Straight Talk Coverage Map

Does Straight Talk have good cell coverage?

by
Stetson Doggett
|
Updated:
August 10, 2023

If you’re in search of a new cell phone plan, you may have come across Straight Talk.

Straight Talk offers affordable, no-contract cell phone plans that can save you over $500 per year on your cell phone bill. 

However, you may wonder if Straight Talk’s coverage will meet your expectations.

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

Straight Talk Coverage

Straight Talk is a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) that is owned by Verizon.

Straight Talk uses Verizon’s 4G LTE and 5G networks to provide service.

By using Verizon’s existing networks and operating mostly online only, Straight Talk is able to offer low-cost cell phone plans without compromising on the quality of their service. 

Below, you can see the estimated and verified coverage maps for Straight Talk.

The estimated coverage map shows coverage data for Straight Talk supplied by the FCC.

The verified coverage map uses crowd-sourced data. It is made up of over data with over 2 million speed tests so you can get an accurate picture of what Straight Talk coverage and data speeds look like in your area. 

You can use the search bar to search for your location, and you can toggle between Straight Talk’s LTE and 5G coverage using the maps below:

Estimated Coverage Map
Verified Coverage Map
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

Straight Talk Coverage Quick Stats

  • Total area covered: 55%
  • Total square miles covered: 2,095,163
  • 5G area covered: 12%
  • 5G square miles covered: 459,756

The above data comes from the FCC’s National Broadband Map.

The FCC collected signal strength data from all network operators and made the coverage information publicly available.

Currently, the network with the largest coverage area covers just 55% of the U.S. This number may seem low, but it is 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 calculated the total square miles Straight Talk’s network covers by multiplying the percentage of area Straight Talk covers (55%) by the total area of the United States, which was reported as 3,805,927 by the United States Census Bureau.

What Network Does Straight Talk Use?

Straight Talk uses the Verizon network to provide coverage.

Because Straight Talk relies on Verizon for coverage, its coverage is the same as that of Verizon.

Straight Talk 5G Coverage

Straight Talk offers nationwide 5G coverage using Verizon’s 5G Nationwide and 5G Ultra Wideband networks.

Verizon 5G Nationwide currently covers about 230 million people, or roughly 69% of the U.S. population.

Verizon 5G Ultra Wideband is much faster, but it has a bit less coverage. Verizon says 5G Ultra Wideband covers about 200 million people as of March 7th, 2023, which is about 60% of the U.S. population.

Straight Talk LTE Coverage

Nationwide 4G LTE coverage is available on Straight Talk thanks to Verizon’s extensive 4G LTE network, which covers 99% of Americans.

Straight Talk vs. Verizon Coverage

Straight Talk uses Verizon towers for services, so coverage is the same between the two carriers.

Straight Talk vs. AT&T Coverage

Straight Talk has very similar coverage to AT&T.

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

However, when you compare 5G coverage between the two carriers, it is a different story. Straight Talk has much less 5G coverage than AT&T does. AT&T covers 31% of the U.S. with 5G, while Straight Talk covers just 12%.

Data speeds are similar between the two carriers. 

According to Ookla, Straight Talk’s median download speed was 75.40 Mbps, and its median upload speed was 9.87 Mbps.

Meanwhile, AT&T’s median download speed was 68.20 Mbps and its median upload speed was 8.14 Mbps. 

Both Straight Talk and AT&T offer similar coverage and data speeds to one another, and likely both carriers will be great options in many areas.

You can check AT&T coverage in your area to see how it compares to Straight Talk.

Straight Talk vs. T-Mobile Coverage

Straight Talk has better coverage than T-Mobile.

Straight Talk covers 55% of the U.S. while T-Mobile covers just 35%.

That said, T-Mobile has over double the 5G coverage that Straight Talk does. 

T-Mobile covers an impressive 26% of the U.S. with 5G, while Straight Talk has only 12% 5G coverage.

T-Mobile also has faster speeds than Straight Talk. T-Mobile has median download speeds of 165.22 Mbps and median upload speeds of 12.99 Mbps, according to Ookla’s May 2023 report. 

Straight Talk’s median speeds are 75.40 Mbps down and 9.87 Mbps up.

Both carriers will likely provide adequate coverage in major cities, and T-Mobile will likely deliver faster speeds.

However, Straight Talk’s larger coverage footprint will likely come in handy outside of major cities and could be a better option in more rural parts of the country.

