Best Cell Phone Coverage in Virginia
What carrier is best in Virginia?
We used data from our crowd-source speed test map and signal strength data from the FCC to rank the best carriers in Virginia:
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The Carrier with the Most Coverage in Virginia
If you want coverage in the most places in Virginia, what carrier is best?
The answer is simple: Verizon.
Verizon has the most coverage in Virginia. Its 4G LTE and 5G networks cover 89.7% of the state.
You can further break Verizon's coverage down into areas with good, great, or poor reception.
Here's the full breakdown of Verizon coverage in Virginia:
- Total coverage area: 89.7%
- Great reception: 32.3%
- Good reception: 30.8%
- Poor reception: 26.6%
- No coverage: 10.3%
The network with the second best coverage in Virginia is AT&T.
AT&T covers 83.2% of the state with its 4G LTE and 5G networks.
But how good is the quality of the coverage on AT&T?
Here are the full details of AT&T's coverage in Virginia:
- Total coverage area: 83.2%
- Great reception: 26.2%
- Good reception: 22.9%
- Poor reception: 34.1%
- No coverage: 16.8%
T-Mobile is the third best option in Virginia.
Its 4G LTE and 5G networks cover 65.4% of the state.
How good is the quality of coverage?
Here is how the quality of T-Mobile's coverage is broken down in Virginia:
- Total coverage area: 65.4%
- Great reception: 19.7%
- Good reception: 19.2%
- Poor reception: 26.5%
- No coverage: 34.6%
But how do Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile compare side-by-side in terms of overall coverage and reception quality in Virginia?
Use the comparison below to see how the three carriers stack up:
Cell Phone Coverage Comparison in Virginia
Virginia Cellular Coverage Map
Want to see an interactive map of cell coverage in Virginia?
Click or tap the image below to launch a full-screen interactive coverage map created with crowd-sourced data.
You can also download our free Coverage Map app for iPhone or Android.
Wondering how to contribute data to the crowd-sourced map? Check out our guide on how to upload data to the map. If you choose to upload data, you are helping to build more accurate coverage maps for everyone, so thank you!
Best Cellular Data Speeds in Virginia
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 Virginia.
Here is what we found:
- T-Mobile has the fastest speeds in Virginia. Its median download speed is 91.3 Mbps. Its median upload speed is 14.1 Mbps.
- AT&T is in second place. It has a median performance of 57.2 Mbps for download speeds and 10.4 Mbps for upload.
- Verizon has the slowest speeds in Virginia. Its median download speed is 38.4 Mbps. For upload speeds, Verizon got 10.8 Mbps.
Compare the performance on all three carriers below:
Download Speed Comparison
Upload Speed Comparison
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 Virginia
Okay, now that you know the carrier with the best coverage and fastest data speeds in Virginia, 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 Infinite, 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:
Frequently Asked Questions
What carrier has the best cell phone service in Virginia?
AT&T has the best overall cell phone service in Virginia. It offers the best balance between coverage, data speeds, and reliability.
What carrier has the most coverage in Virginia?
Verizon has the most coverage in Virginia. It covers 89.7% of the state.
What carrier has the fastest speeds in Virginia?
T-Mobile has the fastest speeds in Virginia. Its median download speeds are 91.3 Mbps and its median upload speeds are 14.1 Mbps.
Check Coverage in Virginia
Accomack CountyAlbemarle CountyAlleghany CountyAmelia CountyAmherst CountyAppomattox CountyArlington CountyAugusta CountyBath CountyBedford CountyBedford (city)Bland CountyBotetourt CountyBristol (city)Brunswick CountyBuchanan CountyBuckingham CountyBuena Vista (city)Campbell CountyCaroline CountyCarroll CountyCharles City CountyCharlotte CountyCharlottesville (city)Chesapeake (city)Chesterfield CountyCity of Alexandria CountyCity of Harrisonburg CountyCity of Richmond CountyCity of Suffolk CountyClarke CountyColonial Heights (city CountyCovington (city)Craig CountyCulpeper CountyCumberland CountyDanville (city)Dickenson CountyDinwiddie CountyEmporia (city)Essex CountyFairfax CountyFairfax (city)Falls Church (city)Fauquier CountyFloyd CountyFluvanna CountyFranklin CountyFranklin (city)Frederick CountyFredericksburg (city)Galax (city)Giles CountyGloucester CountyGoochland CountyGrayson CountyGreene CountyGreensville CountyHalifax CountyHampton (city)Hanover CountyHenrico CountyHenry CountyHighland CountyHopewell (city)Isle of Wight CountyJames City CountyKing and Queen CountyKing George CountyKing William CountyLancaster CountyLee CountyLexington (city)Loudoun CountyLouisa CountyLunenburg CountyLynchburg (city)Madison CountyManassas (city)Manassas Park (city)Martinsville (city)Mathews CountyMecklenburg CountyMiddlesex CountyMontgomery CountyNelson CountyNew Kent CountyNewport News (city)Norfolk (city)Northampton CountyNorthumberland CountyNorton (city)Nottoway CountyOrange CountyPage CountyPatrick CountyPetersburg (city)Pittsylvania CountyPoquoson (city)Portsmouth (city)Powhatan CountyPrince Edward CountyPrince George CountyPrince William CountyPulaski CountyRadford (city)Rappahannock CountyRichmond CountyRoanoke CountyRoanoke (city)Rockbridge CountyRockingham CountyRussell CountySalem (city)Scott CountyShenandoah CountySmyth CountySouthampton CountySpotsylvania CountyStafford CountyStaunton (city)Surry CountySussex CountyTazewell CountyVirginia Beach (city)Warren CountyWashington CountyWaynesboro (city)Westmoreland CountyWilliamsburg (city)Winchester (city)Wise CountyWythe CountyYork County
How are the Coverage Scores calculated?
The Coverage Scores are calculated for each of the carriers by looking at three key metrics:
- Coverage
- Data Speeds
- Reliability
Coverage
The Coverage Score is on a scale from 0 to 10.
To calculate the coverage score, we look at two key metrics: 1) the total area covered and 2) the tower density.
The total area covered comes from the signal strength data from the FCC. Any area that has signal is counted toward the total the total coverage area. A higher coverage area means a higher score. A lower coverage area means a lower score.
The tower density metric is also calculated using the FCC signal strength data. We estimate a carrier's tower density by looking at how many areas have high signal strength compared to low signal strength. Lots of areas with great signal indicate a higher tower density, and thus a higher score.
Data Speeds
The Data Speeds score is on a scale from 0 to 10.
We calculate the score by looking at a carrier's median download and upload speeds in a given area. Faster speeds means getting a higher score. We weigh the median download speed at 70% of the total score and the median upload speed at 30% of the total score.
To score a perfect 10/10, a carrier would need to get median speeds of 100Mbps download and 20Mbps upload.
Reliability
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.
Overall Score
The overall score looks at the Coverage, Data Speeds, and Reliability Scores and weighs them as follows:
- Coverage Score: 70%
- Reliability Score: 23%
- Data Speeds Score: 7%
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.