We limited this guide to the most widely used national options—starting with the three biggest nationwide carriers and their prepaid services and subsidiaries, and then adding services that have ranked high in surveys from sites such as PCMag , the American Customer Satisfaction Index , and J.
We also chose to exclude contenders available only in parts of the US. That meant dismissing the regional carrier U. Cellular and the resold services of cable firms such as Comcast and Spectrum, which require subscriptions to their residential broadband to get their advertised pricing.
We also cut prepaid services that required separate purchases of data, texts, or voice minutes to meet any of our monthly usage quotas. For each, we computed the cost of a few typical bundles of smartphone service, setting minimal use at 1 GB of data, moderate use at 5 GB, and heavy use at 15 GB.
One gigabyte a month is enough for simple emailing, web browsing, and navigation with Google Maps or Apple Maps, while 5 GB should cover frequent social media use and 15 GB is for folks who regularly play games and stream video. Those data amounts are based on figures from the fourth quarter of , when the market-research firm NPD Group found that US smartphone owners averaged 9.
The coronavirus pandemic and its resulting lockdowns have probably forced that number down as more people have stayed at home, but life beyond Wi-Fi will resume at some point and already has in some areas. We assumed 1, voice minutes and text or multimedia messages used per month, based on usage data from the wireless-industry group CTIA. Some prepaid and resold services limit text messages and phone calls, so the cost of one may be slightly more or less if you use more or fewer texts and minutes, respectively.
If a plan offered a lower rate for enabling autopay or paying for a year in advance, or included loyalty discounts that cut your bill over time a new feature at Boost Mobile and Verizon Prepaid as of summer , we factored in those options. We did not, however, count deals that excluded existing customers or required trading in a phone or porting over a number. This Verizon 5 GB plan includes full-speed mobile hotspot and allows HD streaming video, albeit capped at p resolution on phones and p on tablets.
For this plan, Verizon offers discounts to employees and members of designated companies and organizations; only its military and veterans discount applies to unlimited plans. Verizon has historically taken a long time to push out software updates for the Android phones it sells, and its Android 9 and Android 10 updates still lag behind those of T-Mobile. But Verizon sells phones unlocked although last June, carriers received permission from the Federal Communications Commission to lock them for 60 days after activation to thwart fraud , so you can and should save money by using a local prepaid SIM when traveling internationally.
And T-Mobile offers a wider choice of phones and delivers much better international-roaming options. The research firm RootMetrics, which does automated testing while driving around the country, gives T-Mobile lagging grades for voice and text use but also shows T-Mobile at a respectable and close third place for speed and data—especially in urban areas.
After the cap, T-Mobile slows hotspot connections to 3G speeds. Opensignal found in June that T-Mobile 5G customers connected to that signal And it includes an hour of free Gogo inflight Wi-Fi for every flight on compatible aircraft.
Due to constantly shifting promotions and terms, family-plan pricing is difficult to sort through, but one service has a clear advantage in our typical usage scenario of 5 GB per month per device: Consumer Cellular.
Most important, it offers US-based phone support and step-by-step manuals and video tutorials for the non-tech savvy, maintains an in-store presence in major retailers such as Target, and offers installment-plan purchase options with roughly the same terms as the majors provide.
Consumer Cellular blocks mobile-hotspot use by default but enables that feature if you ask. And you pay up front for either three, six, or 12 months—the longer the package, the better the price per month. Here you get 5 GB a month allowed for hotspot use, after which your tethered devices lose access to that shared Mint bandwidth.
All these plans include mobile-hotspot usage up to that plan cap, with no constraints on streaming-video resolution. Mint does require some compromises, though. And you face the risk of seeing your bandwidth deprioritized behind that of T-Mobile subscribers , especially when the network is busy.
Selecting a network is the trickiest part of picking a plan. Coverage can vary from block to block or even building to building, so carrier coverage maps can be a good starting point only if you can zoom in to the street level—and even then they say nothing about how the network fares in busy areas. Opensignal , PCMag , and RootMetrics all publish independently sourced network-performance metrics, but those studies take different approaches and are thus good for different purposes.
Its coverage map —which, unlike its network scores, also folds in crowd-based estimates from users of its mobile apps —encompasses basically every major US city street and highway, as well as all of the towns and thoroughfares that connect them.
You can also find reports tailored to specific metropolitan areas. This amount of detail makes RootMetrics a great source for gauging overall performance by region. PCMag takes a similar approach but focuses more specifically on network data speed and reliability. PCMag has also historically conducted its tests with a single high-end phone model—last year, the Samsung Galaxy S10 —that may support more high-speed frequencies than your own. In those regions, it has block-by-block information.