You can check T-Mobile coverage in your area to see exactly how the two carriers compare. 

Straight Talk Coverage by State

This coverage data comes from the FCC:

Sate Area Covered (sq km) Total Percent Covered Great Coverage Good Coverage Poor Coverage
Alaska 0 2.0% 0.4% 0.6% 1.0%
Alabama 125,780 83.9% 36.1% 27.4% 20.5%
Arkansas 118,422 83.0% 33.5% 26.9% 22.7%
Arizona 179,349 64.8% 24.0% 22.2% 18.6%
California 251,383 63.0% 28.5% 21.7% 12.8%
Colorado 223,092 62.7% 19.7% 24.0% 19.1%
Connecticut 12,860 87.2% 56.5% 24.0% 6.8%
District of Columbia 179 98.6% 98.2% 0.4% 0.0%
Delaware 5,185 80.4% 0.8% 1.0% 78.7%
Florida 134,354 80.1% 48.6% 21.7% 9.9%
Georgia 131,395 93.6% 43.7% 32.9% 17.0%
Hawaii 12,543 44.2% 19.3% 14.4% 10.6%
Iowa 124,346 92.3% 52.2% 29.0% 11.1%
Idaho 94,699 46.7% 20.7% 17.3% 8.8%
Illinois 144,562 93.5% 52.6% 29.7% 11.2%
Indiana 92,661 98.3% 56.4% 28.8% 13.0%
Kansas 207,559 98.4% 42.5% 34.1% 21.8%
Kentucky 91,826 74.0% 32.3% 22.9% 18.7%
Louisiana 114,912 78.4% 29.4% 27.7% 21.3%
Massachusetts 21,134 72.1% 44.7% 19.9% 7.5%
Maryland 26,410 78.8% 52.8% 17.1% 8.9%
Maine 36,855 51.6% 17.8% 19.4% 14.4%
Michigan 131,066 46.6% 20.7% 13.6% 12.4%
Minnesota 197,215 79.3% 40.8% 25.5% 13.0%
Missouri 176,347 86.2% 37.2% 28.4% 20.7%
Mississippi 117,117 81.3% 25.0% 27.7% 28.6%
Montana 198,358 53.0% 18.1% 20.5% 14.4%
North Carolina 108,559 80.3% 36.2% 27.0% 17.1%
North Dakota 174,474 92.7% 47.2% 31.1% 14.4%
Nebraska 176,021 86.5% 30.0% 27.2% 29.3%
New Hampshire 21,575 80.1% 32.6% 30.3% 17.2%
New Jersey 19,579 84.8% 0.0% 0.0% 84.7%
New Mexico 224,922 71.0% 23.3% 26.0% 21.7%
Nevada 91,951 42.5% 12.6% 17.7% 12.2%
New York 105,653 72.4% 3.4% 1.0% 68.0%
Ohio 103,714 85.5% 54.9% 18.6% 12.0%
Oklahoma 163,279 55.4% 26.1% 17.3% 11.9%
Oregon 103,850 50.9% 18.2% 19.8% 12.9%
Pennsylvania 106,050 83.0% 16.9% 11.5% 54.6%
Rhode Island 2,961 72.1% 48.7% 17.7% 5.8%
South Carolina 69,818 90.9% 39.5% 31.2% 20.2%
South Dakota 184,372 87.0% 31.8% 28.6% 26.6%
Tennessee 99,496 84.7% 38.9% 26.3% 19.5%
Texas 614,198 83.0% 36.7% 28.3% 18.0%
Utah 136,159 49.2% 17.0% 18.8% 13.4%
Virginia 82,698 83.3% 38.0% 28.9% 16.5%
Vermont 21,246 66.8% 23.6% 27.5% 15.7%
Washington 109,806 54.4% 22.4% 18.7% 13.4%
Wisconsin 109,839 65.1% 28.3% 20.9% 16.0%
West Virginia 40,576 41.7% 16.5% 11.6% 13.6%
Wyoming 142,749 59.1% 15.8% 23.1% 20.2%

