AT&T Coverage Map

Does AT&T have good cell coverage?

by
Stetson Doggett
|
Updated:
June 26, 2023

If you’re looking for a new cell phone plan, you may be considering AT&T.

AT&T is known for having reasonably affordable plans, and for giving both new and existing customers free phones when they go to upgrade.

But, how does AT&T’s coverage hold up? Is it really “America's most reliable 5G network,” as AT&T claims it is?

In this article, we will explore AT&T’s coverage and compare it to the other major carriers to help you make an informed decision.

AT&T Coverage

AT&T is a mobile network operator, also known as an MNO. 

MNOs, like AT&T, build and operate their own cellular networks.

AT&T puts up towers, purchases spectrum licenses from the FCC, installs networking equipment,  and builds its own network cores for both 5G and LTE.

AT&T also publishes its own coverage map.

But sometimes AT&T’s map can be… a little overly optimistic.

Sometimes it will say AT&T 5G+ is available in areas where it hasn’t been rolled out yet, and sometimes it can be misleading with the type of service to expect in an area. 

To help give you a better idea of what AT&T coverage really looks like, the FCC collected signal strength data from the carriers on June 30th, 2022.

The FCC made the data publicly available, so we used the data to create a custom signal strength map.

There is also more to service than just having strong signal.

We also wanted to know how fast AT&T's LTE and 5G data speeds were.

So, we created a crowd-sourced speed test map of AT&T's network. The map is created from over 1.5 million speed tests submitted by real AT&T customers.

Check out both maps below, and search for coverage in your specific area by using the search bar:

Map Key:
Great coverage
Good coverage
Poor coverage
Great coverage = stream 4K videos, video call, use your phone to its fullest potential
Good coverage = stream 480p videos, browse social media, stream music, use the web
Poor coverage = make phone calls, send a text
*The Estimated Coverage Map is created with coverage data from the FCC

AT&T Coverage Quick Stats

  • Network: AT&T
  • Total area covered: 55%
  • Total square miles covered: 2,097,446
  • 5G area covered: 31%
  • 5G square miles covered: 1,198,486

The above statistics come from the FCC, which collected data from all network operators on June 30th, 2022.

The FCC displays what percentage of area each carrier covers in the United States.

Currently, the network that covers the most area covers just 55% of the U.S. This number may seem low, but it’s because large areas of rural land where no one lives, like the vast wilderness of Alaska (17.5% of the land area of the United States) don’t get covered with cell service. 

We calculate the total square miles covered by AT&T’s network by multiplying the percentage of area AT&T covers by the total area of the United States, which was reported as 3,805,927 by the United States Census Bureau.

What network does AT&T use?

AT&T uses their own nationwide 4G LTE and 5G networks to provide coverage.

AT&T 5G Coverage

AT&T 5G coverage map
AT&T 5G coverage, as reported by the FCC

According to FCC data, AT&T is the leading provider when it comes to 5G coverage. 

AT&T covers 28% of the U.S. with 5G, which is more than T-Mobile (26%) and Verizon (12%).

Keep in mind that most of AT&T’s 5G coverage is their low-band 5G, which gets about the same speeds as LTE. 

AT&T’s 5G+ network uses new 5G technologies, like C-Band spectrum and mmWave, to boast substantially faster speeds. 

You can see areas with AT&T’s 5G+ network by filtering out slow speed tests on the coverage map.

If you haven’t tried AT&T’s network in a while, it may be worth taking advantage of Cricket’s 7-day 3GB free trial offer to test the service in your area. Cricket is owned by AT&T and uses AT&T network for service, so you’d get the same speeds and coverage you can expect from AT&T directly. 

AT&T LTE Coverage

AT&T LTE coverage map
AT&T 4G LTE coverage, as reported by the FCC

AT&T’s LTE network is nationwide and covers over 99% of the U.S. population.

AT&T vs. Verizon Coverage

AT&T’s coverage is extremely similar to Verizon’s coverage.

Both AT&T and Verizon cover 55% of the United States.

5G coverage is a different story though. AT&T has substantially more 5G coverage than Verizon. AT&T offers 31% 5G coverage compared to 12% 5G coverage from Verizon.

Data speeds are also very similar between the two carriers. 

AT&T’s median download speed was 65.57 Mbps and its median upload speed was 7.98 Mbps. 

Verizon’s median download speed was 69.01 Mbps, just 3.44 Mbps faster than AT&T. Verizon’s median upload speed was 9.33 Mbps, again very similar to AT&T. 

Both carriers will likely offer very similar coverage and data speeds to one another.

You can check Verizon coverage in your area here

AT&T vs. T-Mobile Coverage

AT&T coverage is a bit better than T-Mobile coverage.

