If you’re in search of a new cell phone plan, you may have come across UScellular.
UScellular offers affordable plans that start as low as $30 per month.
However, you may be wondering if UScellular coverage meets your expectations.
In this article, we will explore UScellular’s coverage and compare it to the other major carriers to help you make an informed decision.
UScellular Coverage
UScellular is a regional network operator.
They build and operate their own cellular network in parts of California, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.
In areas where UScellular does not provide native network coverage, they allow their customers to roam on the AT&T or T-Mobile networks for service.
Thanks to UScellular’s roaming agreements with AT&T and T-Mobile, UScellular is able to provide nationwide service and cover over 99% of Americans.
However, if you’d just like to see where UScellular’s native network provides coverage, you can check UScellular coverage in your area by using the maps below.
The first map shows estimated coverage. This map was created using signal strength data made available by the FCC.
The second map is a verified coverage map. It shows where individual people have connected to the UScellular network and are reporting coverage.
Check out both maps below:
UScellular Coverage Quick Stats
- Network: UScellular
- Total area covered: 6.97%
- Total square miles covered: 265,273
- 5G area covered: 3.3%
- 5G square miles covered: 125,595
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 UScellular use?
UScellular uses its own 4G LTE and 5G networks to provide coverage.
It also has roaming agreements with AT&T and T-Mobile. UScellular customers will switch to the AT&T or T-Mobile networks for service in areas where the native UScellular network doesn’t have coverage.
UScellular 5G Coverage
UScellular offers low-band, mid-band, and mmWave 5G coverage.
Its low-band 5G network uses band n71 and operates at 600 MHz. Low-band 5G can travel farther distances, but it typically has slower speeds than the other types of 5G.
UScellular’s mid-band 5G network is using C-band frequencies, which are 3.4 GHz and 3.7 GHz. Together, these frequencies make up 5G band n77. UScellular is also using n41, which operates at 2.5 GHz. n41 is the primary 5G band that T-Mobile is using for their mid-band 5G network, too.
mmWave 5G is the ultra-fast kind of 5G that gives you multi-gigabit speed, and it is also available on UScellular. UScellular is using bands n258, n260, and n261 for mmWave 5G, which includes 24 GHz, 28 GHz, and 39 GHz frequencies respectively.
UScellular’s 5G footprint is relatively small though.
It only covers 3.3% of the land area of the United States according to data from the FCC.
5G speeds on UScellular range from about 25Mbps to 200Mbps.
Customers will be able to roam on AT&T and T-Mobile’s 5G networks outside of UScellular’s service area.
UScellular LTE Coverage
UScellular’s LTE network is much larger than its 5G network. UScellular LTE covers 6.97% of the land area of the United States.
As a smaller regional provider, it makes sense that UScellular’s network footprint to be smaller than the other carriers.
Thankfully UScellular’s roaming agreements with AT&T and T-Mobile means UScellular customers can enjoy nationwide coverage.
UScellular Coverage Frequently Asked Questions
Is UScellular coverage good?
UScellular’s native network coverage is quite small compared to the other carriers, covering only 6.97% of the United States. However, UScellular’s roaming partnerships with AT&T and T-Mobile means that UScellular customers get excellent nationwide coverage that, yes, is quite good.
Does UScellular offer 5G?
Yes, UScellular offers 5G on its own network. It uses a mix of low-band, mid-band, and mmWave 5G frequencies for fast speeds and excellent capacity.
Does UScellular have coverage in Canada?
Most of UScellular’s plans include free talk, text, and data roaming in Canada.
Does UScellular have coverage in Mexico?
Most of UScellular’s plans include free talk, text, and data roaming in Mexico.
Does UScellular have international coverage?
International coverage is available from UScellular as a paid add-on. International data ranges from $5 to $10 per day, or $35 per month for service.