Best Phone Coverage in Albuquerque, NM: Cell Service in the Duke City and Burque

Albuquerque is a large city in New Mexico with a lot going on. Residents know all the good places, like going to Taqueria Los Amigos for tacos, Curious Toast Cafe for coffee, and Mr Powdrell’s Barbeque House for ribs. When you are in and around the city, you want the best cell phone coverage in Albuquerque, NM. We are here to help you find the best cell phone carrier in the area that provides you with all you need on a day-to-day basis. 

Our research found that T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless, and Mint Mobile are the top three for best phone coverage in Albuquerque, NM, overall. This article features detailed information on the following: 

• Map of the fastest cell phone coverage in Albuquerque, NM
• Local and national carriers that cover Albuquerque, NM
• Frequently asked questions about phone coverage in Albuquerque, NM

Phone Coverage in Albuquerque, NM, at a Glance

Lightning-Fast Data Speeds on Major Networks

Albuquerque is a medium-sized city in New Mexico with great cell phone coverage from the three major networks. While AT&T has superior coverage in Texas, its neighbor is dominated by T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless. T-Mobile provides the best cell phone coverage in Albuquerque with its exceptional 5G network and reliable coverage in the city. As you go further out, Verizon’s network starts to provide faster coverage in various pockets that T-Mobile has not yet covered. T-Mobile’s recent push to seriously upgrade its 5G network is the main reason why they provide the best cell phone coverage in Albuquerque, NM. 

Local and National Cell Phone Carriers in Albuquerque, NM

The top three carriers in Albuquerque, NM, are T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless, and Mint Mobile. 

This section will discuss the top three carriers that provide the best cell phone coverage in Albuquerque, NM. There are a lot of carriers out there, and it is overwhelming to parse through the wide variety of cell phone plans and offers on the market. We’ve included two major wireless carriers and one Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) on this list. Verizon and T-Mobile are major carriers, and Mint Mobile is an MVNO. Major wireless carriers own and operate their own networks, which results in these carriers offering unlimited high-speed data, more consistent speeds, and more add-ons than MVNOs. Their plans are also much more expensive than MVNO cell phone plans. 

#1 in Albuquerque, NM: T-Mobile 

Fastest 5G and 4G LTE in Albuquerque, NM

Out of the three major carriers, T-Mobile’s 5G coverage surpasses the competition. The problem is that they are still blanketing the country's most populous areas, leaving holes in their network, for now, on less-traveled paths. As you can see in the map above, Albuquerque proper is covered in a strong 5G network, but the areas around the city have weaker coverage. This is common all over the country with all three networks. They prioritize the most traveled areas, and low-population zones between points of interest are always the last to be developed.  

Price: Varies

Plan: T-Mobile offers three unlimited plans at various price points. Like AT&T and Verizon, these plans are very expensive as the single-line plan and offer immense multi-line savings. 

T-Mobile’s multi-line savings net you a spectacular plan at a low cost, should you find friends and family with whom to share the account. Unlike the other two major wireless carriers, T-Mobile gives users 50 GB of premium wireless data on their cheapest plan, which means you are guaranteed their fastest possible speeds nationwide.

T-Mobile provides great coverage throughout Albuquerque, with many users applauding the consistent coverage they receive within the city. T-Mobile’s network falls a bit behind the others in its ability to penetrate deep into buildings, so you may notice spotty service inside highrises and other many-floored buildings. Outside of this, T-Mobile’s 5G network coverage means they can output lightning-fast coverage to many more devices than they could on 4G LTE, almost completely eliminating congestion problems in this city. Whenever T-Mobile’s network is congested, they start slowing down lines on lower-priority data plans. Priority within major networks follows like this: 

• Priority one are those who are on priority data through T-Mobile. They will always have the fastest possible data.
• Priority two are those who are on basic data through T-Mobile. These have the fastest data unless priority three is already slowed down and congestion remains.
• Priority three are all MVNO users. These are the first users to receive data slowdowns at any time of congestion. 

T-Mobile provides fantastic coverage in Albuquerque, NM, and many users agree that the coverage has improved exponentially within the past year. T-Mobile’s strength is its 5G network. When you have 5G coverage, your data is fast and reliable. These new networks hold much more bandwidth, allowing many more devices to stream and access the internet before there is any congestion. T-Mobile’s 5G network is exceptionally strong, and there are few reports of slow data among T-Mobile customers in Albuquerque, NM. 

👍 What We Liked

• Large 5G Network. T-Mobile has the best 5G coverage in the United States. This high-speed data lets you stream HD video and audio with little to no buffering as you travel through the city. 
• Premium Data. While it is an unlikely occurrence, a surprise slow-down of your mobile service is quite vexing. We really like that T-Mobile offers 50 GB of premium data on their least expensive plan. They are the only major wireless network to do so. 

