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iPhone Text Effects: Tips and Tricks
March 18, 2025
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From the Blue Ridge Mountains to the Atlantic coast, South Carolina has its fair share of geographic variety. This can sometimes make it challenging to get a strong cell phone signal. Thankfully, South Carolina is blessed with generally good cell coverage from the big three carriers: Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile.
In South Carolina, Verizon provides the best 4G LTE cell phone coverage. For 5G coverage, T-Mobile’s network comes out ahead. However, due to local variations in coverage, it’s always best to check coverage maps in your area.
Table of contents
What We Like
- South Carolina’s big population hubs, like Myrtle Beach, Charleston, and Greenville, enjoy great cell phone coverage from T-Mobile, Verizon, and AT&T alike
- T-Mobile offers the best 5G coverage, providing a signal to 57% of the state, while Verizon’s broad 4G network covers 88% of South Carolina
- AT&T’s 4G network covers 84%, making it a strong competitor to Verizon’s 4G coverage
What We Don't Like
- Some more rural areas, like the Blue Ridge mountains and certain portions of the coastline, aren’t well covered by any carrier
- AT&T’s 5G network reaches less than a third (32%) of South Carolina
- Certain zones in South Carolina get no signal at all from AT&T, T-Mobile, or Verizon
Verizon delivers the strongest 4G network in South Carolina, covering 88% of South Carolina. Furthermore, its 5G coverage (30%) earns it second place in the state.
Verizon 4G Coverage in South Carolina
Verizon’s 4G LTE network covers almost the entirety of South Carolina, spreading across 88% of the state (though AT&T, with 84%, is not far behind). That means you’re likely to get a Verizon signal almost anywhere you go, from Savannah to Rock Hill.
Verizon 5G Coverage in South Carolina
Verizon’s 5G network covers 30% of the state, putting it ahead of AT&T, but far behind T-Mobile. It’s worth noting that Verizon is working to expand its 5G coverage, so even those who don’t get a 5G signal today might enjoy one in the coming months and years.
Verizon also offers an ultrafast version of 5G, called 5G Ultra-Wideband, to a portion of those in range of its 5G network. 5G Ultra-Wideband provides a great signal for gaming, browsing, and streaming.
AT&T offers excellent 4G coverage in South Carolina, covering 84% of the state’s 30,064 square miles. While its 5G network still has some growing to do, those in South Carolina’s population hubs won’t have any issue getting a signal from AT&T.
AT&T 4G Coverage in South Carolina
AT&T’s 4G LTE network covers 84% of the state, making it a very close competitor to Verizon’s 4G network. For the vast majority of South Carolina’s population, AT&T’s network will provide a great 4G signal.
AT&T 5G Coverage in South Carolina
AT&T’s 5G network covers about a third of South Carolina (32%), ranking it behind both T-Mobile and Verizon. However, AT&T is aggressively growing its 5G network to reach more customers in South Carolina every year. AT&T also provides an enhanced version of its 5G network, known as 5G+, to a percentage of those covered by its 5G network.
T-Mobile wields the broadest 5G network in South Carolina, reaching well over half of the state (57%) and easily beating out Verizon and AT&T. While its 4G network ranks third in the state, it still covers over two-thirds (66%) of South Carolina.
T-Mobile 4G Coverage in South Carolina
T-Mobile’s 4G network covers 66% of South Carolina, making it the least accessible 4G network behind AT&T and Verizon. That said, most South Carolina residents will enjoy a reliable signal since T-Mobile’s 4G network covers South Carolina’s most populous regions.
T-Mobile 5G Coverage in South Carolina
T-Mobile’s 5G network covers 57% of South Carolina, making it the furthest-reaching 5G network in the state by a healthy margin. It’s worth highlighting that a percentage of those in range of T-Mobile’s 5G network can also enjoy its ultra-fast, low latency 5G network, called 5G Ultra Capacity.
Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile are definitely the most well-known carriers in South Carolina, but they’re not the only options available to customers. Smaller carriers, called Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs), lease network capacity from AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile. This lets them offer reliable coverage at competitive prices.
Google Fi, for instance, is an MVNO that piggybacks on T-Mobile’s network to provide coverage to its customers. Here’s a quick breakdown of MVNOs operating in South Carolina, including the networks they lease from:
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 South Carolina?
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The carrier with the best 4G coverage in South Carolina is Verizon, while T-Mobile offers the best 5G coverage in the state. However, all carriers cover the most populous areas, so it’s worth checking our coverage maps and comparing prices to get access to the best deals in your area.
How can I check which network is best in my area?
The best way to check which network is best in your area is by closely examining carrier coverage maps in the places where you live and work.
Does T-Mobile have good coverage in South Carolina?
Yes, T-Mobile has good coverage in South Carolina, reaching 68% of the state with its 4G network, and 58% with its 5G coverage.
Learn More Network Coverage Maps
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