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iPhone Text Effects: Tips and Tricks
March 18, 2025
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As the fourth-largest state in the country, Montana features a wide variety of terrain—mountains, lakes, rivers, forests, plains—much of it untamed and rural.
Montana’s landscape presents some impediments to getting a reliable cell phone signal. For one, carriers tend to erect their cellular towers around large collections of people—and much of Montana is not only unpopulated, but wild. Two, cellular signals work best when they can travel from a tower to your phone relatively unimpeded by natural barriers, and the mountainous nature of Montana means this often isn’t the case.
However, that doesn’t mean you should give up hope of getting good cell phone coverage in Montana. If you know which carrier serves your area of the state the best, you could very well score reliable, fast 4G or 5G coverage. Read on as we explore how to get the best cell phone coverage in Montana.
Table of contents
What We Like
- AT&T delivers the most 4G coverage in the state (55%), followed by Verizon (51%)
- T-Mobile offers the most 5G coverage in Montana (31%)
What We Don't Like
- Montana’s varied, wild landscape can make getting a cell phone signal a challenge, particularly in Glacier National Park, Yellowstone, and the Northeast and Northwest corners of the state
- Verizon offers very little 5G coverage in the state, covering just 4% of Montana’s 147,040 square miles
Verizon offers the second-most 4G coverage, and the third-most 5G coverage, in Montana.
Verizon 4G Coverage in Montana
Verizon’s 4G LTE network covers exactly half of Montana’s 147,040 square miles. Check the map above (we recommend zooming in) to verify coverage in your specific area of the state.
Verizon 5G Coverage in Montana
Verizon’s 5G network is fairly limited in Montana at the moment, covering just 4% of the state, much of it around Billings, Bozeman, and Helena.
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 most 4G coverage, and the second-most 5G coverage, in Montana.
AT&T 4G Coverage in Montana
AT&T’s 4G network covers 55% of Montana’s 147,040 square miles. That’s a full 4% more coverage than runner-up Verizon, and 12% more than T-Mobile. Given the reach of AT&T’s 4G network in Montana, going with the carrier for service is a wise move indeed if you live here.
AT&T 5G Coverage in Montana
AT&T’s 5G network spreads across 31% of Montana, most of it across the southern part of the state. Butte, Bozeman, Helena, and Missoula are all covered by AT&T 5G.
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 most 5G coverage, and the third-most 4G coverage, in Montana.
T-Mobile 4G Coverage in Montana
T-Mobile’s 4G network spans 31% of Montana, which is significantly less than both Verizon and AT&T. That said, your town or region may very well be covered by T-Mobile’s 4G—use the map above to find out.
T-Mobile 5G Coverage in Montana
T-Mobile delivers the best 5G network in Montana, covering exactly a quarter 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.
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 Montana. 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 Montana?
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AT&T delivers the most 4G LTE coverage in Montana, covering 55% of the state with its network. T-Mobile, meanwhile, offers the most 5G coverage (25%) across the state.
How do I find the best cell coverage in my area of Montana?
To determine the best cell phone service in your area of Montana, we recommend taking a look at our 4G and 5G coverage maps and zooming in to inspect your local area.
Which cell service works best in Yellowstone?
Verizon and AT&T are the best choices for coverage if you’re visiting Yellowstone, since both cover some portion of the park with their 4G LTE networks.
Learn More Network Coverage Maps
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