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I don't care what this says. I live in a top 10 city in the US and ATT is AWFUL. Bad reception, slow, constantly moves to 3G...terrible. I'd switch but Verizon charges like $400/month for 4 lines.
 
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I know it's all a rouse, but I absolutely swear I noticed a difference in speed and reliability on the NYC subway when they released 5ge on my iPhone
 
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I stick with Verizon around here. I get a gubment employee discount and there’s a VZW tower down the street from my house.

The data rate at my desk is friggin awful though. I know all about the outside a building yadda yadda they throw, but it streams for shiet in my office. I use my phone as a hot spot for my iPad and it’s just about un useable. Tried to listen to Apple Music today, couldn’t even search up a song.

And yes, no WiFi. My agency is in the dark ages, and the wire side of the network is secure for confidentiality issues (NCIC access, court records, local criminal history stuffs) so if I want it, my phone is all I got. I wish they would set up a separate WiFi network for BYOD use but I don’t see that coming before I retire...
 
They should try testing in Santa Monica, CA. When it's busy out, it shows full bars, LTE, everything.... but when you try and use it, you can't get one bit of data in or out. I switched to Verizon for this reason and haven't looked back. So many AT&T users in the area are in denial about this, but really have trouble explaining why they can't even call an uber on their phones. My friend rented a scooter and couldn't end his ride for this exact reason. I have some frustrations in certain areas with Verizon, but rarely can I not get any data in or out.
 
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Look at the city data (not sure why CO is considered Northwest?!?), but VZ is best in Denver. Anecdotally, ATT has been notoriously bad in our area (Boulder County).
https://www.pcmag.com/Fastest-Mobile-Networks/13
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They should try testing in Santa Monica, CA. When it's busy out, it shows full bars, LTE, everything.... but when you try and use it, you can't get one bit of data in or out. I switched to Verizon for this reason and haven't looked back. So many AT&T users in the area are in denial about this, but really have trouble explaining why they can't even call an uber on their phones. My friend rented a scooter and couldn't end his ride for this exact reason. I have some frustrations in certain areas with Verizon, but rarely can I not get any data in or out.

As an ex-4th gen SM resident, I fully agree.
 
I’ve had the same experience here. In my area most people I know keep LTE turned off because it is far slower than 4G. Like literally almost nothing will even load with LTE on.

My experience is exactly the opposite. Once my phone switches to 4G, data is unusable. I have to restart the radio and hope it jumps back on LTE/5Ge. I even considered j/b only to be able to force LTE.
 
Verizon covers the most customers, with exceptions. See that dot in Texas? Go an inch to the left and there is a massive gap in Verizon coverage. All the other carriers work, except Verizon. Weird.
 
These kind of posts are awesome! I love reading people’s input and argue with others on how great their wireless carrier is and others are worthless.

I love what I get for the price I pay and that’s all that matters to me.
 
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I have two sims in my iPhone Xs. One AT&T, one Verizon. Their signal strength is always displayed simultaneously. Generally they match - like 95% of the time. But when I get into more rural, or over-crowded locations, I find Verizon to edge out AT&T on strength. (ATL Airport is a great example of that for me). I know that isn't "speed", but they usually coincide. If I have trouble loading a page or video, that's when I have 2 bars or so. I prefer Verizon's customer service. All of the speeds are so close in practical applications, you should just test for your locality - work or home - to see what works for you, and where you get the best deal or perk. Verizon is still a way better plan over AT&T for Canada or Mexico. AT&T just nickel & dimes you (more like dollars).
 
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Verizon dominates West Texas. AT&T is super congested in cities like Amarillo, Lubbock, and Oklahoma City. Once you're out in the middle of nowhere, Verizon is the only one that still has service.
 
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They may be the fastest ... if you get a good signal. There in lies the problem. I’ve had them for years. LTE coverage in the city where I live sucks now. When they first deployed LTE it was great downtown and at home. We’re talking down to one LTE bar downtown now. Yet at my home, which is near the expressway 10 minutes outside of downtown, it’s 5 bars. I don’t get it. It’s been this way for years now. When I’m in my office downtown and I remove my phone from my pocket it’s down to their 4G / non-LTE network. It’s not my phone either. My iPhone 6s was that way near the end and the X has been no different. It’s almost like they took down the cell tower closest to downtown. I’m seriously considering Verizon.
 
I had att for years in the northeast and switched to Verizon, I found Verizon to be much much much faster overall for me and especially in congested areas
 
Fast doesn't mean reliable.

I recently moved from Verizon to AT&T, and I've already noticed that their HSPA coverage is way better than Verizon's 3G coverage in areas that don't have LTE. And I'm constantly getting data reception in areas where my Verizon friends don't, like movie theaters and parking garages.

However, I also noticed that they're a tiny bit slower than Verizon in the areas where I work and live, but that's not a huge deal to me considering the additional perks you get from selecting their Unlimited Premium plan, like free TV subscription.
 
When AT&T is fast, it's fast. But when you're in a bad reception or congested area, no matter if it's in the middle of a big city, then you'll be cursing your iPhone like it was the 3G. I've called them countless times to see when they plan new towers in the areas I have trouble and they never have an answer for me.

So many places in SoCal where I get no usable connection. I've been considering Verizon for a while. It's probably time.
 
Where I live Verizon has the best coverage. AT&T isn't that bad but not as good as Verizon. T-Mobile is ok when you can get a good signal. Sprint is just awful anywhere.
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I don't care what this says. I live in a top 10 city in the US and ATT is AWFUL. Bad reception, slow, constantly moves to 3G...terrible. I'd switch but Verizon charges like $400/month for 4 lines.

What plans are you looking at. Base rate for the basic unlimited data for 4 lines with auto pay is $160
 
I’m on AT&T in the LA Metropolitan Area, and if this is the fastest cellular network America has, sheez, we’re in trouble.
My son studies in the Netherlands and mobile internet there is an order of magnitude faster at half the price.
 
To quote Hamlet, “One may smile, and smile, and be a villain!”

In other words, a bunch of colorful bar graphs don’t mean anything. Give me facts. Give me numbers (based in reality).

Also, how is this news? I know it’s allegedly PCMag’s story, but are we sure MacRumors isn’t getting a little kickback from AT&T? :rolleyes:
 
I’ve had the same experience here. In my area most people I know keep LTE turned off because it is far slower than 4G. Like literally almost nothing will even load with LTE on.
This is a trick works well in congested areas like a nascar race or sporting event
 
I switched from AT&T to T-Mobile 2 years ago and haven't looked back! Cheaper monthly bills, way higher data caps, and good customer service.
 
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