Which phone carrier actually has the best coverage?

There is no definitive way to come up with the best phone carrier since the coverage depends on the place and the user. Since the major focus will be made on the “big four” U.S. carriers including Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Sprint, some of the main criteria that may be compared include coverage area, speed, reliability, and customer satisfaction.

Verizon vs. AT&T Coverage
Verizon and AT&T Internet are always very close to each other and always competing to be recognized as having the best nationwide coverage in both national and regional surveys. Verizon has slightly greater coverage than AT&T, although the difference is not significant as Verizon has a coverage of approximately 2% greater than AT&T. Both operate numerous bands, such as lower frequency 700Mhz which can easily pass through buildings for indoor signal, and have a highly developed network throughout the country. Rural subscribers may have a slightly better experience with Verizon given the fact that they boast of over 98% population coverage.

T-Mobile vs. Sprint Coverage
T-Mobile and Sprint usually share the third and fourth places in recent nationwide reports in terms of coverage after Verizon and AT&T. Initially, their networks relied on 1900MHz and 1700MHz bands that are not as far-reaching or able to penetrate through walls compared to the 700MHz range. However, both networks have expanded through upgrades and spectrum purchases. T-Mobile now boasts 99% population coverage across the country following the addition of more 600MHz and 700MHz bands. Sprint also expanded rural access through the partnership to leverage T-Mobile’s network that it does not access. All in all, currently T-Mobile is ranked higher for customer satisfaction and fewer dropped calls while Sprint remains behind because of continuous upgrading.

Rural vs. Urban/Suburban
When entering more suburban and even more extremely rural areas Verizon or AT&T is likely to offer the best 3G/4G LTE signal as they invested significantly in nationwide network expansions. Of course, T-Mobile or Sprint users are likely to roam when they are driving through the countryside or some areas where they may still have limited upgrades to 4G. So in general, T-Mobile and Sprint have grown their networks to a point where the difference in rural coverage is not as significant. For people who reside in urban areas all four networks offer good results.

Carrier Speeds
Every network claims to offer incredible theoretical maximum download speed to attract customers who mostly binge on videos and music. For that reason, actual speed depends on congestion, location, terrain, weather, and if one is connecting to 4G LTE advanced or 5G new radio. In the nationwide analysis, it was shown that the 4G LTE networks of AT&T and Verizon had almost the same average download speeds of 33 Mbps and 32 Mbps respectively. T-Mobile and Sprint 4G LTE networks have similar average download speeds of about 28Mpbs. Where the carriers upgrade towers to new technology, actual usage speeds should increase. Already T-Mobile and Sprint advertise their new mid-band and mmWave 5G networks peak speeds in the range of 400-800 Mbps under optimal settings.

The Best Carrier
For choosing the best carrier having the best coverage in general, voice and data are also factors to consider. All in all, Verizon continues to stay ahead as the most reliable network in America, winning independent national studies for call, text, and 4G LTE data reliability and open network, with AT&T coming close. However, there are many satisfied customers on T-Mobile and Sprint in populous areas as well at lower price points. In the long run, the carrier with the most favorable coverage for the consumer is relative to the network quality within your residential area, workplace, and recreational areas and your pocket. Carrier coverage maps for the respective locations instead of soliciting the opinions of neighbors on the performance of the local carriers can assist in identifying the superior carrier with adequate coverage for your needs. Do not forget that new 5G networks are still growing fast as the four main carriers are still fighting each year to become the best carrier with the best network.

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