What carrier is best in Delaware?
We used data from our crowd-source speed test map and signal strength data from the FCC to rank the best carriers in Delaware:
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Want to see an interactive map of cell coverage in Delaware?
Click or tap the image below to launch a full-screen interactive coverage map created with crowdsourced data.
You can also download our free Coverage Map app for iPhone or Android.
If you choose to contribute data to the map by running a speed test in our free application, then you are helping to build more accurate coverage maps for everyone, so thank you!
If you want coverage in the most places in Delaware, what carrier is best?
The answer is simple: AT&T.
AT&T has the most coverage in Delaware. Its 4G LTE and 5G networks cover 100% of the state.
You can further break AT&T's coverage down into areas with good, great, or poor reception.
Here's the full breakdown of AT&T coverage in Delaware:
The network with the second best coverage in Delaware is Verizon.
Verizon covers 98.9% of the state with its 4G LTE and 5G networks.
But how good is the quality of the coverage on Verizon?
Here are the full details of Verizon's coverage in Delaware:
T-Mobile is the third best option in Delaware.
Its 4G LTE and 5G networks cover 100% of the state.
How good is the quality of coverage?
Here is how the quality of T-Mobile's coverage is broken down in Delaware:
But how do AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile compare side-by-side in terms of overall coverage and reception quality in Delaware?
Use the comparison below to see how the three carriers stack up:
Getting great coverage is one thing.
But what is the point of having great coverage if your data speeds are slow and your apps take forever to load?
There is probably not much point at all.
To help you out, we analyzed the data from our crowd-sourced speed test map, where users upload speed tests performed on each of the carriers, to determine what carrier has the fastest data speeds in Delaware.
Here is what we found:
Compare the performance on all three carriers below:
Data speeds can be affected by various factors, including network congestion, signal strength, device capabilities, and the technology used by the service provider.
You might experience slower data speeds during peak hours when many people are using the network simultaneously, or in areas with weak cellular coverage.
Okay, now that you know the carrier with the best coverage and fastest data speeds in Delaware, what cell phone plan should you sign up for?
There are a few great options.
And some of them can save you a LOT of money.
But how?
It turns out that the big carriers, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon, are known as MNOs, or mobile network operators. They build and operate their own networks by putting up cell towers, laying fiber optic cable, and purchasing spectrum licenses from the FCC.
The MNOs will also sell access to their networks to MVNOs.
What is an MVNO?
An MVNO, or mobile virtual network operator, is any carrier that does not own its own wireless network. Instead, these small carriers purchase network access from AT&T, T-Mobile, or Verizon.
Popular examples of MVNOs include Mint Mobile, Boost Mobile, and Visible.
Why is this important to you?
Understanding MVNOS is important because it means you can sign up for service on an MVNO and get the exact same coverage as one of the major carriers. Whichever major carrier the MVNO has an agreement with is the underlying network you will use for coverage.
MVNOs can also save you a LOT of money, too, because they have more affordable plans.
In addition to negotiating low wholesale rates for network access from the major carriers, MVNOs also use other cost-saving strategies such as operating online only to pass additional savings on to consumers.
Would you save money by signing up for an MVNO?
See for yourself by comparing some highlighted plan options on each of the major networks below:
Verizon has the best overall cell phone service in Delaware. It offers the best balance between coverage, data speeds, and reliability.
AT&T has the most coverage in Delaware. It covers 100% of the state.
T-Mobile has the fastest speeds in Delaware. Its median download speeds are 143.1 Mbps and its median upload speeds are 12 Mbps.
The Reliability Score is on a scale from 0 to 10. The goal for the Reliability Score is to estimate how likely you'll have a usable connection when you have service.
To calculate the Reliability score, we look at the bottom 10%, 5% and 1% of data speeds in a given area. The download speeds are weighted at 50% of the score. Upload speeds are weighted at 20% of the score.
We also look at latency to calculate the Reliability Score.
Latency is a measurement of how long it takes a data packet to travel from the sender to the receiver. You can think of latency as answering the question, "how much delay is there in the network?"
If there is high latency (30ms to 100ms), it takes a long time for data packets to be sent and received by your phone. Your connection may feel slow or "laggy."
If there is low latency (under 30ms), your connection will feel fast and responsive.
Latency is weighted at 30% of the Reliability Score.
CoverageMap.com gets different data from different sources.
The overall coverage and signal strength data comes from the FCC's mobile broadband map.
The information about data speeds and network performance comes from community members contributing speed test results to our crowd-sourced coverage map. If you are interested in contributing to the project and helping to build better, more accurate coverage maps for everyone, you can learn more here.