Where is 5G available in the US?
The nationwide race to deliver 5G coverage is on, but who’s winning? Although Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile are boasting about their respective maps, the race is far from over. Sprint has bowed out due to its merger with T-Mobile, and its network is currently being reworked. Let’s take a look at where 5G is available in the US and how soon it might come to a town near you.
See also: The best 5G phones you can buy
First and foremost, the US is a huge country. As a result, 5G is a long way from being a nationwide option on every carrier. With that in mind, let’s break down the three main coverage maps to find your best bet.
T-Mobile’s 5G map
T-Mobile is currently leading in the 5G race, thanks in no small part to the merger with Sprint. As a result, T-Mobile also has the nicest looking coverage map to show off its nationwide network. There are actually two 5G networks at play, however — one that covers nearly 5,000 cities and 200 million Americans, and a millimeter-wave network that’s only available in parts of six major cities. Those lucky cities are as follows:
- Atlanta
- Cleveland
- Dallas
- Las Vegas
- Los Angeles
- New York
The reason for the two different coverage maps is that T-Mobile is relying on two separate technologies. It uses Band 71 — its 600MHz spectrum for the nationwide coverage because it’s more effective at penetrating buildings and covering long distances. The mmWave technology as mentioned above can’t reach as far, but it’s a faster option than Band 71.
Verizon’s 5G map
As compared with T-Mobile’s coverage, Verizon’s map looks rather bare. However, this is partially explained by the fact that Verizon is only using mmWave technology. Overall, it means that Verizon is a good option for peak speeds, but it won’t be nearly as effective in buildings. So far, Verizon’s 5G map includes 35 major cities, which you can find below:
- Atlanta
- Boise
- Boston
- Charlotte
- Chicago
- Cincinnati
- Cleveland
- Columbus
- Dallas
- Denver
- Des Moines
- Detroit
- Grand Rapids
- Greensboro
- Hampton Roads
- Hoboken
- Houston
- Indianapolis
- Kansas City
- Little Rock
- Los Angeles
- Memphis
- Miami
- Minneapolis
- New York City
- Omaha
- Panama City
- Phoenix
- Providence
- Salt Lake City
- San Diego
- Sioux Falls
- Spokane
- St. Paul
- Washington D.C.
While 5G isn’t necessarily available throughout all of the cities listed, you can check out Verizon’s interactive map right here. It offers a full breakdown of the coverage you can expect anywhere in the United States.
AT&T’s 5G map
Finally, we have the AT&T 5G coverage map. Like T-Mobile, AT&T is using two different technologies to provide coverage — an 850Hz network for far-reaching coverage and a mmWave network for power and speed. AT&T’s mmWave network goes by the name 5G Plus, and it’s faster but you’ll struggle to make the most of it indoors.
See also: The best AT&T plans
AT&T offers one of the best breakdowns of city-by-city coverage, with signal in parts of 46 states as well as Puerto Rico. Here are the select cities that support 5G Plus for the highest speeds:
- AZ: Phoenix
- CA: Los Angeles, Menlo Park, Oakland, Redwood City, San Bruno, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose, West Hollywood
- FL: Jacksonville, Miami, Miami Gardens, Orlando
- GA: Atlanta
- IN: Indianapolis
- KY: Louisville
- LA: New Orleans
- MD: Baltimore, Ocean City
- MI: Detroit
- NC: Charlotte, Raleigh
- NV: Las Vegas
- NY: New York City
- OH: Cleveland
- OK: Oklahoma City
- PA: King of Prussia, Philadelphia
- TN: Nashville
- TX: Austin, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, Waco
You can also head over to AT&T’s 5G page for a more accurate map of where coverage is available in each of the cities.
from Android Authority https://ift.tt/3i9OnmI
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