The Fastest Cell Phone & Internet Service Providers in 2024 – Technologist

This month, Ookla released the H1 2024 U.S. Connectivity Report. The report contains data from January-June 2024 collected from millions of daily consumer-initiated tests taken on Speedtest. Ookla collected data from mobile service providers and fixed internet service providers (ISPs). 

Here are a few key takeaways from the report: 

• T-Mobile maintains a prominent lead among mobile service providers with the fastest download speeds, best consistency and top user ratings. 
• AT&T Fiber led the fixed internet service provider market with the fastest speeds and the best consistency.
• Verizon Wireless is continuing to improve and earned the best 5G gaming experience. Among ISPs, Verizon provided the best video experience.

In this article, I’ll take a closer look at Ookla’s 1H 2024 Connectivity Report and how all the major cell phone networks and fixed ISPs compare.

The Fastest Mobile Network in 2024

Compared to other major networks, T-Mobile was the fastest mobile provider in the U.S. during the first half of 2024. T-Mobile’s network showed a median download speed of 234.82Mbps, up from 164.14Mbps during the first half of 2023. Both AT&T and Verizon Wireless’ median speed also improved. 

The Speed Score below was calculated by combining each network’s download and upload performance. 

T-Mobile also had the fastest 5G download speeds in the first half of 2024. The median 5G download speed on T-Mobile’s network was 265.80 Mbps (up from 219.54 Mbps in 1H 2023). 

Ookla noted that Verizon Wireless also had a strong increase compared to last year’s 5G performance: 207.79Mbps (up from 130.94Mbps). T-Mobile and Verizon both had the same median upload speed of 14.65 Mbps.

Ookla’s report also took a closer look at network consistency, video experience, gaming experience and consumer sentiment. T-Mobile earned the highest scores in each category with the exception of 5G gaming experience. In this category, Verizon Wireless came out on top. 

Data from Ookla’s 1H 2024 Connectivity Report (methodology)

The Fastest Fixed Internet Service Provider in 2024

In the internet service providers category, AT&T Fiber provided the fastest connection. In the first half of 2024, AT&T Fiber customers saw a median download speed of 348.86Mbps. AT&T Fiber also recorded the fastest median upload speed of 288.31Mbps. In the following graph, you can see how AT&T Fiber compared to other fixed internet services from Verizon, Cox, Xfinity and Spectrum.

In addition to network speeds, Ookla also collected data on ISP consistency, video experience and consumer sentiment. AT&T Fiber earned the highest scores in nearly all categories with the exception of video experience. Verizon’s fixed internet service provided the best video experience with a median video start time of 0.56 seconds.

Data from Ookla’s 1H 2024 Connectivity Report (methodology)

Final Thoughts

Ookla’s 1H 2024 Connectivity Report found that T-Mobile’s mobile network has been the fastest, most consistent and most highly-rated so far this year. 

These results are consistent with the latest data from the American Customer Satisfaction Index and J.D. Power. These companies have also found that customers are most satisfied with cell phone service from T-Mobile. You can see the highlights from these surveys here.

When it comes to fixed internet service providers, Ookla found that AT&T Fiber has had the fastest download speeds and the most consistent network this year. Additionally, customers rate AT&T Fiber higher than other ISPs on a 5-star scale.

This data is also consistent with ACSI’s latest Telecommunications Study, which found that customers ranked AT&T Fiber highest among Fiber ISPs. 

You can read Ookla’s 1H 2024 Connectivity Report here. To learn more about how this data was collected, check out Ookla’s Speedtest Methodology online.

How does your mobile or home internet connection compare to the top networks in 2024? Check your download speeds at Speedtest.net, and let us know in our Clark.com Community!