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What Networks Do Other Carriers Use?
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Want to find out which carrier offers the best cell phone coverage in the U.S.? You’ve come to the right place.
We’ve analyzed cell phone coverage data across the nation’s carriers to find out which one offers the best 4G and 5G service. Not surprisingly, we found that the country’s three largest providers—Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile—still wield the most powerful national networks. AT&T has the largest 4G coverage network, while T-Mobile has the broadest 5G coverage footprint.
There’s more to it than that, though, so read on as we detail the respective coverage maps of the nation’s largest carriers.
Table of contents
National Phone Coverage Statistics
It used to be that Verizon ruled the land when it came to nationwide cell phone coverage—until the emergence of 5G. This new cellular technology has shaken things up, with T-Mobile leapfrogging Verizon with far more national 5G build-out across the country.
Nonetheless, Verizon still maintains one of the best 4G networks in the country, along with fellow telecom behemoth AT&T. Here’s how the three major carriers—plus UScellular—stack up against each other when it comes to national 4G coverage:
National 4G LTE Coverage:
- AT&T: 58%
- Verizon: 56%
- T-Mobile: 37%
- UScellular: 6%
While Verizon and AT&T lead the pack in terms of national 4G coverage reach, things are different when it comes to 5G. T-Mobile has leaned into 5G most heavily, aided by its acquisition of the now-shuttered Sprint network back in 2020. The result? T-Mobile offers the most 5G coverage in America. Here’s a breakdown of the four national carriers:
National 5G Coverage:
- T-Mobile: 29%
- AT&T: 28%
- Verizon: 12%
- UScellular: 5%
Verizon Coverage Map
Enter your address to view Verizon coverage near you.
Verizon 4G LTE Coverage
Verizon has long wielded one of the best 4G LTE coverage networks in the country, reaching more parts of the U.S. than any other carrier, save for AT&T. This reliable coverage is one of the reasons Verizon has maintained its spot as the biggest carrier in the U.S. for so long.
Verizon 5G Coverage
While Verizon’s national 4G LTE network is one of the most impressive, the carrier’s 5G network is far less established. That’s because the company has focused some of their efforts on rolling out millimeter wave 5G (branded 5G Ultra Wideband), which is both super-fast and less far-reaching. The result? Verizon’s 5G network currently covers just 12% of the country, significantly less than market leader T-Mobile’s 29%.
That said, Verizon is expanding its 5G network aggressively, so you can expect far more coverage throughout the middle parts of the country (Verizon has focused its build-out on the coasts) in the coming months and years.
More About Verizon Coverage
AT&T Coverage Map
Enter your address to view AT&T coverage near you.
AT&T 4G LTE Coverage
AT&T has long been considered one of the best carriers to go with for reliable coverage—and the company’s 4G LTE network is a major reason why. By the numbers, AT&T offers the best 4G coverage in the country, edging out Verizon with 58% of the U.S. covered. Whether you live in the city or the country, chances are AT&T will be a safe bet for getting a signal.
AT&T 5G LTE Coverage
Like T-Mobile, AT&T has worked to aggressively expand its 5G footprint throughout the country, and offers 28% 5G coverage in the U.S. AT&T’s 5G network consists of low-band 5G, and a faster kind that combines both mid-band and high-band spectrums (which they’ve branded 5G+).
Generally speaking, you’re most likely to receive the fastest 5G speeds from AT&T along both the eastern and western coasts, where the company has focused on building out its 5G+ network. However, the company will continue to expand its 5G reach—including the fast variety—as time goes on, so you can count on enjoying those top speeds before too long, even if you live in the Midwest, Southwest, Mountain West, or Northwest.
More About AT&T Coverage
T-Mobile Coverage Map
Enter your address to view T-Mobile coverage near you.
