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iPhone Text Effects: Tips and Tricks
March 18, 2025
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As the country’s easternmost state, Maine is home to 3,500 miles of coastline, 17 million acres of forest, and 6,000 lakes and ponds.
All of which is to say, Maine is a geographically and ecologically diverse state. This kind of terrain can present problems when it comes to cell phone coverage, since carriers tend to erect their towers in developed, populated areas. Not surprisingly, the cell phone coverage percentages skew lower in Maine than they do in more densely-lacked states, with none of the carriers reaching even half of the state with their networks.
However, if you know which carrier best serves your particular area, you should be able to access fast and reliable cell phone coverage. This article will help you sort through which carriers best serve various areas of the state. Read on to learn about getting the best coverage in Maine.
Table of contents
What We Like
- Verizon delivers the most 4G coverage in the state (45%)
- UScellular offers the most 5G coverage in Maine (26%)
What We Don't Like
- Maine’s varied, wild landscape can make getting a cell phone signal a challenge, particularly in the North Woods, Sugarloaf, and coastal areas
- Verizon offers very little 5G coverage in the state, covering just 1% of Maine’s 35,380 square miles (most of it in southern part of the state)
Verizon offers the most 4G coverage, and the fourth-most 5G coverage, in Maine.
Verizon 4G Coverage in Maine
Verizon offers far and away the most 4G LTE coverage in Maine, covering 45% of the state with its network. If cell phone signal availability is high on your list of concerns, going with Verizon is a smart move indeed if you live in Maine.
Verizon 5G Coverage in Maine
Whereas Verizon’s 4G network is the most formidable in Maine, its 5G network is the most limited. At present, Verizon’s 5G network only spreads to 1% of the state, much of it in the southern region where Portland, Augusta, and Bangor are located.
That said, the carrier is actively expanding its network reach in the state, so you can expect this percentage—and the availability of the carrier’s fastest network speeds—to increase in the coming weeks and months.
AT&T delivers the second-most 4G coverage, and the third-most 5G coverage in Maine.
AT&T 4G Coverage in Maine
AT&T’s 4G network covers 24% of Maine’s 35,380 square miles. This may not sound like much, but rest assured that the carrier’s 4G network reaches all of Maine’s foremost towns, cities, and suburbs.
AT&T 5G Coverage in Maine
AT&T’s 5G network spreads across 17% of Maine, including most of the mid-sized and larger towns and cities. Much of AT&T’s current 5G coverage is made up of the carrier’s so-called 5G+ spectrum, which delivers super-fast speeds, low latency times, and enhanced reliability.
T-Mobile serves up the second-most 5G coverage, and the third-most 4G coverage, in Maine.
T-Mobile 4G Coverage in Maine
T-Mobile’s 4G network spans 24% of the state of Maine, which is less than both Verizon and AT&T. That said, your town or region may very well be covered by T-Mobile 4G—use the map above to find out.
T-Mobile 5G Coverage in New Maine
T-Mobile is second only to UScellular for the best 5G network in Maine, covering 19% of the state. What’s more, a good portion of this 5G coverage is made up of the carrier’s 5G Ultra Capacity network, which delivers incredibly fast speeds for latency-free browsing, streaming, and gaming.
USCellular offers excellent overall cell phone coverage in Maine. In fact, the carrier’s 5G network is the best in the state, covering 26% of its total area. If you’re debating which carrier to sign up with in Maine, going with UScellular is a smart move since it gives you access to some of the fastest and most reliable 5G coverage around.
While we’ve outlined cell phone coverage from the three major U.S. cell phone carriers, it’s important to know that you aren’t limited to these companies if you need cell phone service in Maine. 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 are 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
What carrier offers the best cell phone coverage in Maine?
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Verizon delivers the most 4G LTE coverage in Maine, covering 45% of the state with its network. UScellular and T-Mobile, meanwhile offer the most 5G coverage (26% in both cases) across the state.
How do I find the best cell coverage in my area of Maine?
To determine the best cell phone service in your area of Maine, we recommend taking a look at our 4G and 5G coverage maps and zooming in to inspect your local area.
Is Verizon or AT&T better in Maine?
Verizon is a better choice for 4G LTE coverage in Maine, as the carrier offers 11% of it statewide than AT&T. However, AT&T offers far more 5G coverage in Maine (17%) than Verizon (2%).
Learn More Network Coverage Maps
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