Ookla’s community testing report for the primary half of 2025 reveals robust tailwinds for T-Mo in cellular, however AT&T shines in wireline
In sum – what to know:
T-Cellular’s gorgeous speeds – T-Cellular US was clocked at a median obtain pace of greater than 245 Mbps throughout all applied sciences, and practically 300 Mbps obtain speeds for 5G in Ookla’s community testing for the primary half of 2025. Verizon and AT&T trailed effectively behind these numbers.
AT&T tops fiber suppliers – AT&T edged out Frontier for the quickest fiber community, and in addition received kudos from clients.
The place’s Verizon? – First in video streaming classes. Second in median 5G speeds. Third place in fiber community speeds.
T-Cellular US has had fairly per week, between its stellar second-quarter outcomes and Ookla releasing its community testing outcomes from the primary half of 2025, which resulted in a slew of class awards for the cellular community operator.
T-Mo had already claimed Ookla’s “finest community” award a month in the past, based mostly on six months of testing throughout the fourth quarter of 2024 and first quarter of 2025. This week, Ookla launched awards based mostly on its testing within the first and second quarters of this 12 months. T-Cellular’s lead held, and it was named finest cellular community in america throughout 1H 2025 —m throughout all applied sciences mixed, and in addition particularly for 5G.
The provider recorded a median obtain pace of 245.48 Mbps throughout all community applied sciences mixed. Comparatively, Verizon got here in second with at simply 116.34 Mbps, with AT&T shut behind at 115.09 Mbps. Verizon fared considerably higher on the 5G entrance, clocking a median obtain pace of practically 215 Mbps, whereas AT&T trailed in at a median 5G downlink pace of 158.56 Mbps. Neither got here near T-Mo’s median 5G obtain pace of 299.36 Mbps.
Different notable cellular community outcomes included Verizon and AT&T besting T-Mo on finest mixed cellular protection — nonetheless, T-Mo got here out on high in 5G availability, with AT&T on its heels whereas Verizon clients spent significantly much less time on 5G, based on Ookla’s community testing. Verizon did get Ookla’s high spots for video streaming, each throughout applied sciences and for 5G video streaming particularly.
AT&T led in fiber speeds and satisfaction
In the meantime, on the wireline entrance, AT&T’s focus on fiber investments seems to be paying off. The corporate was narrowly rated the quickest fiber web service supplier in america throughout the first half of 2025, reaching a median obtain pace of 363.54 Mbps and a median add pace of 296.52 Mbps.
AT&T’s closest fiber opponents on speeds Frontier Fiber, which noticed median obtain speeds of 359.06 Mbps, adopted by Cox with 291.92 Mbps, based on Ookla’s community testing.
On a regional foundation, AT&T Fiber was the quickest supplier throughout 14 U.S. areas, with Comcast’s Xfinity service successful in eight different areas.
Ookla additionally included a class which checked out client sentiment about fiber service suppliers under consideration — and AT&T was the chief in that evaluation as effectively.
AT&T mentioned in June that it had surpassed 30 million areas handed with fiber broadband, reaching the milestone forward of schedule. Based on CEO John Stankey, the telco is now midway to its purpose of reaching roughly 60 million fiber areas by 2030.
The corporate continues to develop through acquisition as effectively, with its pending $5.75 billion all-cash deal to purchase Lumen’s Mass Markets fiber enterprise. That transaction will give AT&T about 1 million clients and 4 million fiber areas throughout 11 states. It’s anticipated to shut within the first half of 2026.
Particularly, AT&T will purchase Lumen’s last-mile mass market fiber property and “related community parts in central workplaces”, plus “considerably all” of Lumen’s non-enterprise fiber clients, which might be transitioned over time to turn into AT&T Fiber clients.
Learn the small print from Ookla right here.