Your carrier uses this number when calculating your bill. To quickly summarize, Verizon has the top spot when it comes to best nationwide coverage. This is all based on independent tests.
However, it's important to realize that just because these brands has good nationwide coverage, doesn't mean they have the best coverage in each city. In fact, many city-to-city tests show other carriers having more reliable coverage than the nationwide leaders. If one don't plan on traveling often, a local carrier may be a better option for coverage in their area. You can click or tap on a carrier logo at the top of this page to launch that carrier's coverage map and check coverage in your area.
Let's look at some other factors to consider below. The carrier network is not the only factor that comes into play when determining how reliable the service is. The device being used determines the signal strength of a call. Some older phones are just not capable of receiving high levels of coverage and speed. This means that part of getting the best cell phone coverage is having an up-to-date phone.
As technology advances so does a device's capability to tap into a radio frequency to pick up cellular signals. Certain phones are not compatible to receive the 4G LTE coverage offered by many network carriers.
Upgrading to a new phone every few years is recommended to ensure an individual is always setting them self up for the best chance of receiving coverage. When new network coverage updates get released, such as the anticipated 5G LTE, it's important for a phone user to verify whether their current device is capable. In some cases, a device can simply use an automatic update to the software.
In other cases, the device will need to be replaced to a new one. Everyone who has ever owned a cellular device has dealt with a blackout zone or dead spot. In fact, many individuals can name the exact spots where service cuts out in their local town or city. Each major cellular provider has mapped out their coverage areas to help consumers better recognize where these dead spots lie.
You can find these maps on the major carrier websites or through a simple Google search. Before opting for any particular cellular provider, one would be wise to check the coverage charts from the major cellular providers in their area. If their particular town is recorded as a dead spot by a specific network provider, then it doesn't make sense to opt for a plan through that network.
One should only consider networks that have proven coverage in their area. Once you know the carrier with the best coverage in your area, you can compare cell phone plans with Wirefly to find the best plan at the best price. In some cases, blackout zones can be fixed with network extenders. For example, a homeowner or business can install network extenders that boost at provider's signal or WiFi signal.
Most phones can make outgoing calls using a WiFi connection as long as it is strong enough. Major cell phone providers continue to seek the best coverage to outrun their competitors. The minor cell phone carriers are helping to bring more affordable network coverage to persons in specific areas. These smaller networks typically buy network service from the major providers, such as Verizon, at a retail price.
Due to the fact they're able to purchase service at a wholesale rate, these carriers are then able to resell the service for a price that is typically below what the major providers charge their consumers. It is definitely worth an individual's time to assess the cost of the MVNOs in their area. It's likely they will discover a cheaper priced cellular plan that still provides the same coverage as the major network providers.
However, not all of these providers offer coverage in every city or town. Every single city or town is a bit different in the amount of coverage that a provider offers. Sprint is more reliable in Ogden, Santa Rosa, and Spokane. Depending on the specific city that one lives in, the best phone coverage carrier could be different than the next city over.
Just because these top performers boast about their nationwide coverage, they don't always perform great in smaller towns. Again, this is where viewing a potential provider's coverage map comes into importance when making the ultimate decision on who to choose. While T-Mobile hasn't always had the best reputation when it comes to reliable coverage, their purchase of the U.
Telecom Outfits has drastically changed that. Keep in mind that cell phone coverage varies by location, so even the most comprehensive service will have some blind spots. Obviously, looking at our maps above, there are certain areas of the country that are so remote that none of the major carriers prioritize coverage there.
Make sure to explore the interactive cell phone coverage maps provided by each carrier to pinpoint your exact location and find the right provider for you.
If weak coverage in your area is presenting problems, a cell signal booster can work wonders. Voice, call, and text all get the boost they need to keep you connected, even in the face of natural and man-made obstructions.
Find the perfect signal booster for your home , office , or vehicle including everything from cars and trucks to big rigs and boats. Contact us at sales wilsonamplifiers. Sunday - November 14, See complete cell signal booster kits for your situation:. Your Phones Age : Newer phone models receive much better reception than older devices. As telecom networks evolve i. Blocking Your Phones Antenna : Nowadays, phone antennas are really small and inside your phone, allowing cellular devices to be visually appealing and compact.
However, this also means the antenna can easily be blocked by thick or metal cases, as well as your hand position. As a result, the antenna will struggle to maximize incoming cell signal.
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