The Q2 2020 Speedtest® United States Market Report by Ookla® is based on Speedtest Intelligence® data from over 1.6 million unique mobile user devices and 18.9 million fixed broadband devices performing more than 85.1 million consumer-initiated tests on Speedtest apps in the U.S. during the period.
Data from Speedtest Intelligence reveals median download speed over mobile in the U.S. increased 15.8% between Q2 2019 and Q2 2020 to 29.00 Mbps. The median upload speed for mobile was 5.74 Mbps, down 15.2% from Q2 2019.
Median download speed over fixed broadband increased 19.6% during the last year to 86.04 Mbps in Q2 2020, and median upload speed increased 1.5% to 11.86 Mbps in Q2 2020.
We saw a decline in mobile and fixed broadband download speeds in early March as consumer behavior shifted in response to the pandemic. Speeds have since rebounded on both mobile and fixed broadband. Read our week-by-week view of COVID-19’s impact on internet performance.
AT&T is fastest and most consistent
With a Speed Score™ of 41.23, AT&T was the fastest operator in competitive geographies in the U.S. during Q2 2020. AT&T also had the highest Consistency Score™ with 79.7% of Speedtest® results meeting or exceeding speed thresholds of 5 Mbps for download and 1 Mbps for upload.
To learn more about how operators performed for 4G Availability and latency, read the full report.
Mobile operators doubled down on 5G
All major U.S. operators were focused on implementing 5G over the past year.
AT&T continued to roll out its millimeter wave “5G+” network in parts of major cities. In addition, AT&T repurposed its 850 MHz low-band spectrum, previously used for 3G service, in parts of 30 states to offer improved 5G coverage.
Verizon launched new 5G markets and expanded its millimeter wave “Ultra Wideband” 5G footprint in parts of 35 cities. Verizon recently completed Dynamic Spectrum Sharing (DSS) field trials, and is expected to start leveraging its sub-6GHz spectrum for 5G by the end of the year.
In June 2019, T-Mobile launched their millimeter wave 5G in parts of six markets, followed by the nationwide rollout of 5G in the 600 MHz band to cover more than 200 million users. With the successful completion of the Sprint merger, T-Mobile accelerated the rollout of 5G in the 2.5 GHz band, which became commercially available in Philadelphia and New York City.
For specific information about how flagship phones performed and how speeds compare by manufacturer, read the full report.
Verizon has the fastest fixed broadband
With a Speed Score of 117.14, Verizon had the fastest fixed broadband in the U.S. during Q2 2020. Verizon also had the lowest median latency at 9 ms. Spectrum provided the most consistent internet experience with a Consistency Score of 84.4%.
D.C. fastest for mobile, New Jersey for fixed
Analyzing performance at the state level, the District of Columbia showed the fastest median download speed on mobile during Q2 2020, while New Jersey showed the fastest median download speed over fixed broadband during the same period.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania was the fastest city in the U.S. for mobile during Q2 2020 while Kansas City, Missouri was the fastest city for fixed broadband.
Read our full report for full rankings in all fifty states and the 100 most populous cities in the country. We also include data on providers’ performance in states and major cities.