5G Coverage Map: Where you can get 5G on Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile | digital trends (2023)

FAQs

How do I check my 5G coverage in my area? ›

You can also download the Opensignal app if you want to know the network availability in your location. The application is available on both Android and iOS devices. It offers independent cell phone coverage maps for over 35 countries. Opensignal gives you access to a map based on your local areas.

Learn more about our 5G plans here. Is 5G available in my area? Right now, you can find the Verizon 5G Ultra Wideband network in parts of dozens of major cities including Los Angeles, Denver, Phoenix, Dallas, Houston, Chicago, Boston, New York, Atlanta, Miami, Philadelphia and more.

To find 5G towers near you, the best location resource currently is the CellMapper application. Under “Provider” select your wireless carrier (Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile) and then, under “Network” select 5G – NR, which stands for 5G New Radio.

T-Mobile offers 5G coverage to 53% of the country, but their 4G LTE coverage is only 59% compared to Verizon's 70% coverage. Both providers have a 50GB data cap, with the exception of Verizon's unlimited plans.

Be sure to position the modem in a spot with little to no obstructions. Obstructions that may impact the strength of your 5G signal include: Physical obstructions outside the home such large buildings or trees. Dense in-building material such as window insulation, concrete, brick materials, or metal support structures.

The Mobile Signal Finder is a free app, providing users with the ability to track and find the best cell coverage in their area. Users support the collective community by contributing to our crowd-sourced database with information about network performance and speed testing data.

Verizon is taking steps to speed up its 5G network in rural areas. The company said it plans to extend its C-band 5G network across a larger suburban and rural footprint, meaning faster speeds for customers in those areas.

Why is Verizon 5G Home Internet available in my area but not at my address? In some locations, the Verizon 5G Home Internet service may require a direct line of sight between our 5G cell site and your home. Because of this, some addresses on the same block may have 5G Home Internet coverage, while others may not.

Here are some steps you should take: Go to our coverage maps page and check to see if you have 5G coverage in your area. If you have a dual SIM card device, ensure the card was inserted in the correct slot. Go to the Network Settings option on your phone and make sure the 5G network option is selected.

Verizon subscribers can type '311'. Coupled with your zip code or address, this method should reveal the towers in your area immediately.

Which carrier has the most 5G towers? ›

T-Mobile has the largest 5G network by a considerable margin.

The only way we know how to determine whether a tower has 5G enabled is to use measuring equipment or a phone that works on that carrier's network and see if the site provides 5G service. By the end of 2023, it will be safe to assume that most cell towers are 5G enabled.

Whereas Verizon sports fast 5G, its sparse coverage means T-Mobile is a better choice for 5G fanatics. However, the Un-carrier—with spotty 4G LTE connectivity—is stronger in cities than in rural areas. AT&T offers a solid mix of strong 4G LTE support with growing 5G availability.

T-Mobile 5G is getting even faster

While the 186.3Mbps speeds measured by Opensignal weren't quite as impressive as the 216.56Mbps that Ookla reported, the averages were consistent across all three carriers, meaning the spread was about the same. Verizon came in at 84.9Mbps, and AT&T clocked in at 71.1Mbps.

T-Mobile has a far wider 5G footprint than Verizon, covering 53% of the country compared to Verizon's 12%. However, Verizon has one of the fastest mobile networks with its mmWave technology.

A national advertising watchdog group advised T-Mobile to stop advertising that its wireless service has the most reliable 5G network based on tests by umlaut, a third-party testing company.

T-Mobile is the leader in 5G, delivering the country's largest, fastest and most awarded 5G network. The Un-carrier's 5G network covers 325 million people across 1.9 million square miles – more than AT&T and Verizon combined.

Several factors can cause a weak fifth generation signal, including distance from the nearest cell tower, physical obstructions, and network congestion.

Another way to check signal strength is through the Phone Status in Android devices. To do this, go to Settings > About phone > Status > Signal strength. This will display the network type, signal strength, and other information about your device's connectivity.

Does T Mobile 5G work in rural areas? ›

However, they noted that T-Mobile is also in the midst of expanding its speedy 2.5 GHz midband 5G network to around 35 million new locations – mostly in rural areas – during 2023. That project, they said, will help prop up T-Mobile's fixed wireless growth curve, albeit with a rural focus.

