T-Mobile, Verizon, or AT&T: Which has the fastest download speed for phones?

Get it together, AT&T!
By Kimberly Gedeon  on 
Person holding a phone with speed test
Which mobile network delivers the fastest speeds? Credit: aslysun / Shutterstock

Have you ever wondered which of the big three — T-Mobile, Verizon, or AT&T — is the fastest mobile network? Fortunately, we've got the scoop, thanks to a report from Ookla.

In case you missed it, Ookla, a Mashable sister site, recently released data about which mobile network delivers the zippiest upload and download speeds. The analysis even delves into video performance and 5G prowess.

Which is the fastest mobile network for phones?

According to Ookla, T-Mobile is the mobile network you should have on your radar.

As of Q4 of 2023, with its median download speed of 188.96, T-Mobile is the fastest mobile network. Verizon is a distant second at 91.62. AT&T is third at 90.82.

Visual representation of T-Mobile exceeding Verizon and AT&T
T-Mobile beats the other two by a landslide. Credit: Ookla

When it comes to uploads, it's the same story. T-Mobile led the pack with 12 megabytes per second, and Verizon and AT&T, with less than 10 MBps each, followed not-so-closely behind.

Visual representation of T-Mobile exceeding Verizon and AT&T
T-Mobile wins again. Credit: Ookla

Video performance

Unsurprisingly, T-Mobile took the crown again in the video performance round, delivering better marks for its propensity to run visual content better than the rest.

T-Mobile, Verizon, AT&T video score
T-Mobile should be your preferred network for video performance. Credit: Ookla

5G performance

Among phones on 5G networks, guess who knocked it out of the park? You guessed it: T-Mobile once again.

"T-Mobile had the fastest median 5G download speed in the U.S. at 238.87 Mbps during Q4 2023, an improvement on its performance during Q3 2023," Ookla reported.

T-Mobile, Verizon, AT&T 5G performance
T-Mobile nailed it in 5G performance, too. Credit: Ookla

T-Mobile also beat its two rivals at a slew of other benchmarks as well, including consistency and latency. Check out the full report here. This analysis is based on mobile devices that run speed tests at Ookla.

Topics 5G

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Kimberly Gedeon
East Coast Tech Editor

Kimberly Gedeon is a tech explorer who enjoys doing deep dives into the most popular gadgets, from the latest iPhones to the most immersive VR headsets. She's drawn to strange, avant-garde, bizarre tech, whether it's a 3D laptop, a gaming rig that can transform into a briefcase, or smart glasses that can capture video. Her journalism career kicked off about a decade ago at MadameNoire where she covered tech and business before landing as a tech editor at Laptop Mag in 2020.


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