new Ookla Q1 2024 Data T-Mobile continues to offer the fastest 5G download speeds in the US, with a median 5G download speed of 287.14 Mbps as of March 2024, an increase of 29.64 Mbps over the month. This helps T-Mobile widen its lead over Verizon, which recorded 224.67 Mbps, and AT&T, which recorded 145.36 Mbps.
The increased speeds of 5G will be a key factor in the ongoing competition between 5G providers and broadband services offered by cable operators.
According to Ookla speed test data from the US, 5G page load speeds were much faster than 4G for three major services in the first quarter of 2024. Google was 21% faster on 5G than 4G, YouTube was 22% faster, and Facebook was 26% faster on 5G.
Nationwide average speeds continue to improve. However, there are still significant differences in 5G performance at the individual state level. Midwestern states are thriving best, with Illinois, Kansas, North Dakota and Minnesota all ranking in the top five performing states nationally, with median 5G download speeds above 225 Mbps in Q4 2023.
Meanwhile, U.S. states with the highest percentage of rural populations had median download speeds below 100 Mbps, including Vermont, Maine, Mississippi and West Virginia.
Improved performance across all domestic mobile operators has helped the US move up the rankings internationally, which Ookla reports is due to the increased availability of mid-band spectrum for 5G.
Further data and the full report can be found here: https://www.ookla.com/articles/5g-in-the-us-q1-2024.
