T-Mobile just beat Verizon and AT&T in most of the US - here's the proof
J.D. Power study ranks T-Mobile first in five of six US regions based on 20,000 customer responses.
With 2025 now in the rearview mirror, the first big performance reports are starting to drop, and the latest one shows how the three major US carriers – T-Mobile, Verizon, and AT&T – stacked up over the past year.
Using feedback from 20,050 wireless customers, J.D. Power’s newest study shows that T-Mobile came out on top in the Southeast and Southwest. It also tied with Verizon in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and West. Verizon, meanwhile, took first place in the North Central region, with UScellular in second and T-Mobile in third there.
That means T-Mobile was rated highest for network quality in five out of six US regions, something it is clearly proud of.
Verizon, even after dealing with a few recent network outages, still scored strong across the country based on what users reported. AT&T, on the other hand, continues to land in third place in most regions.
T-Mobile takes the lead in most regions
Using feedback from 20,050 wireless customers, J.D. Power’s newest study shows that T-Mobile came out on top in the Southeast and Southwest. It also tied with Verizon in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and West. Verizon, meanwhile, took first place in the North Central region, with UScellular in second and T-Mobile in third there.
With the best spectrum portfolio for the 5G era, the most towers and the best engineering team in the universe, the perception of our network – that it’s the best – is finally catching up to the reality we’ve known for years. This recognition is incredibly meaningful because it comes directly from customers experiencing the network day in, day out. It proves our formula works: build the best network, pair it with unmatched value and benefits, and deliver a better experience — everywhere.
– John Saw, President and Chief Technology Officer, T-Mobile, January 2026
Verizon, even after dealing with a few recent network outages, still scored strong across the country based on what users reported. AT&T, on the other hand, continues to land in third place in most regions.
Here are the results from all six regions in the study.
Across the board, US wireless networks are still performing well. The J.D. Power 2026 U.S. Wireless Network Quality Performance Study shows that the industry reported nine or fewer problems per 100 uses (PP100) over the past year, which points to pretty solid consistency.
The study also showed that younger users, who lean heavily on streaming and video calls, are running into more issues than they did before, which kind of hints that 5G still isn’t as solid as it’s supposed to be (not that that’s a big surprise).
At the same time, it found that younger people are spending a bit less time on their phones than they used to, which is honestly music to my ears.
For years, independent network testing has pointed to T-Mobile delivering faster speeds, lower latency, and better voice performance. Now, customer feedback is lining up with those results. Even though it still has its share of issues that annoy users, when it comes to overall network reliability, it is clearly doing something right.
That said, all three big carriers take turns winning depending on the study. Different reports have put each one in first place at different times. Still, being rated best in five out of six US regions gives T-Mobile a real reason to celebrate right now.
If you’re trying to figure out which carrier works best for you, it really comes down to your own situation. Where you live and spend most of your time matters a lot. So does whether you really need 5G or if 4G is already enough, along with pricing and plan features.
But I think coverage should always be at the top of the list. A cheap plan doesn’t mean much if you can’t get a signal where you actually use your phone. If you want to see how they all compare, you can always check out our dedicated breakdowns of T-Mobile, Verizon, and AT&T to see which one makes the most sense for you right now:
The study also showed that younger users, who lean heavily on streaming and video calls, are running into more issues than they did before, which kind of hints that 5G still isn’t as solid as it’s supposed to be (not that that’s a big surprise).
Customers are backing up what tests have shown
For years, independent network testing has pointed to T-Mobile delivering faster speeds, lower latency, and better voice performance. Now, customer feedback is lining up with those results. Even though it still has its share of issues that annoy users, when it comes to overall network reliability, it is clearly doing something right.
That said, all three big carriers take turns winning depending on the study. Different reports have put each one in first place at different times. Still, being rated best in five out of six US regions gives T-Mobile a real reason to celebrate right now.
Picking the right carrier for you
If you’re trying to figure out which carrier works best for you, it really comes down to your own situation. Where you live and spend most of your time matters a lot. So does whether you really need 5G or if 4G is already enough, along with pricing and plan features.
But I think coverage should always be at the top of the list. A cheap plan doesn’t mean much if you can’t get a signal where you actually use your phone. If you want to see how they all compare, you can always check out our dedicated breakdowns of T-Mobile, Verizon, and AT&T to see which one makes the most sense for you right now:
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