AT&T covers more of the United States than T-Mobile, with 55% total coverage compared to T-Mobile’s 35% total coverage.

AT&T also has slightly more 5G coverage than T-Mobile. 31% of area is covered by AT&T 5G, compared to 26% covered by T-Mobile 5G.

However, T-Mobile has substantially faster median download and upload speeds than AT&T. 

According to Ookla, T-Mobile’s median download and upload speeds were 151.37 Mbps and 12.53 Mbps, respectively.

AT&T got just 65.57 Mbps for its median download speed and 7.98 Mbps for its median upload speed. 

Both AT&T and T-Mobile will likely perform well in cities with T-Mobile delivering slightly faster speeds. But when it comes to getting service in rural areas, AT&T’s greater coverage area may make it a better option. 

You can check T-Mobile coverage in your area here.

AT&T Coverage by State

Scroll left or right to view more data. This data is from the FCC.

Sate Area Covered (sq km) Total Percent Covered Great Coverage Good Coverage Poor Coverage
Alaska 0 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%
Alabama 77,233 62.6% 23.4% 24.7% 14.5%
Arkansas 74,404 59.4% 17.8% 23.3% 18.3%
Arizona 105,436 39.3% 16.0% 13.5% 9.8%
California 186,985 48.5% 21.4% 16.5% 10.6%
Colorado 77,030 31.4% 9.8% 11.9% 9.7%
Connecticut 10,556 80.9% 45.6% 22.1% 13.2%
District of Columbia 179 98.6% 98.2% 0.4% 0.0%
Delaware 4,438 75.7% 31.0% 28.5% 16.3%
Florida 99,428 64.2% 29.2% 19.1% 16.0%
Georgia 95,876 68.5% 27.4% 24.7% 16.4%
Hawaii 7,031 27.3% 10.9% 9.5% 6.9%
Iowa 97,783 73.8% 20.4% 28.2% 25.2%
Idaho 70,595 35.9% 13.4% 13.4% 9.1%
Illinois 96,954 71.1% 26.3% 23.8% 21.0%
Indiana 72,771 84.9% 33.4% 30.2% 21.3%
Kansas 102,138 52.7% 12.7% 19.9% 20.2%
Kentucky 57,568 60.5% 22.4% 24.8% 13.3%
Louisiana 70,382 57.1% 19.6% 20.6% 16.9%
Massachusetts 17,201 69.2% 42.6% 16.0% 10.6%
Maryland 22,212 76.0% 38.9% 23.3% 13.9%
Maine 27,035 32.5% 10.6% 12.9% 8.9%
Michigan 84,507 37.1% 13.8% 13.7% 9.6%
Minnesota 125,736 61.4% 17.2% 23.1% 21.2%
Missouri 104,420 63.6% 20.2% 25.6% 17.8%
Mississippi 72,143 63.3% 17.4% 26.7% 19.1%
Montana 125,494 36.3% 10.3% 14.3% 11.6%
North Carolina 80,735 63.7% 25.8% 23.9% 14.1%
North Dakota 66,656 40.0% 7.7% 16.0% 16.3%
Nebraska 10,937 6.0% 1.5% 2.2% 2.4%
New Hampshire 13,342 60.6% 24.9% 21.8% 13.9%
New Jersey 17,371 84.6% 51.5% 19.3% 13.8%
New Mexico 159,521 55.7% 16.7% 22.5% 16.5%
Nevada 85,566 32.9% 12.5% 12.5% 7.9%
New York 75,537 58.8% 26.4% 20.6% 11.9%
Ohio 85,254 80.8% 35.8% 28.1% 16.9%
Oklahoma 105,776 64.3% 19.5% 25.2% 19.6%
Oregon 77,156 33.3% 14.0% 12.0% 7.3%
Pennsylvania 80,491 74.2% 36.6% 24.3% 13.3%
Rhode Island 2,659 73.1% 44.1% 16.8% 12.3%
South Carolina 56,738 75.3% 32.5% 26.5% 16.2%
South Dakota 79,636 43.9% 8.7% 18.0% 17.2%
Tennessee 61,784 62.3% 27.3% 21.8% 13.2%
Texas 319,601 50.5% 15.8% 18.2% 16.6%
Utah 81,087 40.6% 16.8% 14.8% 9.1%
Virginia 56,834 56.4% 22.2% 21.7% 12.5%
Vermont 10,537 46.5% 15.3% 19.1% 12.2%
Washington 75,843 45.2% 19.5% 15.7% 10.0%
Wisconsin 72,019 46.7% 16.5% 18.4% 11.9%
West Virginia 15,869 27.8% 10.0% 11.7% 6.1%
Wyoming 81,130 35.2% 8.4% 14.6% 12.2%

