What Towers Does Straight Talk Use?

Straight Talk is a prepaid cell phone service provider that offers a range of low-cost cell phone plans by leasing space on Verizon’s formidable national network. 

Contrary to outdated articles online, Straight Talk no longer leases from carriers other than Verizon. This change occurred after Verizon acquired Straight Talk's parent company in 2021.

This means that wherever Verizon’s network is available—and, as the nation’s leading carrier, it’s available in a lot of places—you can also get Straight Talk coverage. 

In this article, we’ll break down Straight Talk’s national coverage network (powered by Verizon), to help you decide whether Straigh Talk is for you. 

Straight Talk Coverage Map

Since Straight Talk leases space on the Verizon network, you can expect the same level of 4G and 5G coverage from Straight Talk as you’d receive with Verizon (as long as you have a 5G-compatible phone). To view Straight Talk coverage, you can enter your address in the our Verizon coverage map as a proxy. 

Straight Talk 4G LTE Coverage

Verizon has one of the largest 4G LTE networks in the country, covering 56% of the United States and over 99% of the U.S. population. Straight Talk’s LTE performance is also good for everyday use, ranging from about 11-75 Mbps for typical download speeds

There are a couple of dead zones in the Western part of the U.S. — specifically Nevada and Utah — plus a couple of pockets in Oklahoma. However, unless you live in an extremely rural part of the country, you shouldn’t have any issue getting a strong 4G LTE connection on Straight Talk.

Straight Talk 5G Coverage

Things are a little more complicated with Straight Talk’s 5G service. Straight Talk has two tiers of 5G speeds — 5G and 5G UW. Straight Talk’s “normal” 5G is more widely available and is a moderate speed bump over 4G LTE. 5G UW is four times faster than Straight Talk’s standard 5G service, but it’s also a bit harder to come by.

Straight Talk’s regular 5G network has typical download speeds from about 35-143 Mbps. Its 5G UW network is much faster, with download speeds ranging from 195 Mbps to as high as 634 Mbps—potentially faster than your home internet service.

In total, Verizon/Straight Talk’s 5G service only covers about 12% of the U.S. However, keep in mind that’s 12% of the United States’ total land area. As of February 2025, Verizon says its 5G UW network is available for 280 million people. You won’t find 5G UW everywhere you can access 5G and 4G LTE, but so long as you’re in a moderately populated/urban area, there’s a good chance 5G UW is available.

Straight Talk Plans

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Carriers like Straight Talk, known as MVNOs, lease network access from major operators. This reduces their operating costs, allowing them to offer more affordable plan prices.

Straight Talk has a handful of plans to choose from, and while you get access to the same coverage no matter which one you pick, your data speed does change based on the plan.

Straight Talk Unlimited Plans

Straight Talk offers three unlimited plans. The carrier’sSilver Unlimited plan costs $45/month, and gives you unlimited talk, text, and data on the standard 5G network (and 4G LTE when 5G isn’t available). You also get 10GB of monthly hotspot data to share your mobile data with other devices.

To access 5G UW speeds, you have to sign up for either the carrier’s Gold Unlimited plan or Platinum Unlimited plan. Both options include unlimited talk, text, and data, plus 100GB of cloud storage, a free Walmart+ membership, and—of course—5G UW support. Platinum Unlimited has two main advantages, including unlimited hotspot data (compared to 30GB included with Gold Unlimited) and a device protection plan. Gold Unlimited costs $55/month, while Platinum Unlimited is $65/month.

Straight Talk Capped Data Plans

Straight Talk’s Bronze 10 GB plan (one of the cheapest available) includes unlimited talk and text. However, only the first 10 GB of data is “high speed”. After that, it’s downgraded to much slower 2G speeds. It may not be a great choice for heavy users, but at just $35/month, it’s an excellent plan if you primarily use Wi-Fi and aren’t gaming or downloading large files while on the go.

The Bottom Line

If you live in an area with strong Verizon coverage—which is most of the country—you’ll also enjoy great Straight Talk coverage. Combined with its affordable and flexible plans, Straight Talk has a lot to offer.

That said, if you don’t have good Verizon coverage or want a cell phone plan with more data or extra perks, our Plan Finder tool is a great place to see what else is out there. Enter your zip code and some information about the kind of plan you’re looking for, and we’ll show you personalized, unbiased plan recommendations we think are perfect for you — all in seconds.

The Bottom Line

Is Straight Talk Verizon Or AT&T?

Straight Talk only uses Verizon. You used to be able to choose which carrier you wanted coverage from, including AT&T. However, following Verizon's purchase of Straight Talk’s parent company in 2021, all Straight Talk plans now exclusively use Verizon’s network.

Does Straight Talk Only Use Verizon Towers Now?

Yes. Since being bought out by Verizon, Straight Talk only uses Verizon towers for its service. Straight Talk also doesn’t have any of its own towers since it operates as an MVNO rather than a traditional carrier.

How Do I Know What Towers My Straight Talk Phone Uses?

Since Straight Talk now only uses Verizon, you’ll always be connected to Verizon towers as a Straight Talk subscriber. You can confirm this by going into your phone’s settings. On iPhone, open the Settings app, tap Cellular, and you’ll see your plan/tower information. If you have an Android phone, open the Settings app and look for Mobile network or Connections (the exact wording depends on what Android phone you have).