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T-Mobile named fastest 4G LTE signal in US, according to OpenSignal

In its state of mobile networks, OpenSignal coins T-Mobile the most awards, including fastest 3G download speed and 3G latency.
Written by Jake Smith, Contributor
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CNET/CBS Interactive

T-Mobile has the fastest 4G LTE download speeds in the country, according to OpenSignal, just barely beating out Verizon for the number one spot in the mobile data company's latest findings.

T-Mobile and Verizon averaged 4G connections of 12 Mbps during the speed tests and in a speed comparison in the 11 largest US cities for a tie-breaker, T-Mobile just barely edged out Verizon.

What about the other two? AT&T and Sprint hardly even factored in the contest, according to OpenSignal. While it barely won the 4G LTE race, T-Mobile came out on top in the three network comparison categories.

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T-Mobile had the fastest 3G latency (voice calls) and fastest 3G download speeds at 3.48Mbps.

OpenSignal found T-Mobile is making good on its promise to have more coverage across the country, with 81.23 percent covered. T-Mobile was third behind Verizon's 86.73 percent and AT&T's 82.63 percent.

"All four major operators saw improvements to their coverage footprints in the last quarter, the result being that overall U.S. 4G subscribers can now see an LTE signal 81% of the time. Crossing the 80% coverage barrier is something only seven other countries have achieved," according to OpenSignal.

T-Mobile was often considered the little guy in the mobile race over the last several years, but the latest news is in the Uncarrier's favor as it looks to undo contracts and erroneous fees that have plagued the mobile landscape for over a decade.

John Legere, CEO of T-Mobile, said in his prediction for 2016 that Verizon will become increasingly worried as T-Mobile goes head-to-head with them.

"Unless they really change their carrier ways, Verizon will continue to struggle to hold on to their smartphone customers - especially businesses - and continue to have to pad their numbers with free tablets and other distractions that mask how many customers they're losing to the Un-carrier," Legere wrote in December.

OpenSignal's app is available for download on the iTunes App Store and Google Play and continually runs tests to measure the real world experience users receive. The firm says it gathered data from 180,000 mobile phone users in several different regions during its most recent study.

Of course, your location dictates the coverage you get, but OpenSignal's data could assist you in making a decision.

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