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iPhone Text Effects: Tips and Tricks
March 18, 2025
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The state of Illinois is America’s 25th largest state, and features a surprisingly diverse mixture of plains, woods, rivers, lakes, and urban areas. All three major carriers cover the state pretty well with their 4G and 5G networks. However, there are some nuances to this coverage that you’ll want to be aware of as you seek out the best service in your specific area.
Verizon offers the most 4G LTE coverage in Illinois (94%), slightly outdoing competitor AT&T (93%). T-Mobile, however, reigns supreme in terms of the reach of its 5G network in Illinois (63%), followed by T-Mobile (57%).
Table of contents
What We Like
- Owing to its flat nature, all three major carriers pretty well blanket Illinois with great 4G and 5G coverage
- Verizon offers the most 4G LTE coverage in Illinois, covering an incredible 94% of the state
- T-Mobile wields that most wide-reaching 5G network in Illinois, spreading to 63% of the state
- T-Mobile makes a strong showing in Illinois both in terms of basic, and enhanced, 5G coverage
What We Don't Like
- 5G coverage can be slightly spotty in some of the more rural areas of Illinois
- All three major carriers are still working to build out their respective enhanced 5G network in Illinois
Verizon operates the most expansive 4G LTE network in Illinois, covering an incredible 94% of the state. The carrier’s 5G network, on the other hand, covers far less territory than competitors AT&T and T-Mobile—just 18% of the state.
Verizon 4G Coverage in Illinois
Verizon offers the most 4G coverage in Illinois—an impressive 94%—outdoing competitors AT&T and T-Mobile. Indeed, there’s nary a dead zone to be found on the Verizon coverage map of Illinois.
Verizon 5G Coverage in Illinois
While Verizon’s 4G LTE network rules in Illinois, its 5G network trails competitors T-Mobile and AT&T. Verizon’s 5G network is available in 18% of the state, far shy of the 63% covered by T-Mobile’s 5G network.
Fear not, however: Verizon is aggressively building out its 5G network in Illinois, and it’s growing as we speak. Plus, much of Verizon’s 5G network in the state is made of the carrier’s 5G Ultra-Wideband, which offers incredibly fast speeds and low latency times.
AT&T offers reliable 4G and 5G coverage throughout Illinois. AT&T’s 4G network covers 93% of the state, just a hair shy of the 94% offered by Verizon. AT&T’s 5G network, meanwhile, spreads across an impressive 57% of Illinois.
AT&T 4G Coverage in Illinois
AT&T offers excellent 4G LTE coverage throughout Illinois, only a single percentage point shy of Verizon in terms of total area covered (93%). From the shores of Lake Michigan to the southern tip of the state, you’re likely to be able to tap into an AT&T cell phone signal.
AT&T 5G Coverage in Illinois
AT&T offers the most 5G coverage in Illinois, covering an impressive 55% of the state with its 5G network. Much of this 5G coverage is made up of the carrier’s so-called 5G+, which delivers super-fast speeds, low latency times, and enhanced reliability.
T-Mobile offers the third-most 4G coverage in Illinois (with 72% of the state’s total area covered), and the most basic 5G coverage (63%).
T-Mobile 4G Coverage in Illinois
T-Mobile’s 4G network spans 72% of Illinois, which is significantly less than both Verizon (94%) and AT&T (93%). However, T-Mobile’s network is well represented in Illinois’ more populous towns and cities.
T-Mobile 5G Coverage in Illinois
T-Mobile is known for its 5G coverage, so it's perhaps not surprising that the carrier makes a strong showing in Illinois. T-Mobile 5G network covers an impressive 63% of the state.
Some of this 5G coverage consists of the carrier’s fast 5G Ultra Capacity network, which delivers super-fast speeds. All of this makes going with T-Mobile a smart move if you’re looking for the latest coverage technology in Illinois.
The Chicago-based UScellular maintains a big presence throughout the Midwest—including its home state of Illinois. While the carrier doesn't win the coverage battle against Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile in the state, it nonetheless delivers fairly solid overall service, and maintains roaming agreements with other providers in the places its network doesn't extend to. By the numbers, UScellular offers the fourth-most 4G coverage, and the third-most 5G coverage, in the state of Illinois.
It’s important to know that you aren’t limited to the major carriers in terms of getting cell phone service in Illinois. A variety of smaller carriers, or MVNOs, also operate in the state, allowing you to sign up for equivalent plans—with similar coverage—for less than you’d otherwise pay.
All of these carriers lease from the aforementioned major carrier networks to provide coverage to their customers. If you’re signed up with Spectrum Mobile, for example, you’ll have access to Verizon coverage, since the carrier runs on that network. Here some popular MVNOs, and the networks they operate on:
Boost Mobile
Metro by T-Mobile
Networks they use
Metro by T-Mobile
Networks they use
Optimum Mobile
Spectrum Mobile
Cox Mobile
Straight Talk
Networks they use
Cricket
Networks they use
Visible
Networks they use
Google Fi
Networks they use
Xfinity Mobile
Mint Mobile
Things to Know about Cell Phone Coverage
Cell Phone Coverage Speeds
When it comes to cell phone coverage, you don’t just need a cellular signal—you need that signal to provide adequate speed. That’s why it’s important to distinguish between 4G and 5G coverage in your area. In general, 5G provides faster speeds and greater reliability than 4G. However, that’s not always the case, as there may be instances when the speeds of these respective coverage types are actually quite similar.
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 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 5G 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 mobile 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 includes more premium (i.e. un-deprioritized) data.
- Your location: Certain types of coverage, like high-band 5G, has difficulty penetrating solid materials, like concrete walls. As simple as it may sound, moving to an unobstructed location may help you connect to these fast networks more reliably.
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 More
The 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. Read Less
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Frequently Asked Questions
Which cell phone provider offers the best coverage in Illinois?
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Verizon offers the most 4G LTE coverage in Illinois, while competitor T-Mobile offers the most 5G coverage throughout the state.
Is T-Mobile better than Verizon in Illinois?
T-Mobile’s 5G network covers far more of Illinois than Verizon’s 5G network, so if you’re looking to tap into the fastest coverage speeds, going with T-Mobile is a smart move.
Who has the best 5G network in Illinois?
AT&T’s 5G network covers more of Illinois than the equivalent networks from both T-Mobile and Verizon.
Learn More Network Coverage Maps
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