
critical to see if wireless operators and the airports themselves are
taking the necessary steps to support the increase in demand from travelers
accessing critical information on their phones such as tickets, schedules,
last minute emails and text messages; not to mention the temptation to
document their entire adventure on their social channels. Dulles
International Airport was right in our backyard and an ideal first airport
to kick off our latest round of airport testing. Overall the airport
receives a passing grade — collectively, carrier networks were able to
successfully complete tasks at reasonable speeds throughout the main
airport areas while individually, carriers experienced some variability in
performance depending on which gate or service area was tested.
Methodology
Throughout the day on Thursday, November 17, 2016, approximately 3,400 data
tests were conducted to evaluate network performance of Tier 1 carriers
(AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon) at baggage claim, the check-in
area, and Gates A-D at Dulles International Airport. The tests were
conducted using Rohde & Schwarz’s SwissQual QualiPoc Freerider with
four LG G4 smartphones, one registered for each carrier.
About Global Wireless Solutions, Inc.
Global Wireless Solutions, Inc. defines the industry standard for network
benchmarking, analysis and testing. Working with some of the world’s
largest wireless network providers, GWS offers standardized, high-quality
network data and engineering analysis to its customers 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
