Most modern phones do support them all.įor voice calls, the situation also used to be complicated. Different carriers' networks run on different frequencies, and your phone needs to support these. There can be some technical issues, though. Voice: the most basic type of coverage is voice (or 2G), used for calls and text messaging over SMS (iMessage and similar apps use the 4G or 5G network).Īs a general rule, your phone will work with every carrier even if you buy it outright, separate from your contract.You won't use it much, but if you do you could get speeds of 7.2Mbps. 3G: now used for data and voice where an LTE connection is not available.It has over 90% coverage around the US, and all modern smartphones support it. 4G (LTE): the previous generation is used for data, as well as voice calls (depending on your phone and carrier).It has been rolled out in parts of large cities around the country, but you'll have to wait several years before it becomes common nationwide. It's also still very new, so coverage is patchy at best. 5G: the latest type of data connection - it's truly rapid, with speeds over 1Gbps.Coverage for each can differ from one region to the next, and the one that you use can also be dictated by what you're doing on your phone and what type of phone you've got. These often work out a little more expensive, but the convenience might be worth it, especially if you don't use your phone that much.Ĭarriers provide several different cellular services. This means you don't have to sign a contract, but pay in advance for an allowance of data and calls instead. Big names include Virgin Mobile, Google Fi, Mint Mobile, and Cricket Wireless. There's over a hundred of them, and some are also regional. MVNOs: Mobile Virtual Network Operators don't maintain their own networks, they rent and resell coverage from one of the three main carriers.USCellular is the fourth-largest carrier in the US - their own network covers around 10% of the country, and they partner with the other three carriers to flesh out their coverage elsewhere. Regional carriers: some carriers are only available in certain regions.The more of these towers you have in your area, the better the signal will be from the carrier that owns them.Īs well as the main carriers, there are two other categories of carrier that you can choose from. These companies build and maintain their own cellphone network infrastructure, including the phone towers that you can see all around your towns and cities. The move brings T-Mobile level with AT&T in terms of size. While existing customers won't have to switch for the foreseeable future, the Sprint brand has been retired and new customers must join T-Mobile. In order of size, they are:Ī fourth company, Sprint, merged with T-Mobile in April 2020. There are three main carriers that provide cellular coverage across the US. Who provides cellular coverage in the US? We check all the main carriers at once, saving you the time and effort of having to visit them all individually. Our Signal Checker shows the coverage and signal strength for your zip code and helps you see which carrier will give you the best service. So, a carrier that works for someone in a Southern State might not be the right choice for someone in the Northwest. They can vary massively from one state to the next. However, not all carriers provide the same level of coverage across the whole country. Over 90% of the US has good cell coverage it's generally only rural areas where you might not get a signal. If you can't, you might not be able to make calls, send messages, or use apps when you need to. What is cell phone coverage and signal checking?īefore you sign up with a new carrier, you need to be sure that you can get good reception - both good coverage and a reliable signal - where you live and work. Results show indoor and outdoor coverage for voice calls, 3G data, 4G (LTE) data, and 5G data for every zip code in the USA for each carrier. Our database contains cell coverage information for AT&T, USCellular, T-Mobile, and Verizon. Cell Signal Coverage data for the whole of the USA
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