Verzion is the fastest network carrier in the U.S. for the second consecutive year, according to PCMag’s annual ranking.
Verizon beat rivals AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile in the magazine’s annual nationwide tests, which found all four major networks have ramped up their speeds in recent years.
While Verizon and AT&T remain the country’s two top carriers by subscriber numbers, Sprint and T-Mobile have boosted their coverage to become more competitive. The two smaller outfits once pondered a merger to compete with their bigger rivals, but regulatory pressure squashed any potential deal. T-Mobile is now involved in talks to tie up with satellite television provider Dish Network, which has been hoarding valuable wireless spectrum gained in government auctions.
More via PCMag:
Verizon Wireless wins for the second year in a row by maintaining the consistent performance and broad coverage we saw last year with its XLTE network. Almost all phones sold by Verizon in the past year have XLTE, which is the carrier’s brand name for Band 4 spectrum support. If you have an older model, it’s definitely time to upgrade.
The magazine records speeds from 30 cities across the U.S. to test coverage. Sprint was given a nod for most improved among the carriers.
Earlier this year, Verizon announced plans to acquire AOL in a $4.4 billion deal.