Straight Talk Data Speeds by State

Sate Average Download Speed Average Upload Speed Average Ping
Alaska 28.6 Mbps 15.4 Mbps 95.1 ms
Alabama 52.7 Mbps 13.8 Mbps 83.6 ms
Arkansas 42.8 Mbps 13.5 Mbps 78.7 ms
Arizona 55. Mbps 15.2 Mbps 78.8 ms
California 67.5 Mbps 16.7 Mbps 59.4 ms
Colorado 62.9 Mbps 14.9 Mbps 81.3 ms
Connecticut 90.4 Mbps 18.8 Mbps 54.9 ms
District of Columbia 157.8 Mbps 19.2 Mbps 70.4 ms
Delaware 91.9 Mbps 17.8 Mbps 59.9 ms
Florida 79.2 Mbps 16. Mbps 80. ms
Georgia 64.7 Mbps 14. Mbps 91.9 ms
Hawaii 32. Mbps 14.7 Mbps 132.8 ms
Iowa 56. Mbps 15.3 Mbps 64.4 ms
Idaho 43.6 Mbps 13.7 Mbps 117.2 ms
Illinois 79.5 Mbps 19.9 Mbps 56.9 ms
Indiana 78.5 Mbps 17.2 Mbps 63.4 ms
Kansas 49.2 Mbps 15.6 Mbps 79.7 ms
Kentucky 52.6 Mbps 14.6 Mbps 80. ms
Louisiana 52.4 Mbps 14.6 Mbps 70.8 ms
Massachusetts 89.1 Mbps 18.3 Mbps 68.6 ms
Maryland 64.5 Mbps 14.8 Mbps 66.1 ms
Maine 40. Mbps 14.8 Mbps 80. ms
Michigan 68.7 Mbps 16.1 Mbps 67.6 ms
Minnesota 94.5 Mbps 17. Mbps 61.9 ms
Missouri 63.3 Mbps 15.9 Mbps 72.1 ms
Mississippi 24.7 Mbps 11.6 Mbps 94.5 ms
Montana 36.2 Mbps 14.7 Mbps 123.1 ms
North Carolina 52.8 Mbps 12.7 Mbps 69.2 ms
North Dakota 97.1 Mbps 19.2 Mbps 62.5 ms
Nebraska 64.6 Mbps 17.1 Mbps 67.9 ms
New Hampshire 48.5 Mbps 14.4 Mbps 67. ms
New Jersey 84.9 Mbps 16.7 Mbps 46.5 ms
New Mexico 31.6 Mbps 13.5 Mbps 139.7 ms
Nevada 73.6 Mbps 15.4 Mbps 61.9 ms
New York 87. Mbps 16.7 Mbps 69.5 ms
Ohio 55.2 Mbps 15.2 Mbps 64.9 ms
Oklahoma 46.3 Mbps 13.6 Mbps 73.4 ms
Oregon 46.3 Mbps 13.1 Mbps 70.6 ms
Pennsylvania 79.2 Mbps 15.5 Mbps 56.9 ms
Rhode Island 146.8 Mbps 20.7 Mbps 48.5 ms
South Carolina 51.8 Mbps 12.9 Mbps 71.7 ms
South Dakota 46.7 Mbps 16.7 Mbps 74.7 ms
Tennessee 65.2 Mbps 15.4 Mbps 83.6 ms
Texas 60.4 Mbps 13.7 Mbps 67.4 ms
Utah 60.7 Mbps 16.6 Mbps 104.4 ms
Virginia 47.3 Mbps 12.9 Mbps 70.2 ms
Vermont 37. Mbps 11.7 Mbps 79.6 ms
Washington 62.6 Mbps 14.8 Mbps 63.1 ms
Wisconsin 61.7 Mbps 14.1 Mbps 61.5 ms
West Virginia 32.9 Mbps 12.6 Mbps 83.6 ms
Wyoming 28.1 Mbps 13.6 Mbps 122.2 ms

Straight Talk Coverage Frequently Asked Questions

Is Straight Talk coverage good?

Straight Talk uses Verizon for coverage, and Verizon has one of the largest network footprints in America. For most people, yes, Straight Talk’s coverage will be good.

Does Straight Talk offer 5G?

Straight Talk offers 5G on Verizon’s 5G Nationwide and 5G Ultra Wideband networks.

Does Straight Talk have coverage in Canada?

No, Straight Talk does not have coverage in Canada.

Does Straight Talk have coverage in Mexico?

No, Straight Talk does not have coverage in Mexico.

Does Straight Talk have international coverage?

No, Straight Talk does not have international coverage.

Follow us on: