Verizon wins PCMag's best mobile network in Seattle

Verizon ranks as the Seattle area's top mobile network this year among the region's three biggest carriers, PC Mag found in its annual analysis of Best Mobile Networks.

Context: In its 13th year of testing, the tech publication's experts drove more than 10,000 miles across America with the latest 5G phones to observe each carrier's performance in 30 cities and six rural regions.

• Testers gauged mobile networks on data and voice performance through assessments of speed and reliability, coming up with findings of how well Verizon, T-Mobile and AT&T performed locally, regionally and nationally.

Zoom out: T-Mobile was deemed the best — and fastest — network nationwide, with winning performances in 18 of 30 cities, compared to Verizon's eight and AT&T's four.

Zoom in: But in the Seattle area, Verizon outperformed the other two networks, the publication determined.

• AT&T came in second here, with T-Mobile ranking third.

What they're saying: "Verizon doesn't have the fastest downloads in Seattle — that's definitely T-Mobile, which is based in nearby Bellevue — but Verizon's network is more reliable," PCMag found.

• "Verizon has the highest rate of uploads and downloads above our minimum threshold, and while the difference in dropped calls and connections is minimal, it's there."

Of note: You’ll need a newer phone — one that's C-band compatible — to get the best performance out of Verizon locally, PC Mag notes.

• That's because only those phones can tap into Verizon's "ultrawide" 5G network, which is available in many parts of the region and offers faster speeds.