What is Dish Wireless? And where does it have service?
Dish Wireless is the fourth mobile network operator (MNO) in the United States.
Being an MNO means Dish Wireless is putting up cell towers, deploying network equipment, and building a network core to fully operate its own network.
Dish is still building out its 5G network, so it doesn’t have coverage all across the country just yet. It only covers a few cities at this time. Dish is primarily focused on building out its 5G network in major cities and metro areas.
You may be wondering what Dish does in areas where it doesn’t have coverage yet.
Great question.
It turns out that Dish has a roaming agreement with AT&T. This means that Dish Wireless customers will be able to connect to the AT&T network for coverage anywhere Dish doesn’t have service for completely free of charge.
So, in effect Dish’s current coverage area is AT&T’s LTE and 5G coverage areas plus Dish’s own 5G coverage area.
In the future, Dish will transition to only using its own 5G network for coverage.
However, we are many years away from that happening.
So, if AT&T coverage is good in your area, you may actually consider a plan from Dish Wireless to enjoy the same coverage at a more affordable price. Dish is trying to gain new customers, so its Boost Infinite brand is offering an unlimited plan for just $25 per month.
Dish Wireless Coverage
Dish Wireless currently offers 5G coverage in a few of the major cities across the U.S.
You can browse Dish’s current 5G coverage using the maps below.
The estimated coverage map uses signal strength data from the FCC to display the coverage areas for Dish Wireless.
The verified coverage map displays coverage from real users who have run speed tests on Dish and uploaded their results.
You can learn more about our crowd-sourced verified coverage map and how to contribute here.
Dish Wireless Coverage Quick Stats
- Network: Dish Wireless 5G
- Total area covered: 3.46%
- Total square miles covered: 131,685
- 5G area covered: 3.46%
- 5G square miles covered: 131,685
The above data comes from the FCC, which collected data from all network operators on June 30th, 2022.
The FCC displays what percentage of area in the United States each carrier covers.
Currently, the network with the highest percentage of area covered is just 55%. This may seem lower than you would expect, 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) remain uncovered.
We calculate the total square miles covered by T-Mobile’s network by multiplying the percentage of area covered by the total area of the United States, which was reported as 3,805,927 by the United States Census Bureau.
What network does Dish Wireless use?
Dish Wireless uses its own 5G network to provide coverage. It also has a roaming agreement with AT&T, so Dish customers can use AT&T’s 4G LTE and 5G networks in areas where Dish doesn’t yet have service.
Dish Wireless 5G Coverage
Dish is still building out its 5G network, so its coverage footprint is currently pretty small.
Dish’s 5G network only covers 3.46% of the land area in the United States.
For comparison, AT&T, which has the largest 5G coverage footprint of all mobile network operators, covers 31% of the land area in the U.S. with 5G service.
Still, just because Dish’s 5G coverage footprint is small doesn’t mean it doesn't cover a lot of people.
Dish is targeting its network buildout in areas with high population density. Its target is to cover 70% of the U.S. population by June 2023.
In fact, Dish is legally obligated to cover 70% of the U.S. population by June 2023 due to the terms of its agreement with the Department of Justice.
We should hopefully continue to see Dish’s network expand rapidly throughout the year.
Dish Wireless LTE Coverage
Dish is not building an LTE network.
Instead, it is building a 5G-only network.
Dish Wireless customers will be able to get 4G LTE service on Dish’s roaming partner networks, which is currently AT&T.
AT&T’s 4G LTE network covers 51% of the U.S. and provides service in most places.
You can check AT&T coverage here.
Dish Wireless vs. T-Mobile Coverage
It’s almost comical to compare Dish Wireless coverage with coverage from the other MNOs.
Dish started building out its network from the ground up just a few years ago.
T-Mobile, meanwhile, has been operating its network for decades.
Naturally, T-Mobile has a bigger coverage area here. T-Mobile covers 99% of Americans with its network. Its 4G LTE network spans 35% of the U.S., and its 5G network provides service across 26% of the U.S.
Dish’s 5G network offers service in just 3.46% of the U.S. as of June 2022.
That said, Dish Wireless customers may surprisingly find themselves with better overall coverage than T-Mobile. This is thanks to Dish’s roaming agreement with AT&T, where Dish customers can use AT&T for service anywhere the Dish network doesn’t cover.
And AT&T’s network covers 55% of the U.S., which is more than even T-Mobile’s network.
You can compare Dish’s 5G vs. T-Mobile’s 5G networks below. You can also check T-Mobile coverage in your area here.
Dish Wireless vs. AT&T Coverage
If you look at Dish Wireless’s native network compared to AT&T’s native network, it’s a night-and-day difference.
AT&T has been building out its network for decades, and it offers an impressive coverage footprint that covers 51% of the land area in the U.S. and 99% of the U.S. population.
Dish, meanwhile, only covers 3.46% of the land area in the U.S. with its network.
Sure, that can still be 60% to 70% of the U.S. population (it turns out that a lot of us don’t live too far apart, especially in cities), but you can’t expect to get Dish service if you drive outside of densely populated areas.
However, there is a twist here.
It turns out that Dish has partnered with AT&T and is able to use AT&T’s network for service while Dish is still building out its own network.
So, in effect, Dish’s coverage area is exactly the same as AT&T’s coverage area.
And this is great news for Dish Wireless customers because AT&T’s 4G LTE and 5G networks are excellent.
You can check AT&T coverage in your area here.
For fun, you can also compare Dish’s current 5G network with AT&T’s current 5G network below:
Dish Wireless vs. Verizon Coverage
When you compare Dish Wireless coverage to Verizon coverage, you are essentially comparing the network with the worst coverage in the U.S. to the network with the best coverage in the U.S.
Dish covers 3.46% of the country while Verizon covers a massive 55% of the country.
There is basically no comparison.
Except, there is good news for Dish customers. Dish has a roaming agreement with AT&T, which means Dish customers can use AT&T for service anywhere Dish doesn’t over native service on its network.
And AT&T covers 55% of the U.S., which compares much better to Verizon.
You can compare AT&T to Verizon coverage, as well as check Verizon specific coverage in your area here.
You can also compare Dish Wireless’s 5G network to Verizon’s 5G network below:
Dish Wireless Coverage Frequently Asked Questions
Is Dish Wireless coverage good?
Dish Wireless is still building out its network, so it only covers a small portion of the U.S. right now. Thankfully, Dish has a roaming agreement with AT&T, so Dish customers are also able to use AT&T’s network for service. AT&T has great coverage in most locations.
Does Dish Wireless offer 5G?
Yes, Dish Wireless offers 5G. In fact, Dish is only building a 5G network! There will be no 4G LTE service available from Dish Wireless directly. Customers who connect to 4G LTE will be using AT&T’s network for service under Dish’s roaming agreement with AT&T.
Does Dish Wireless have coverage in Canada?
Yes, Dish Wireless offers coverage in Canada for an extra cost on its Boost Infinite service. Boost Infinite customers can purchase the North America Connect add-on for $5. The add-on includes unlimited talk, text, and 5GB of high-speed data in Canada.
Does Dish Wireless have coverage in Mexico?
Yes, Dish Wireless offers coverage in Mexico for an extra cost on its Boost Infinite service. Boost Infinite customers can purchase the North America Connect add-on for $5. The add-on includes unlimited talk, text, and 5GB of high-speed data in Mexico.
Does Dish Wireless have international coverage?
Dish Wireless currently does not offer international coverage.