BELLEVUE, Wash., July 9, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Rogers, Bell and Telus all showed excellent network performance and shared the first-ever Overall Performance RootScore Award in Calgary, according to the latest data from RootMetrics®, the standard for independent mobile network performance information.
In good news for many consumers, all three carriers showed a strong combination of reliability and speed across their networks, according to the RootMetrics 2nd Half 2015 Calgary RootScore® Report. WIND finished in fourth place in the rankings as it struggled to keep pace with the other carriers, particularly in speed.
This report is part of RootMetrics' expanded mobile testing across Canada and follows results from Vancouver issued last month. With the Canadian mobile landscape undergoing major changes, RootMetrics is releasing RootScore Reports for the eight largest metro areas in Canada this year, up from three in 2014. This will culminate with the launch of the RootMetrics 2nd Half 2015 Canadian Mobile Network Performance Review with results from the most comprehensive measurement of mobile performance ever conducted in Canada.
The final RootMetrics Overall Performance RootScore rankings for Calgary:
1 – Rogers (97.2)
1 – Bell (96.8)
1 – Telus (95.8)
4 – WIND (84.9)
RootScores are on a scale of 0 to 100. A good Overall RootScore means strong all-around performance and a good consumer experience.
"The results of our first-ever testing in Calgary show that the three national carriers are providing their customers with a highly reliable mobile experience," said Julie Dey, RootMetrics Vice President. "Not only did Rogers, Telus and Bell tie for the overall award, but they also ranked very closely with each other in all other categories we tested. Even WIND, which struggled with data speeds, recorded a high score on network reliability. As we move forward with expanded testing in Calgary and Canada as a whole, we're excited to see how carriers are adapting to the shifting mobile landscape across the country and working to bring consumers the best possible mobile experience for their needs."
Network Reliability and Speed
Reliability and speed are crucial to a quality mobile experience. RootMetrics combines reliability and speed results into its Network Reliability Index, a combination of results from data, call, and text tests, and its Network Speed Index, which examines data and text results. In this first Calgary RootScore Report, Rogers and Bell topped the reliability index, while Telus and Bell edged out Rogers when it came to speed. WIND finished last on both indices, but had a strong score on the reliability index. In fact, all carriers scored at least 92 out of 100 in network reliability.
Reliability Index rankings:
1 – Rogers (98.0)
1 – Bell (97.4)
3 – Telus (96.4)
4 – WIND (92.9)
Speed Index rankings:
1 – Telus (97.0)
1 – Bell (96.8)
3 – Rogers (96.0)
4 – WIND (55.8)
Data Performance: Three-way Tie for the Top Spot, but Bell Leads in Data Speeds
Data Performance RootScores factor in each network's reliability and speed when downloading and uploading data, performing email tasks, and downloading files that approximate loading typical webpages or apps. Telus, Bell and Rogers also shared the top spot in this category. However, Bell led the way in data speeds, recording a median download speed of 25.2 Mbps and a median upload speed of 19.2 Mbps. At 25.2 Mbps, a song can be downloaded in a bit more than 2 seconds.
Meanwhile, WIND's data speeds lagged well behind the other three carriers. WIND recorded a median download speed of 2.1 Mbps and a median upload speed of 0.2 Mbps, the slowest in the Calgary area. At 2.1 Mbps, a song would take more than 19 seconds to download.
Data Performance rankings:
1 – Telus (98.7)
1 – Bell (98.7)
1 – Rogers (98.6)
4 – WIND (76.2)
Call and Text Performance
All carriers scored highly in the call and text categories, indicating great performance all around. Rogers and Bell shared the top spot in call performance for Calgary. This was the only category in which WIND did not finish last, as it tied with Telus for the third-place spot. Meanwhile, in the text performance category, Telus recorded the only outright category win for any carrier in the Calgary market.
Call Performance rankings:
1 – Rogers (95.6)
1 – Bell (94.6)
3 – Telus (92.2)
3 – WIND (92.0)
Text Performance rankings:
1 – Telus (99.1)
2 – Bell (98.5)
3 – Rogers (98.0)
4 – WIND (91.4)
Comprehensive testing
To evaluate the mobile experience in Calgary, RootMetrics performed 21,859 call, data and text tests across all hours of the day and night from April 24 to May 1. Using smartphones purchased off the shelf at carrier stores, tests were conducted indoors at 28 locations, outdoors and while driving about 1,648 km, or 1,024 miles. For details about RootMetrics testing, see the methodology section of the RootMetrics website.
About RootMetrics®
RootMetrics® is an independent mobile analytics firm that offers insights into the consumer mobile experience. RootMetrics provides data on mobile network performance to help people make more informed mobile decisions. RootMetrics offers its RootScore® Report series for metropolitan markets, nations, states, airports, and venues, as well as its downloadable CoverageMap app. To ensure that RootMetrics testing reflects real-world mobile usage, testing is conducted based on where, when and how consumers use their smartphones most often.