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 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:
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.
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 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.
Nationwide 4G LTE coverage is available on Straight Talk thanks to Verizon’s extensive 4G LTE network, which covers 99% of Americans.
Straight Talk uses Verizon towers for services, so coverage is the same between the two carriers.
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 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.
This coverage data comes from the FCC:
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.
Straight Talk offers 5G on Verizon’s 5G Nationwide and 5G Ultra Wideband networks.
No, Straight Talk does not have coverage in Canada.
No, Straight Talk does not have coverage in Mexico.
No, Straight Talk does not have international coverage.