You're thinking about switching cell phone plans, but you don't know where to start. Before switching plans, it's a good idea to compare the coverage areas of the wireless carriers to see which ones have the best service where you live. In this article, I'll compare coverage maps to explain which cell phone carrier has the best coverage!
Comparing Coverage Maps
The quickest way to find out which cell phone carrier has the best coverage is by using our coverage maps. Seeing which carriers cover the largest amount of the country will give you a general sense about who you can count on most when you need cellular service.
However, it's also important to see which carriers actually provide service in your neighborhood, town, and county. Our coverage maps make it easy to discover which carriers have coverage in your area. Simply type your address into the search box and see what the results are!
Wireless carriers often tout their nationwide coverage, citing things like that they cover “98% of the population.” However, that doesn't mean much if a carrier doesn't provide coverage in your area.
5G Coverage
The major carriers are slowly beginning to roll out 5G coverage across the country. Below, we'll discuss the 5G networks of the top carriers in the United States.
T-Mobile 5G
T-Mobile recently released their nationwide 5G. However, there are a few things to consider before making the switch to get faster speeds. Most of T-Mobile's 5G coverage is low-band, which is sometimes slower than Verizon 4G LTE. T-Mobile does offer some high-band 5G, but it's limited to a select list of cities.
T-Mobile also announced their upcoming mid-band 5G networks. Mid-band 5G is simultaneously faster than 4G data and more accessible than much of the 5G available right now. While most mid-band 5G won't be available for a while to come, this announcement is a huge step forward for the cellular market.
AT&T 5G
AT&T began advertising their “nationwide” 5G shortly after T-Mobile. They're including 5G access with their unlimited plans at no extra charge, and offering great deals on new 5G phones like the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE.
Check out AT&T's website to see if the carrier has 5G coverage where you live. Watch our video to learn everything you need to know about AT&T's nationwide 5G coverage.
Verizon 5G
Verizon is the most recent carrier to join the nationwide 5G club. Currently, Verizon has two 5G networks available in various locations across the United States.
Verizon's Nationwide 5G operates over low-band frequency. If you check out their 5G coverage map, you'll notice that “Nationwide” is a pretty loose word for the network's distribution across the continent. It's accessible only in small patches and is almost completely absent from certain states.
Even more geographically sparse is Verizon's Ultra-Wideband 5G. Operating across high-band frequencies, this network is accessible in small pockets, mostly in the range of major cities.
Where Can I Get the Fastest 5G Speeds?
Each major carrier is in the race to have to most 5G coverage in cities across the U.S. We've created a 5G city list to track every place high-band 5G is available. Note this chart shows mid-band and high-band coverage, meaning T-Mobile's low-band coverage isn't included.
How Do Other Experts Rank Wireless Carrier Networks?
J.D. Power is considered one of the top authorities when it comes to comparing and ranking a variety of services and products in industries like automotive and technology. In 2018, J.D. Power studied the network quality and performance of the four major carriers — AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon.
The study found that Verizon's network ranked best in every region of the United States! AT&T and T-Mobile both finished 2nd in three regions, while Sprint was never higher than third-best.
Note: Sprint has since merged with T-Mobile.
So Which Carrier Has the Best Coverage?
Overall, Verizon Wireless has the best coverage of any wireless carrier. When you look at their total coverage area and the accolades they've received, it's clear that Verizon Wireless has the largest and most reliable network in the United States.
However, this doesn't mean that Verizon will always be the top dog. The major wireless carriers are beginning to build a 5G infrastructure, which will improve the speed and reliability of cellular networks. The first cell phone carrier to adopt and implement 5G may become the leader in cellular coverage.
I Don't Have A Plan from A Major Carrier. How Good Is My Network?
Smaller carriers, or mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs), lease coverage from the major carriers. You can get a pretty good idea about how reliable your MVNO's network is by seeing who they lease coverage from. If you're on a Verizon MVNO such as CREDO Mobile, you can expect to have pretty great coverage.
Now You're Covered!
We hope this article helped you learn more about which cell phone carrier has the best coverage. Don't forget to check out our coverage maps to figure out which wireless carrier has the best service in your area.
Need help finding a new cell phone plan? Leave us a comment below!
