IHS Markit Tests Show Dallas is Top Texas City for Mobile Performance with Sharp Speed Jumps as 5G Preparations Continue

New mobile performance reports show speeds in Dallas outpace those in Austin, Houston and San Antonio

Dallas is primed to be a hotbed for 5G innovation with AT&T, Sprint and Verizon all targeting the city for early rollouts of 5G service. As preparations for 5G continue, recent Metro RootScore Reports from RootMetrics by IHS Markit, the standard for mobile performance benchmarking, reveal that Dallas is already outpacing Austin, Houston and San Antonio when it comes to data speeds.

In addition to providing a detailed look at individual carrier highlights in Dallas, RootMetrics aggregated results from all four networks to provide a comparative look at performance across these four major Texas cities. While Austin, Houston and San Antonio fell below 25.0 Mbps for aggregate median download speed, Dallas impressed with an aggregate median download speed of 31.6 Mbps. Notably, Dallas also saw the fastest aggregate median upload speed at 13.7 Mbps.

Data Performance Improves in Dallas
Widespread data speed improvements helped Dallas stand tall among Texas cities. In fact, three of the four networks recorded faster median download speeds in the metro area since the last round of testing.

AT&T made the biggest jump, increasing its median download speed from 17.9 Mbps to 24.8 Mbps. Verizon, meanwhile, recorded the fastest median download speed in Dallas at 44.9 Mbps, a slight jump from the 42.1 Mbps recorded in the second half of 2018. At this speed, a subscriber could download a high-definition TV show in less than two minutes.

T-Mobile recorded the fastest median upload speed in Dallas at 22.0 Mbps, allowing a subscriber to upload a picture to social media in less than two seconds. T-Mobile's median upload speed easily outpaced the speeds recorded by the other carriers and represents a significant increase from the 13.4 Mbps T-Mobile recorded in the last round of testing.

"Our latest testing proves Dallas is a star performer among major Texas cities when it comes to data speeds," said Francis Sideco, vice president, technology at IHS Markit. "Verizon's fast median download speed and a sharp jump in median upload speed from T-Mobile show the carriers are already delivering strong performance for consumers in the Dallas area. The even better news is that we expect network performance in the metro area to impress even more as 5G takes hold in the near future."

This marks the seventeenth time IHS Markit has tested the mobile networks in Dallas and issued findings for the metro area. RootScore Reports provide a scientific, independent, consumer-focused assessment of mobile network performance.

Comprehensive Testing
To evaluate the mobile experience in each city, IHS Markit conducted tests across all hours of the day and night using smartphones purchased off the shelf at carrier stores. Testing details in each city were as follows:

• Tests in Austin were conducted from May 14 through 22 at 60 indoor locations and while driving 1,059 miles.
• Tests in Dallas were conducted from May 30 through June 9 at 149 indoor locations and while driving 3,972 miles.
• Tests in Houston were conducted from May 6 through 16 at 164 indoor locations and while driving 3,909 miles.
• Tests in San Antonio were conducted from March 15 through 23 at 53 indoor locations and while driving 1,442 miles.

For details about RootMetrics testing, see the methodology section of the RootMetrics website.

A Holistic Look at 5G
As network operators across the globe race to deploy 5G, IHS Markit has launched "5G First Look," a new service that provides insight into the world of 5G and how 5G networks perform from the consumer's perspective. It includes 5G readiness benchmarks, 5G smartphone teardown analysis and first look results from 5G network performance testing in South Korea, the United States, Switzerland and the United Kingdom—with more countries and regions added as 5G networks are launched across the globe.

About RootMetrics by IHS Markit (www.RootMetrics.com)RootMetrics by IHS Markit provides mobile analytics that measure mobile network performance and offer insights into the consumer mobile experience. IHS Markit provides data on mobile network performance to help the networks improve and give consumers an end-to-end look at mobile performance. To ensure that RootMetrics reflects real-world mobile usage, testing is conducted based on where, when and how consumers use their smartphones most often.

About IHS Markit (www.ihsmarkit.com)
IHS Markit INFO is a world leader in critical information, analytics and solutions for the major industries and markets that drive economies worldwide. The company delivers next-generation information, analytics and solutions to customers in business, finance and government, improving their operational efficiency and providing deep insights that lead to well-informed, confident decisions. IHS Markit has more than 50,000 business and government customers, including 80 percent of the Fortune Global 500 and the world's leading financial institutions. Headquartered in London, IHS Markit is committed to sustainable, profitable growth.

IHS Markit and RootMetrics are registered trademarks of IHS Markit Ltd. and/or its affiliates. All other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners © 2019 IHS Markit Ltd. All rights reserved.

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