A more realistic 5G deployment for rural areas (when it eventually happens) will be with transmission in long-range, low-bandwidth frequencies or what are known as the low and mid bands (600 MHz to 900 MHz and 2.5 GHz to 4.2 GHz, respectively). This will require fewer cell towers since signals can travel a few miles.

Most satellite, fixed-wireless, Wi-Fi, and 5G signals fall into these frequencies, which means that if there's rain or clouds between the transmitter and your receiver, some of the signal will be absorbed.

If you don't see 5G in the status bar

Make sure that you're in an area with 5G coverage. Contact your carrier if you're not sure. Go to Settings > Cellular > Cellular Data Options or Settings > Mobile Data > Mobile Data Options. If you see this screen, your device is 5G capable.

If a 5G network doesn't show up on your device even when you're in an area that's supposed to be supported, it could be because you're not paying for 5G access. Most companies include 5G in most of their plans but check with your carrier for specifics. Turn 5G on or off, depending on your situation.

Verify that there is 5G coverage where you are. Yes, 5G is everywhere, but there are still huge gaps in the network which means you won't always have coverage. Your 5G capable phone will always find a signal and connect if 5G. If it isn't available, your phone will revert back to LTE or 4G.

As a result, Verizon's 5G network is limited to outdoor hotspots and can't deliver a "true" nationwide network, leaving Verizon far behind in the 5G space. To step up their game, Verizon is rolling out its C-band 5G network that can cover the country more quickly.

LTE is currently capable of handling around 1 Gbps (gigabits per second), while 5G will be able to support up to 10 Gbps. Therefore 5G will be able to handle more data traffic and provide faster speeds for users.

All Verizon monthly mobile plans and prepaid plans include access to our 5G network. This change doesn't affect your plan's data amount. Your device still receives 4G LTE and, if you have a 5G-enabled device, can access the 5G network when available.

Verizon: Coverage Area. Visible and Verizon operate on the same network, and Verizon's network covers 99% of the population in the U.S. Verizon has higher speeds and prioritization for its customers, though they will pay much higher prices for being part of one of the three major carriers within the country.

How do I update my Verizon cell towers? ›

Alternatively, you can simply dial “*288” and select “2” when prompted. This will cause your phone to update to local Verizon towers, which can take up to two minutes.

The range of a 5G cell tower is 1 to 3 miles (1.6 to 5 kilometers) when transmitting low- and mid-band spectrum. Examples of the 5G spectrum bands used by cell towers are 600 MHz, 700 MHz, 850 MHz, 2.5 GHz, 3.5 GHz (CBRS), and 3.7 GHz (C-band).

With faster speeds and low latency, a 5G cellular connection also provides broader signal coverage at all times.

April 2023: T-Mobile hits it out of the park and ranks as fastest overall download speeds, fastest 5G download speeds and most available 5G at all MLB parks across the nation in Opensignal's Mobile Experience in MLB Stadiums report.

As for 5G availability, Illinois and Texas almost tied with the latest cellular standard available for users ~27% of the time with Nevada coming in third with 26.3%. Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont had the worst results at just 11.2, 10, and 5.7% 5G availability.

6G (sixth-generation wireless) is the successor to 5G cellular technology. 6G networks will be able to use higher frequencies than 5G networks and provide substantially higher capacity and much lower latency. One of the goals of the 6G internet is to support one microsecond latency communications.

Executives at some of the world's largest telecommunications and technology firms told CNBC that 6G, the next generation of mobile internet after 5G, is likely to launch in 2030.

With an extensive national network, Verizon is the leading wireless provider. It receives top scores for network coverage, speed, and reliability. Verizon's plan and device flexibility, combined with excellent business features, makes it the clear winner in our best overall cell phone provider category.

T-Mobile is the leader in 5G, delivering the country's largest, fastest and most awarded 5G network. The Un-carrier's 5G network covers 325 million people across 1.9 million square miles – more than AT&T and Verizon combined.

For median upload speeds, the major US carriers were relatively close with T-Mobile leading at 12.9 Mbps. Verizon was second at 9.87 and AT&T came in last with 8.14 Mbps. For 5G median download speeds, T-Mobile remained far ahead of competitors for Q4 with 220.7 Mbps.

Does T-Mobile charge more for 5G? ›

As long as you have a 5G-capable device, all T-Mobile and Metro by T-Mobile plans include access to the 5G network at no extra cost.