T-Mobile 4G LTE Coverage
T-Mobile offers the least amount of national 4G LTE coverage out of the Big Three carriers (a group that also includes AT&T and Verizon), at 37%. However, this number can be deceiving, as the company offers excellent 4G coverage in most mid-sized to large towns and areas throughout America; it's no wonder so many small carriers like Mint Mobile sublease space on T-Mobile’s network.
T-Mobile 5G Coverage
While T-Mobile may trail the major carrier pack when it comes to national 4G LTE coverage, 5G is a whole different story. If you’ve watched any major sporting event in the last couple years, you’ve probably already heard T-Mobile tout its 5G network in an advertisement. The thing is, the company actually has something to brag about. T-Mobile offers the most national 5G coverage in the country, at 29%.
T-Mobile’s 5G network is made up of both standard 5G, and so-called 5G UC (Ultra Capacity), which offers fast speeds and increased reliability. Like the other carriers, T-Mobile has focused its build-out of 5G UC along both seaboards, but is expanding inland aggressively.
More About T-Mobile Coverage
UScellular Coverage Map
Enter your address to view UScellular coverage near you.
UScellular 4G LTE Coverage
While UScellular is technically a major carrier since it operates its own national networks, in reality the company is fairly regional. To wit, its 4G LTE network spans to just 6% of the country. Most of its coverage is limited to the Northwest, Northeast, Midwest, and Mid-Atlantic regions.
That said, users in the areas where UScellular’s network is present report fast and reliable phone service, oftentimes better than what’s delivered from the likes of Verizon, T-Mobile or AT&T.
UScellular 5G Coverage
UScellular’s 5G network, like its 4G network, is fairly limited in scope, covering 5% of the country. This 5G coverage consists of standard, low-band 5G, and faster 5G+, which is made up of both low and high frequencies.
Keep in mind that while UScellular’s national coverage is limited, the carrier does maintain roaming agreements with other national carriers. This enables you to enjoy service with UScellular even if you happen to be outside of its core 4G or 5G network coverage areas.
More About UScellular Coverage
Major Carriers vs. Small Carriers
While we’ve focused on discussing the major national networks belonging to Verizon, T-Mobile, AT&T, and UScellular, there are many more carriers out there to choose from. Dozens, in fact, with familiar names like Mint Mobile, Metro by T-Mobile, Visible, and Cricket Wireless, and less familiar ones like Consumer Cellular and GreatCall.
However, these smaller carriers, or MVNOs, do not in fact maintain their own national coverage networks, but instead sublease space from the ones we’ve already covered. For example, Mint Mobile uses T-Mobile’s network, Visible uses Verizon’s network, and Cricket Wireless uses of AT&T’s network.
You might assume signing up for one of these smaller carriers would instantly entitle you to the same coverage that the major carriers offer since they use the same mobile networks. However, oftentimes MVNO customers receive deprioritized network coverage because major carriers prioritize their own subscribers ahead of those on these smaller brands. That can in some cases translate to slightly slower data speeds.
How to Get the Best Cell Phone Coverage
There’s more to getting the best coverage than just signing up with the carrier that offers reliable service in the places you spend time. These include:
- Your phone: The newer and more cutting edge your device, the more likely you’ll be to be able to tap into the fastest speeds. Some older phones don’t have the built-in technology to connect to the fastest 5G bands, resulting in slower service. The newest devices, like the Apple iPhone 16 or Samsung Galaxy S24 series don’t have this problem.
- Your software: It’s important to make sure your software is up to date, as an out-of-date operating system can translate to an inability to connect to the fastest network speeds.
- Your cell phone plan: Depending on the plan you have, your data may experience deprioritization during times of network congestion. If this is consistently happening to you, it may be worth investigating whether you can sign up for a plan that include more premium (i.e. un-deprioritized) data.
Our methodology
We sourced our cell phone coverage metrics from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which collects data voluntarily submitted by the four major national carriers (Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, UScellular).
Read MoreThe FCC incorporates standardized propagation model assumptions into its data, and notes that a user’s actual experience may vary based on end-use factors like network congestion and terrain.
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