Best Cell Phone Coverage in Cortland County, NY

Stetson Doggett
by
Stetson Doggett
|
Updated:
May 23, 2024

What carrier is best in Cortland County, NY?

We used data from our crowd-source speed test map and signal strength data from the FCC to rank the best carriers in Cortland County, NY:

AT&T
icon of cell tower
Coverage
90.8
%
icon of a speedometer
Median Download Speed
83.7
Mbps
Reliability
9.9
/10
Verizon
icon of cell tower
Coverage
86.9
%
icon of a speedometer
Median Download Speed
99.2
 Mbps
Reliability
10
/10
T-Mobile
icon of cell tower
Coverage
66.2
%
icon of a speedometer
Median Download Speed
121
 Mbps
Reliability
6.7
/10
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2GB
AT&T, T-Mobile, or Verizon coverage
$
10
/mo
+tax
tax included
2GB
high-speed, then data stops
2GB priority on Verizon
Included hotspot
720p HD video streaming
Unlimited minutes
Unlimited texts
5GB
T-Mobile coverage
$
15
/mo
+tax
tax included
5GB
high-speed, then 128Kbps
Deprioritized
Included hotspot
4K video streaming
Unlimited minutes
Unlimited texts
5GB
AT&T, T-Mobile, or Verizon coverage
$
15
/mo
+tax
tax included
5GB
high-speed, then data stops
5GB priority on Verizon
Included hotspot
720p HD video streaming
Unlimited minutes
Unlimited texts
Visible Base
Verizon coverage
$
25
/mo
+tax
tax included
Unlimited
high-speed
Deprioritized
5Mbps hotspot
480p SD video streaming
Unlimited minutes
Unlimited texts
Unlimited Starter
AT&T, T-Mobile, or Verizon coverage
$
25
/mo
+tax
tax included
35GB
high-speed, then 1Mbps
35GB priority on Verizon
10GB hotspot
720p HD video streaming
Unlimited minutes
Unlimited texts
Unlimited
T-Mobile coverage
$
30
/mo
+tax
tax included
40GB
high-speed, then 512Kbps
Deprioritized
10GB hotspot
480p SD video streaming
Unlimited minutes
Unlimited texts
Unlimited Premium
AT&T, T-Mobile, or Verizon coverage
$
44
/mo
+tax
tax included
100GB
high-speed, then 1Mbps
100GB priority on Verizon
50GB hotspot
720p HD video streaming
Unlimited minutes
Unlimited texts
Visible+
Verizon coverage
$
45
/mo
+tax
tax included
Unlimited
high-speed
50GB Premium
5Mbps hotspot
480p SD video streaming
Unlimited minutes
Unlimited texts

Get the Free Coverage Map App

Measure your cellular data speeds. Compare cellular coverage. Completely free.

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Coverage Map app

Cortland County Cellular Coverage Map

Want to see an interactive map of cell coverage in Cortland County?

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!

Click to open the interactive Speed Test Map

The Carrier with the Most Coverage in Cortland County, NY

If you want coverage in the most places in Cortland County, NY, what carrier is best?

The answer is simple: AT&T.

AT&T has the most coverage in Cortland County, NY. Its 4G LTE and 5G networks cover 90.8% of the county. 

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 Cortland County, NY:

  • Total coverage area: 90.8%
  • Great reception: 39.3%
  • Good reception: 28%
  • Poor reception: 23.5%
  • No coverage: 9.2%
Great (39.3%)
Good (28%)
Poor(23.5%)
None (9.2%)
AT&T Coverage

The network with the second best coverage in Cortland County, NY is Verizon

Verizon covers 86.9% of the county 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 Cortland County, NY:

  • Total coverage area: 86.9%
  • Great reception: 33%
  • Good reception: 26.9%
  • Poor reception: 27%
  • No coverage: 13.1%
Great (33%)
Good ( 26.9%)
Poor (27%)
None (13.1%)
Verizon Coverage

T-Mobile is the third best option in Cortland County, NY.

Its 4G LTE and 5G networks cover 66.2% of the county.

How good is the quality of coverage?

Here is how the quality of T-Mobile's coverage is broken down in Cortland County, NY:

  • Total coverage area: 66.2%
  • Great reception: 22.8%
  • Good reception: 17.5%
  • Poor reception: 25.9%
  • No coverage: 33.8%
Great (22.8%)
Good (17.5%)
Poor (25.9%)
None (33.8%)
T-Mobile Coverage

But how do AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile compare side-by-side in terms of overall coverage and reception quality in Cortland County, NY?

Use the comparison below to see how the three carriers stack up:

Cell Phone Coverage Comparison in Cortland County

AT&T Coverage
Verizon Coverage
T-Mobile Coverage

Coverage Key:
Great reception
Good reception
Poor reception
No reception

Best Cellular Data Speeds in Cortland County, NY

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 Cortland County, NY.

Here is what we found:

  • T-Mobile has the fastest speeds in Cortland County. Its median download speed is 121 Mbps. Its median upload speed is 15.3 Mbps.
  • Verizon is in second place. It has a median performance of 99.2 Mbps for download speeds and 14.1 Mbps for upload.
  • AT&T has the slowest speeds in Cortland County. Its median download speed is 83.7 Mbps. For upload speeds, AT&T got 20.6 Mbps.