AT&T Data Speeds by State

Sate Average Download Speed Average Upload Speed Average Ping
Alaska 10.5 Mbps 12.8 Mbps 199.2 ms
Alabama 101.9 Mbps 16.5 Mbps 100. ms
Arkansas 80.9 Mbps 14.4 Mbps 96.2 ms
Arizona 97.3 Mbps 15.8 Mbps 66.1 ms
California 110.1 Mbps 20.5 Mbps 55.4 ms
Colorado 85.6 Mbps 16.3 Mbps 86.3 ms
Connecticut 155.1 Mbps 21.7 Mbps 57. ms
District of Columbia 181.6 Mbps 28.8 Mbps 99.5 ms
Delaware 99.3 Mbps 19.6 Mbps 42.7 ms
Florida 115.7 Mbps 18.5 Mbps 75.7 ms
Georgia 139.3 Mbps 19.5 Mbps 93.1 ms
Hawaii 91.8 Mbps 19.4 Mbps 105. ms
Iowa 86.9 Mbps 14.5 Mbps 66.6 ms
Idaho 106.1 Mbps 18.8 Mbps 113.7 ms
Illinois 117.1 Mbps 18.6 Mbps 56.2 ms
Indiana 157.8 Mbps 17.3 Mbps 68. ms
Kansas 109.9 Mbps 15.6 Mbps 87. ms
Kentucky 127.6 Mbps 17.5 Mbps 88.2 ms
Louisiana 107.5 Mbps 16.1 Mbps 82.1 ms
Massachusetts 113.4 Mbps 19.6 Mbps 57.7 ms
Maryland 102.1 Mbps 18.3 Mbps 78.8 ms
Maine 60.5 Mbps 14.4 Mbps 77.8 ms
Michigan 94.8 Mbps 16.1 Mbps 63.3 ms
Minnesota 108.2 Mbps 17.1 Mbps 65.1 ms
Missouri 115.2 Mbps 17. Mbps 83.3 ms
Mississippi 91. Mbps 14.6 Mbps 95.4 ms
Montana 66.5 Mbps 15.2 Mbps 161. ms
North Carolina 95.9 Mbps 18. Mbps 72.4 ms
North Dakota 77.7 Mbps 10.8 Mbps 52.1 ms
Nebraska 137.1 Mbps 17.6 Mbps 78.8 ms
New Hampshire 92. Mbps 17. Mbps 49.3 ms
New Jersey 131.1 Mbps 23.3 Mbps 48.7 ms
New Mexico 48.3 Mbps 15.7 Mbps 194.7 ms
Nevada 119.5 Mbps 23.5 Mbps 66. ms
New York 128.6 Mbps 21.3 Mbps 64.7 ms
Ohio 143. Mbps 18.2 Mbps 61.6 ms
Oklahoma 101.8 Mbps 17.1 Mbps 63.5 ms
Oregon 130. Mbps 16.8 Mbps 60.9 ms
Pennsylvania 109.6 Mbps 17.7 Mbps 54.3 ms
Rhode Island 214.5 Mbps 24.3 Mbps 39.3 ms
South Carolina 92. Mbps 19.6 Mbps 88. ms
South Dakota 80.9 Mbps 11.4 Mbps 56.8 ms
Tennessee 132.7 Mbps 15.3 Mbps 80.4 ms
Texas 109.9 Mbps 17.3 Mbps 65.5 ms
Utah 99.9 Mbps 18.9 Mbps 106.1 ms
Virginia 91.3 Mbps 19. Mbps 92.3 ms
Vermont 73.6 Mbps 16.1 Mbps 61.2 ms
Washington 110.8 Mbps 17.3 Mbps 63.1 ms
Wisconsin 127.1 Mbps 16.2 Mbps 59.3 ms
West Virginia 46.6 Mbps 15.3 Mbps 91.1 ms
Wyoming 106. Mbps 18.8 Mbps 77.3 ms

AT&T Coverage Frequently Asked Questions

Is AT&T coverage good?

Yes, AT&T coverage is good. It has a robust nationwide LTE network that covers over 99% of Americans, and AT&T currently is the largest 5G network footprint in America.

Does AT&T offer 5G?

Yes, AT&T offers 5G and covers 28% of the United States with its 5G network.

Does AT&T have coverage in Canada?

Yes. All off AT&T's postpaid plans include free unlimited talk, text and data roaming in Canada.

Does AT&T have coverage in Mexico?

Yes. All of AT&T's postpaid plans include free unlimited talk, text, and data roaming in Mexico.

Does AT&T have international coverage?

AT&T offers international coverage starting at $10 per day. When you pay for international data, you get unlimited talk, text, and data roaming for a period of 24 hours.

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