Every carrier gets 0 to 10 scores inspired by the CoverageMap API's scoring, adapted to a whole area so each one agrees with the numbers we show:
- Performance blends median download (70%) and upload (30%) speeds, topping out at 100 and 20 Mbps, and is lowered by latency over 150 ms. The first Mbps count the most, so a solid 50 Mbps scores well.
- Reliability looks at the slowest tests (the worst 10%) against 10 Mbps down and 2 Mbps up, and every failed test counts fully against it, so it shows how a network holds up when it's busy.
Outside the US there is no coverage data to measure how much of the area each network reaches, so there is no coverage rating. In performance, failed tests count half as much because some fail for reasons that have nothing to do with the network. The overall score weighs reliability 60% and performance 40%, and our pick has the best overall score. Each activity uses the measurements that matter for it: latency for gaming and video calls, download speed for streaming, and fast, steady speeds both ways for home internet.
We need at least 25 speed tests in North York to rate speeds locally, and 10 for each carrier before we compare its speeds. With fewer tests, we use a larger nearby area.
