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iPhone Text Effects: Tips and Tricks
March 18, 2025
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New York is home to mountains, coastlines, rivers, lakes, and densely-packed cities—all of which can present challenges to getting reliable cell phone service. Fortunately, the three major carriers (Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile) have recognized this and worked to aggressively build out their 4G and 5G networks throughout the state.
Verizon offers the most 4G LTE coverage in New York, spanning 72% of the state. AT&T, meanwhile, wields the most wide-ranging 5G network in New York, covering an impressive 51% of the state as of this writing.
Read on to learn more about which carriers offer the best cell phone coverage in the places you work, live and play in New York.
Table of contents
What We Like
- Verizon, T-Mobile and AT&T all offer excellent 4G and 5G coverage in New York’s biggest cities in towns, including the greater New York City area and its many suburbs
- Verizon offers the most 4G LTE coverage in New York
- AT&T wields that most wide-reaching basic 5G network in New York
- T-Mobile delivers the most enhanced 5G coverage in New York
What We Don't Like
- 5G coverage can be spotty in some of the more rural areas upstate, especially in the Adirondack Mountains
- All three major carriers are still working to build out their respective enhanced, or fastest, 5G network in New York; at present, they only spread across about a quarter of the state’s total area
Verizon operates the most wide-reaching 4G LTE network in New York, covering 72% of the state. The carrier’s 5G network, on the other hand, trails the likes of T-Mobile and AT&T in terms of the amount of the state it covers.
Verizon 4G Coverage in New York
Verizon offers the most 4G coverage in New York, besting the likes of competitors AT&T and T-Mobile. Apart from a few isolated dead zones in the Adirondack region, rest assured that you’re likely to have a 4G signal from Verizon almost anywhere you go in the state.
Verizon 5G Coverage in New York
While Verizon’s 4G LTE network reigns supreme in New York, its 5G network trails competitors T-Mobile and AT&T in terms of total area covered. Verizon’s 5G network is available in just 24% of the state, far shy of the 51% covered by AT&T’s 5G network.
However, Verizon is aggressively building out its 5G network, so you can expect it to become more widely available in the coming months and years. It should also be noted that in many cases, the 5G signal you get from Verizon may be superior to that of its competitors, since it’s partly made up of super-fast 5G Ultra-Wideband.
AT&T offers excellent and wide-ranging 4G and 5G coverage throughout the state of New York. AT&T’s 4G network covers 70% of the state, while its basic 5G network spreads to 51%.
AT&T 4G Coverage in New York
AT&T offers excellent 4G LTE coverage throughout New York, only a few percentage points shy of Verizon in terms of total area covered. From Montauk to Buffalo and all points between, you should have no problem connecting to AT&T’s 4G network.
AT&T 5G Coverage in New York
AT&T offers far and away the most 5G coverage in New York, as its network covers an impressive 51% of the state (and growing). Some 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 New York (with 47% of the state’s total area covered), and the second-most basic 5G coverage (41%).
T-Mobile 4G Coverage in New York
T-Mobile’s 4G network spans across 47% of New York, which is less overall reach than the 4G networks belonging to AT&T and Verizon. That said, T-Mobile’s 4G network is present in most of New York’s major and minor cities and towns, so you’re unlikely to experience any signal drops in those places.
T-Mobile 5G Coverage in New York
T-Mobile 5G network covers an impressive 41% of New York, second only to AT&T (51%). Better still, the carrier’s fast 5G Ultra Capacity network is available in more places than the equivalent enhanced 5G networks operated by AT&T and Verizon. If you want to tap into the fastest cellular speeds available in New York, going with T-Mobile is a wise move indeed.
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 New York. 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
Which carrier offers the most coverage in New York State?
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Verizon offers the most 4G LTE coverage in New York, while competitor AT&T offers the most 5G coverage throughout the state.
How can I check which network is best in my area?
To determine the best cell phone service in your area, we recommend taking a look at our 4G and 5G coverage maps and zooming in to inspect your local area.
How good is Verizon’s coverage in New York?
Verizon offers excellent 4G and 5G coverage throughout the state of New York. Its 4G coverage network, in fact, is more wide-reaching than both AT&T and T-Mobile’s equivalent networks.
Learn More Network Coverage Maps
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