Compare the performance on all three carriers below:

Download Speed Comparison

83.7 Mbps
AT&T
99.2 Mbps
Verizon
121 Mbps
T-Mobile

Upload Speed Comparison

20.6 Mbps
AT&T
14.1 Mbps
Verizon
15.3 Mbps
T-Mobile

What Affects Data Speeds?

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.

Best Cell Phone Plans in Cortland County

Okay, now that you know the carrier with the best coverage and fastest data speeds in Cortland County, NY, 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:

2GB
AT&T, T-Mobile, or Verizon coverage
$
10
/mo
+tax
tax included
2GB
high-speed, then data stops
2GB priority on Verizon
Included hotspot
720p HD video streaming
Unlimited minutes
Unlimited texts
5GB
AT&T, T-Mobile, or Verizon coverage
$
15
/mo
+tax
tax included
5GB
high-speed, then data stops
5GB priority on Verizon
Included hotspot
720p HD video streaming
Unlimited minutes
Unlimited texts
Unlimited Starter
AT&T, T-Mobile, or Verizon coverage
$
25
/mo
+tax
tax included
35GB
high-speed, then 1Mbps
35GB priority on Verizon
10GB hotspot
720p HD video streaming
Unlimited minutes
Unlimited texts
Unlimited Premium
AT&T, T-Mobile, or Verizon coverage
$
44
/mo
+tax
tax included
100GB
high-speed, then 1Mbps
100GB priority on Verizon
50GB hotspot
720p HD video streaming
Unlimited minutes
Unlimited texts
2GB
AT&T, T-Mobile, or Verizon coverage
$
10
/mo
+tax
tax included
2GB
high-speed, then data stops
2GB priority on Verizon
Included hotspot
720p HD video streaming
Unlimited minutes
Unlimited texts
5GB
T-Mobile coverage
$
15
/mo
+tax
tax included
5GB
high-speed, then 128Kbps
Deprioritized
Included hotspot
4K video streaming
Unlimited minutes
Unlimited texts
5GB
AT&T, T-Mobile, or Verizon coverage
$
15
/mo
+tax
tax included
5GB
high-speed, then data stops
5GB priority on Verizon
Included hotspot
720p HD video streaming
Unlimited minutes
Unlimited texts
Unlimited Starter
AT&T, T-Mobile, or Verizon coverage
$
25
/mo
+tax
tax included
35GB
high-speed, then 1Mbps
35GB priority on Verizon
10GB hotspot
720p HD video streaming
Unlimited minutes
Unlimited texts
Unlimited
T-Mobile coverage
$
30
/mo
+tax
tax included
40GB
high-speed, then 512Kbps
Deprioritized
10GB hotspot
480p SD video streaming
Unlimited minutes
Unlimited texts
Unlimited Premium
AT&T, T-Mobile, or Verizon coverage
$
44
/mo
+tax
tax included
100GB
high-speed, then 1Mbps
100GB priority on Verizon
50GB hotspot
720p HD video streaming
Unlimited minutes
Unlimited texts
2GB
AT&T, T-Mobile, or Verizon coverage
$
10
/mo
+tax
tax included
2GB
high-speed, then data stops
2GB priority on Verizon
Included hotspot
720p HD video streaming
Unlimited minutes
Unlimited texts
5GB
AT&T, T-Mobile, or Verizon coverage
$
15
/mo
+tax
tax included
5GB
high-speed, then data stops
5GB priority on Verizon
Included hotspot
720p HD video streaming
Unlimited minutes
Unlimited texts
Visible Base
Verizon coverage
$
25
/mo
+tax
tax included
Unlimited
high-speed
Deprioritized
5Mbps hotspot
480p SD video streaming
Unlimited minutes
Unlimited texts
Unlimited Starter
AT&T, T-Mobile, or Verizon coverage
$
25
/mo
+tax
tax included
35GB
high-speed, then 1Mbps
35GB priority on Verizon
10GB hotspot
720p HD video streaming
Unlimited minutes
Unlimited texts
Unlimited Premium
AT&T, T-Mobile, or Verizon coverage
$
44
/mo
+tax
tax included
100GB
high-speed, then 1Mbps
100GB priority on Verizon
50GB hotspot
720p HD video streaming
Unlimited minutes
Unlimited texts
Visible+
Verizon coverage
$
45
/mo
+tax
tax included
Unlimited
high-speed
50GB Premium
5Mbps hotspot
480p SD video streaming
Unlimited minutes
Unlimited texts

Frequently Asked Questions

What carrier has the best cell phone service in Cortland County?

AT&T has the best overall cell phone service in Cortland County. It offers the best balance between coverage, data speeds, and reliability.

What carrier has the most coverage in Cortland County?

AT&T has the most coverage in Cortland County. It covers 90.8% of the county.

What carrier has the fastest speeds in Cortland County?

T-Mobile has the fastest speeds in Cortland County. Its median download speeds are 121 Mbps and its median upload speeds are 15.3 Mbps.

How is the Reliability Score calculated?

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.

Where does CoverageMap.com get its coverage and speed data from?

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.

Check Coverage in Cortland County