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March 18, 2025
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Pennsylvania is known for its colonial history, its world-class cities, and its cheesesteaks. Lucky for its residents, the Keystone State is also known for its solid cell phone coverage, with substantial coverage from all three major wireless carriers. Verizon’s 4G LTE network is the largest in the state, covering 72% of the map, but it’s AT&T who provides the best overall coverage, with a 4G LTE network that covers 70% of the state and a 5G coverage map that reaches 51%.
Whether you’re in one of the state’s metro hubs or out in the farthest reaches of the Pocono Mountains, we’ll analyze the Pennsylvania coverage map so you can find the best carrier for your neck of the woods.
Table of contents
What We Like
- The state’s densely populated areas (including Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Harrisburgh, Allentown, and more) have reliable coverage from AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon
- Verizon has the most 4G LTE in the state, covering 72% of the map
- AT&T offers the most 5G coverage, with high-speed service that reaches nearly 51% 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 widely available, but the service is spotty in rural areas, especially in the center of the state
Verizon offers solid coverage in Pennsylvania, including the largest 4G network and a substantial 5G network that offers lightning fast speeds. Similar to AT&T, its strongest coverage is available in the state’s larger metropolitan areas.
Verizon 4G Coverage in Pennsylvania
Verizon operates the largest 4G network in Pennsylvania, with a total network coverage area of over 72%. Verizon boasts strong 4G coverage throughout the major metro areas as well as the state’s smaller cities, including Reading, Lebanon, Pottsville, York, Altoona, Waynesburg, and more. The only areas of the state without Verizon coverage are the more remote areas of the northwest towards the New York state border.
Verizon 5G Coverage in Pennsylvania
Verizon’s 5G network is significantly smaller than its 4G network, covering about 24% of the state map. Over ⅔ of that includes Verizon’s 5G Ultra-Wideband, which offers extra fast service and minimal lag. Like other 5G networks, Verizon’s high-speed service is strongest in metropolitan areas. Its service is weakest in the center of the state, with significant dead zones in Lock Haven, Towanada, and just outside State College.
AT&T has the best overall coverage in Pennsylvania, thanks to robust 4G and 5G networks that span the majority of the state’s landmass. Its service is strongest in Pennsylvania’s more densely populated areas, but customers will also be covered in plenty of rural areas throughout the state.
AT&T 4G Coverage in Pennsylvania
AT&T operates the second-largest 4G network in the state, but it’s still rather larger, with a total footprint of nearly 70%. If you’re near any of the state’s metro areas–including Philadelphia, Lancaster, Allentown, Scranton, Harrisburg, Williamsport, Pittsburgh–then you’ll have solid 4G connectivity. Service can be weaker in more rural areas, especially in the northwest quadrant of the state, but there are very few true dead zones.
Want to get more granular? Enter your address below to see what AT&T’s 4G coverage is like in your neighborhood.
AT&T 5G Coverage in Pennsylvania
AT&T operates the largest 5G network in Pennsylvania, with a total network coverage area that spans nearly 51% of the map. Around 35% of that network also includes AT&T 5G+, which provides high-speed service and low latency.
AT&T 5G is strongest in metro hubs like Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, but it’s still accessible outside those areas, too, with strong service in places like State College, Bloomsburg, and Wilkes-Barre.
T-Mobile’s network footprint might look small compared with its main competitors, AT&T and Verizon, but the carrier still offers reliable 4G and 5G coverage for Keystone State residents.
T-Mobile 4G Coverage in Pennsylvania
The T-Mobile 4G network covers approximately 47% of the state map. That trails behind both AT&T and Verizon, though the network still covers the majority of Pennsylvania residents who live in the state’s cities, suburbs, and exurbs, where T-Mobile service is strong. The network’s dead zones are mostly in the center and north of the state, especially along the New York state border.
T-Mobile 5G Coverage in Pennsylvania
For what T-Mobile lacks in total network coverage, the carrier makes up for with their expansive 5G coverage map. T-Mobile 5G covers 41% of the Pennsylvania map. In addition, significant portions of that map include T-Mobile’s 5G Ultra Capacity spectrum, which offers lightning-fast speeds.
Like most 5G networks, coverage is strongest in urban areas, though T-Mobile 5G is also strong in some of Pennsylvania’s smaller cities, like Meadville, Warren, Lock Haven, and Williamsport.
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
What is the best cell phone provider in PA?
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AT&T is the best cell phone provider in PA, thanks to a 4G LTE network that covers 70% of the state and a 5G coverage map that reaches nearly 51%.
Is AT&T or Verizon better in Pennsylvania?
AT&T is better than Verizon in Pennsylvania. While Verizon’s total network coverage, which covers 72% of the map, is slightly larger, AT&T’s network offers more 5G, allowing you to access high-speed service in more places.
Is T-Mobile good in Pennsylvania?
Yes, T-Mobile is good in Pennsylvania, with a 5G network coverage area that reaches 41% of the map, though that number lags far behind its major competitors AT&T and Verizon, whose networks cover 80% and 84%, respectively.
Learn More Network Coverage Maps
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