Consumer Cellular Coverage Map

Does Consumer Cellular have good cell coverage?

by
Stetson Doggett
|
Updated:
June 26, 2023

If you’re looking for a new cell phone plan, you may have come across Consumer Cellular and its affordable prices. 

Consumer Cellular’s low-cost plans range from $20 to $50 per month and can save you over $500 per year on your cell phone bill. 

However, you may wonder if Consumer Cellular’s coverage will meet your expectations.

In this article, we will explore the coverage provided by Consumer Cellular and compare it to other major carriers to help you make an informed decision.

Consumer Cellular Coverage

Consumer Cellular is a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) that uses AT&T for coverage.

By using AT&T’s existing 4G LTE and 5G networks instead of building their own network, Consumer Cellular is able to save on costs and offer more affordable cell phone plans.

So how good, exactly, is Consumer Cellular’s coverage?

Consumer Cellular’s coverage will be however good AT&T service is in your area.

Check Consumer Cellular coverage in your area by entering your address in the search bar in the Estimated Coverage Map and Verified Coverage Maps below:

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

Consumer Cellular 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 data comes from the FCC’s National Broadband Map

The network with the largest coverage 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, such as 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 Consumer Cellular’s network by multiplying the percentage of area Consumer Cellular covers (55%) by the total area of the United States, which is 3,805,927 square miles as reported by the United States Census Bureau.

What Network Does Consumer Cellular Use?

Consumer Cellular uses AT&T’s nationwide 4G LTE and 5G networks to provide service. 

Because Consumer Cellular rides on AT&T towers for service, coverage will be the same between the two carriers. 

Consumer Cellular 5G Coverage

Consumer Cellular 5G coverage map
Consumer Cellular 5G coverage map

Consumer Cellular provides 5G coverage using AT&T’s nationwide 5G network. 

AT&T’s 5G network covers an impressive 31% of the United States, making it the largest 5G network. T-Mobile and Verizon’s 5G networks cover just 26% and 12% of the United States, respectively.

Over 285 million people are covered by AT&T 5G.

Consumer Cellular LTE Coverage

Consumer Cellular LTE coverage map

Consumer Cellular rides on AT&T’s robust nationwide LTE network for coverage.

AT&T’s LTE network covers over 99% of the U.S. population, so you’re likely to have service in your area. 

Consumer Cellular vs. Verizon Coverage

Consumer Cellular Coverage is similar to Verizon’s coverage.

Consumer Cellular covers 55% of the U.S. and Verizon also covers 55% of the U.S.

When it comes to 5G coverage though, things are a little different. 

Consumer Cellular has almost three times as much 5G coverage as Verizon does. 

You can find 5G coverage on Consumer Cellular across 31% of the U.S., while Verizon’s 5G network covers just 12% of the U.S.

See our Verizon coverage map for more information about Verizon coverage in your area. 

Consumer Cellular vs. AT&T Coverage

Consumer Cellular uses AT&T’s network for service, so coverage is the same between the two carriers. 

If you’d like more information about AT&T coverage in your area, you can check out AT&T’s coverage map here

Consumer Cellular vs. T-Mobile Coverage

Consumer Cellular has better coverage than T-Mobile.

Consumer Cellular covers 55% of the U.S. while T-Mobile covers just 35%.

5G is also available in more places on Consumer Cellular. Consumer Cellular 5G covers 31% of the U.S. compared to T-Mobile 5G, which covers just 26%.

Consumer Cellular is a bit slower than T-Mobile though.

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

Consumer Cellular got 65.57 Mbps for its median download speed and 7.98 Mbps for its median upload speed. 

Both Consumer Cellular and T-Mobile will likely perform well in cities, with T-Mobile offering slightly faster data speeds. When it comes to getting service outside of cities in more rural areas, Consumer Cellular may be a better option thanks to its bigger overall coverage footprint. 

Check T-Mobile coverage in your area using our T-Mobile coverage map.

Consumer Cellular 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%

Consumer Cellular 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

Consumer Cellular Coverage Frequently Asked Questions

Is Consumer Cellular coverage good?

Yes, coverage on Consumer Cellular is good. Consumer Cellular uses AT&T for coverage, and AT&T covers over 99% of Americans with its LTE network. AT&T also has the largest 5G network of any carrier right now.

Does Consumer Cellular offer 5G?

Yes. Consumer Cellular provides 5G coverage on AT&T's 5G network.

Does Consumer Cellular have coverage in Canada?

Yes, Consumer Cellular offers coverage in Canada at pay-per-use rates. Currently Consumer Cellular charges $0.01 to $0.06 per minute, $0.01 to $0.06 per text, and $0.01 to $0.06 per MB of data ($60 per GB) for use in Canada.

Does Consumer Cellular have coverage in Mexico?

Yes, Consumer Cellular offers coverage in Canada at pay-per-use rates. Currently Consumer Cellular charges $0.01 to $0.06 per minute, $0.01 to $0.06 per text, and $0.01 to $0.06 per MB of data ($60 per GB) for use in Canada.

Does Consumer Cellular have international coverage?

Consumer Cellular offers coverage internationally at pay-per-use rates. However, some of the rates are quite expensive. You may want to consider other options for cellular data while traveling abroad.

Follow us on: