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March 18, 2025
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North Carolina is known for its barbeque, its college basketball, and its stunning Blue Ridge Mountains. It’s not renowned for its cell phone coverage, but maybe it should be: the Tar Hell state boasts solid coverage from AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon. Verizon operates the largest 4G LTE network in the state, with a total coverage area that spans 80% of the map. T-Mobile, meanwhile, offers the most 5G coverage, with a network that covers 48% of the map.
Whether you’re in one of the state’s many growing metro regions–like Charlotte or the Research Triangle–or out in the more rural areas beyond Asheville, this guide will help you find the best coverage near you.
Table of contents
What We Like
- The state’s densely populated areas (including Charlotte, Raleigh, Greensboro, and more) have reliable coverage from AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon
- Verizon has the most 4G LTE in the state, covering 80% of the map
- T-Mobile offers the most 5G coverage, with high-speed service that reaches 48% of the state
What We Don't Like
- 4G LTE coverage can be found throughout much of the state, but signals will be weaker away from metropolitan hubs
- 5G coverage is mostly limited to urban areas and is weakest in the state’s northeastern quadrant
Verizon provides solid cell phone coverage to North Carolinians, operating the largest 4G network and the second-largest 5G network in the state. Want to see what kind of coverage Verizon offers in your neck of the woods? Check out our interactive map below.
Verizon 4G Coverage in North Carolina
Verizon’s 4G coverage map is the largest in North Carolina, with a total network coverage area of 80%. Similar to AT&T, the strongest Verizon service is available in the state’s metro areas, though Verizon’s coverage is stronger and more expansive, with particularly good coverage in places like Wilmington, Fayetteville, Emerald Isle, Asheville, Hendersonville, Greenville, Kitty Hawk, and elsewhere.
Verizon 5G Coverage in North Carolina
Verizon’s 5G network is the second-largest in the state, covering a little over 21% of the map. More than half of that network includes 5G Ultra-Wideband, which offers extra fast service and minimal lag.
Verizon’s 5G is strongest in the Tarheel State’s major cities and their surrounding areas. Unfortunately, the network is spotty across the state, with numerous dead spots across the map. The most significant are east of Kitty Hawk, near Williamstown, and in the center of the state, south of Siler City.
AT&T offers a fair amount of coverage in North Carolina, though very little of its network map includes 5G. Interested in seeing what kind of service AT&T offers in your neighborhood? Enter your address in the interactive coverage map below.
AT&T 4G Coverage in North Carolina
AT&T operates the second-largest 4G network in the state, with a coverage map that reaches over 70% of the state. As is often the case, service is stronger in large metropolitan areas like Charlotte, Raleigh, Greensboro, Winston-Salem, and more. AT&T’s 4G coverage gets considerably weaker north of Asheville and Black Mountain and west of Boone, with some absolute dead zones, especially closer to the Tennessee state line.
AT&T 5G Coverage in North Carolina
AT&T has the smallest 5G network in North Carolina, with a coverage map that spans just 17% of the map. The good news is that half of that network includes 5G+, AT&T’s super-fast service that promises minimal latency, but that’s still a woefully small number, even if a significant portion of it has enhanced 5G.
AT&T’s 5G is primarily available in the state’s major cities. The network has significant holes between Fayetteville and Jacksonville, as well north of Greenville and west of Kitty Hawk.
T-Mobile operates the smallest 4G network in North Carolina, but it also operates the largest 5G network. If you live in a city, T-Mobile might be your best bet, though it won’t be reliable if you live in a more rural part of the state.
If you want to see if you live within the T-Mobile coverage map, enter your address in the map below.
T-Mobile 4G Coverage in North Carolina
T-Mobile operates the smallest 4G map in the state, with a network that only covers 55% of the map. While service is strong in the state’s major cities, it’s weak outside of them, with several dead zones across the state, including the areas near Garland, Centerville, Stovall, and just south of Black Mountain.
T-Mobile 5G Coverage in North Carolina
T-Mobile operates the largest 5G network in North Carolina, providing high-speed service to over 48% of the state. Even better, over half of that network includes 5G Ultra Capacity spectrum, which offers lightning-fast speeds and limited latency.
T-Mobile’s 5G network is leaps and bounds beyond AT&T’s and Verizon’s, offering stronger service beyond the major metro areas, including areas like High Point, Goldsboro, Sunset Beach, Hickory, Morganton, Banner Elk, Boone, and more.
AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile may be the largest cell phone carriers in the country, but they’re not the only ones. There are plenty of smaller carriers, called MVNOs, that operate on the Big Three networks and provide discounted coverage to their customers.
If you don’t need all the luxuries of an unlimited data plan, then an MVNO (like Mint Mobile or Boost Mobile) might be the best way for you to score access to the AT&T, Verizon, or T-Mobile network for cheap. You can check out some of the most popular MVNOs below:
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 has the best coverage in NC?
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Verizon has the best coverage in NC, with a total network area that covers 80% of the state map. T-Mobile, however, provides the best 5G coverage, with towers that reach over 48% of North Carolina.
Is T-Mobile good in Raleigh?
Yes, T-Mobile is good in Raleigh, offering significant 5G coverage to the city and its surrounding towns, including Cary, Durham, Chapel Hill, and more.
Who has the best 5G in North Carolina?
T-Mobile has the best 5G in North Carolina, with a network that covers over 48% of the state map.
Learn More Network Coverage Maps
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