Here Are the Most Congested Wireless Networks in the US

Cities in California, Texas and Florida host some of the nation's most congested wireless networks, according to new data from Tutela.

Mike Dano, Editorial Director, 5G & Mobile Strategies

May 24, 2019

2 Min Read
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Cities in California, Florida and Texas host some of the most congested wireless networks in the US, according to data from Tutela Technologies.

Over the past few weeks, Light Reading has published data from Tutela showing the five most congested markets for each of the nation's big wireless network operators:

Verizon:

Figure 1:

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AT&T:

Figure 2:

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T-Mobile:

Figure 3:

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Sprint:

Figure 4:

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These are the cities where wireless networks show the biggest slowdown during peak usage times, compared with speeds when the networks are mostly idle.

But how did Tutela come up with these numbers?

Tutela inserts a tiny bit of testing software into some US smartphones, software that runs in the background and actively tests factors such as network speeds. To do this, Tutela works with Android and iOS app developers to get its software installed into their apps, and then that software runs in the background of those apps after mobile users download them. The company then collects and sells that data (which doesn’t include any information that can identify a user or their device, including email addresses, IDFA, AAID, device ID or IP addresses) and splits the resulting profits with participating app developers. The company counts over 3,000 participating app developers and over 250 million phones running its software.

For the above charts specifically, Tutela looked at the data from around 200 of the top markets in the United States. The company looked at the average speeds available during off-peak hours (basically in the middle of the night, when no one is using the network) and the average speeds available during on-peak hours (basically during afternoon rush hour, when everyone is using their phone) and compared the difference between those speeds. You can tell how congested a network is by how much slower it runs during peak times of usage.

To be clear, wireless network congestion can be due to a variety of factors, including the number of customers using a given network in a particular location, the operator's network technology there, the types of phones that customers are using, and the amount and type of spectrum that operator has devoted to its network.

In wireless, as in real estate, it's all about location, location, location.

Mike Dano, Editorial Director, 5G & Mobile Strategies, Light Reading | @mikeddano

About the Author

Mike Dano

Editorial Director, 5G & Mobile Strategies, Light Reading

Mike Dano is Light Reading's Editorial Director, 5G & Mobile Strategies. Mike can be reached at [email protected], @mikeddano or on LinkedIn.

Based in Denver, Mike has covered the wireless industry as a journalist for almost two decades, first at RCR Wireless News and then at FierceWireless and recalls once writing a story about the transition from black and white to color screens on cell phones.

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