Houston Goes Mobile
Smartphone love: Houston named one of the most mobile-friendly cities in U.S.
Watch out, San Francisco and San Jose. Houston is one of the most mobile-friendly cities in the U.S., according to a new survey, beating out the popular California tech hubs.
Consumer finance website NerdWallet conducted a study to find the top mobile-friendly cities in America, and Houston came in at No. 6. The list identifies the cities where customers receive the best connection, in-person customer service and are accommodated with specially designed mobile websites.
The rankings are also based on carrier network performance, network coverage, taxes and fees, and crime risk methodology.
So how did Houston beat out other major tech cities? Nerdwallet says:
The largest city in Texas ranks 16th on our list for network coverage, but it makes up for that in customer service, with 4.71 mobile phone stores per 10,000 residents, which is above the average of 3.83 stores per 10,000 residents in all 50 cities. The city website offers a range of services that can be accessed by smartphone — such as reporting a pothole, paying for a parking ticket or applying for city jobs.
Atlanta leads the list, followed by San Diego, Sacramento, Seattle and Chicago.
Austin came in at No. 10. The Texas capital city ranks faster in upload speeds than many of the other 50 cities, aided by Google Fiber Community Connections. It's home to an average wireless tax rate, but it’s No. 8 for all cities in the number mobile phone stores (4.6 per 10,000 residents).
Of the 50 top cities, Fort Worth ranks No. 21, Dallas No. 26, San Antonio No. 30, and El Paso No. 32.