What speeds can I expect from T-Mobile Home Internet? T-Mobile 5G Home Internet customers receive consistent broadband speeds and see typical download speeds between 72 – 245 Mbps, which is great speed for streaming video, surfing the web, working from home and most types of online gaming.

In short, 5G can outperform 4G LTE because it makes use of a diverse and powerful range of frequencies, which allows for better capacity and lower latencies. This makes it a crucial tool for businesses and consumers alike.

Verizon has a more robust 5G network than its competitors, although the nationwide coverage of only 13% leaves something to be desired. T-Mobile's basic Unlimited Talk & Text Only plan is just $20 a month, but Verizon's rival Basic Phone Plan is $30 monthly.

T-Mobile has one 5G home internet plan, and it's a pretty simple offer. You don't get the stupendous advertised speeds you would from Verizon, but top download speeds of 182 Mbps are still excellent for most people, especially small- and mid-sized households.

All three major networks—AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon all provide 5G coverage, but are still working on their 5G deployment. As it stands so far in 2021, here's the wireless 5G service breakdown: T-Mobile has the most 5G, with 53.79% of the country covered.

The lack of robust 3G and 4G infrastructure in rural America is a huge part of why T-Mobile's network coverage simply doesn't cut it for those who live in less populated areas. In fact, the following states all have less than half their area covered by T-Mobile's network: Alaska: 0% coverage. Nebraska: 20% coverage.

Therefore, to conclude, we would like to reassure you by saying that you do not have to get a new SIM card to get 5G. The 4G SIM that we provide is more than capable of handling 5G and all your 5G related needs. All you have to do is sit back, relax, and enjoy 5G to the fullest.

5G Range. The trade-off for speed at mmWave frequencies is limited range. Testing of 5G service range in mmWave has produced results approximately 500 meters from the tower, meaning a huge propagation of MIMO-enabled antenna arrays would be required for pure standalone 5G deployment.

5G vs LTE Speed: LTE offers speeds of up to 100Mbps, while 5G can deliver speeds of up to 1Gbps. 5G vs LTE Coverage: LTE has widespread coverage, but 5G is still in the early stages of deployment. LTE vs 5G Capacity: LTE can support up to 1000 devices per cell, while 5G can support up to 10,000 devices per cell.

Does T-Mobile use Verizon towers? ›

Does T-Mobile use Verizon towers? No, doesn't use Verizon towers. T-Mobile operates on a GSM network, whereas Verizon utilizes CDMA technology.

T-Mobile is not on the same network as AT&T. There are three major cell networks in the country. AT&T and T-Mobile are two of these three networks; Verizon is the third. All are totally separate from each other.

With 5G, you can expect higher download speeds when using mobile data, lower latency (the time it takes for a device to respond to information or an action), increased reliability and more network capacity. Basically, 5G is faster and more stable than 4G, and it's capable of connecting a lot more devices.

No, not at all. 4G will be around for years to come as we have seen with 3G. Mobile service operators still — albeit in very few areas — offer 3G services. So 5G will not mean the end of 4G.

Is it OK to buy a 4G phone in 2023? 4G phones still work on 4G LTE networks for now, but eventually they will become obsolete. Consider how long you plan to keep your phone; if you plan to keep your phone for longer than a year or so, it might be a good idea to get a phone that is 5G compatible.

Use 5G Service Using a 4G SIM Card on Your Phone

So as I mentioned above, you certainly don't need a 5G SIM to access 5G services in most cases. You will be able to use data and make calls with 5G network services using a 4G SIM.

Although 5G mmWave is super fast its wavelengths have short and weak penetration through physical objects such as walls, doors, trees, etc. which means a larger deployment of towers need to provide accurate positioning.

T-Mobile achieves highest 5G Coverage Score and 5G Stability followed by AT&T. T-Mobile achieves the highest 5G Reliability Score. T-Mobile leads in the download and upload speed category. AT&T and Verizon are following on par in the download speed category, Verizon is second in the upload speed category.

The range of a 5G cell tower is 1 to 3 miles (1.6 to 5 kilometers) when transmitting low- and mid-band spectrum. Examples of the 5G spectrum bands used by cell towers are 600 MHz, 700 MHz, 850 MHz, 2.5 GHz, 3.5 GHz (CBRS), and 3.7 GHz (C-band).