“The myth: You’re getting five bars on your cell phone, so you’re getting good service, right? The reality: It’s way more complicated than that,” David Goldman reports for CNNMoney. “The answer to a very simple question — “What’s the best cell phone carrier in my area?” — depends on a tangled web of factors, including the network’s download speed, response time, signal strength, and the number of cell towers in your area.”

“Carriers don’t generally share any information about those metrics with the public,” Goldman reports. “That means real network performance data and carrier comparisons have been almost impossible to calculate.”

Goldman reports, “With the help of Boston-based startup SwayMarkets and its CarrierCompare iPhone app, CNNMoney gained exclusive access to real, user-generated network data. SwayMarkets analyzed the 3G network data generated by CarrierCompare users in Boston, New York, Washington, Chicago, San Francisco and Los Angeles. Get ready for a few surprises.”

CarrierCompare: U.S. iPhone Carriers Shootout

Read more in the full article here.

[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader "Edward W." for the heads up.]