👎 What We Didn’t Like

• Phone Deals. T-Mobile’s phone deals, which you may have seen recently, are locked behind their most expensive cell phone plan. Only accept one of their new customer deals if you know it will save you money in the long run or if you want to open an account on their Go5G Plus cell phone plan. 
• Price. This is a common qualm with major wireless networks, but T-Mobile’s prices are steep without multi-line discounts. 

‍

#2 in Albuquerque, NM: Verizon

Most Affordable Cell Phone Plans in Albuquerque, NM

Verizon’s 5G Ultra Wideband network brings them just behind T-Mobile in the race for the best cell phone coverage in Albuquerque. While Verizon’s lightning-fast 5G network (download speeds upwards of 100 Mbps) is incredible, it is only available in select locations in the country. The dark red spots in the coverage map denote their most powerful 5G network, leaving a lot of areas with spotty coverage. Verizon’s network is amazing almost all the time. There are some problems along the ragged edges of their 5G networks, where 5G-compatible cell phones will stick to a weak 5G network rather than switching to a strong 4G LTE network. The above map shows only their 5G coverage, and Verizon’s LTE coverage spans much more of the Albuquerque area. Those edges of the 5G network are where this problem comes into play, as well as slow spots within the city, like 12th ST between Candelaria and Griegos. 

This is a problem seen around the country. Imagine walking to the edge of your house’s WiFi zone. Your signal gets super weak, but there are a few moments when your phone remains on WiFi coverage instead of switching to the network, where you can’t load anything. That’s what happens if you are in an area with weak (but receivable) 5G coverage. Verizon users all over the country have noted that problem with their devices.  

While it is common, it only happens in a few areas in Albuquerque, notably a few miles out of the city on back roads. Verizon outputs some of the best cell phone coverage in Albuquerque, NM, in the majority of the metro area and beyond. 

Price: Varies

Plan: Verizon offers a pair of unlimited plans. One has unlimited high-speed data, and the other has unlimited premium high-speed data.  

Verizon offers two unlimited plans. 

• Welcome Unlimited, priced at $65/55/40/30 a month per line
• Unlimited Plus, priced at $80/70/55/45 a month per line

While expensive, multi-line savings make these two plans much more affordable. On top of unlimited premium data, the unlimited plus comes with the following: 

• 30 GB mobile hotspot
• Device savings
• Price guarantee
• Premium data

Regardless of the number of lines, the unlimited plus plan is $15 more per line on your account. This is a lot, but the premium data comes in handy in spaces with high data usage. It is hard to gauge how important premium data is. There are many areas around the country where Verizon’s network is strong enough to keep everyone using full-speed data, but there are a lot of other areas, especially in big cities, where data is slowed down almost every day. We don’t expect there to be much congestion in Albuquerque and recommend using their less expensive cell phone plan. If you travel to areas with higher congestion or notice slower data speeds in your day-to-day, you can switch to the priority data to evade that congestion. 

Alongside the base plans, Verizon offers a package of optional add-ons that each add $10 to your cell phone bill. The best part is that you can skip them entirely and stick to the base plan price, but if you find any Verizon add-ons you like, adding them to your plan always saves a few dollars on the service. 

👍 What We Liked

• 5G Ultra Wideband Coverage. When you have 5G data, it is incredible. There are some troubles with phone network priority, but Verizon’s 5G coverage is fantastic.  
• Family Plan Savings. Verizon single-line costs are crazy. We recommend finding friends and family to create a multi-line account and enjoy serious savings. 

👎 What We Didn’t Like

• Price. Even though they have a strong network and provide services to make the price worthwhile, Verizon is very expensive. If you are planning to open a single-line plan, the best way to utilize Verizon’s amazing network is through an MVNO like Visible Wireless. 
• Customer Service. This appears to be a common trend among cell phone companies, but there are many negative experiences with Verizon’s customer service.

#3 in Albuquerque, NM: Mint Mobile

Best Cell Phone Plan Range in Albuquerque, NM

Attentive readers will notice similarities between Mint Mobile’s coverage map and T-Mobile's coverage map. They are, indeed, the same! Mint Mobile uses T-Mobile's network, providing the exact same nationwide coverage. This is one of the best parts of any MVNO. You gain access to a major wireless network at a fraction of the cost. Let’s dive into what makes Mint Mobile our number three pick for the best cell phone coverage in Albuquerque, NM

Mint Mobile is the Ryan Reynolds-backed MVNO that is all over the web. You may have seen one of their ads highlighting their low prices and great service. For the most part — it’s excellent! Our one qualm is their unlimited plan. Mint Mobile’s “unlimited” plan has limited high-speed data, a fact they keep in the fine print. Mint’s unlimited plan comes with 35 GB of high-speed data before your data is throttled to 3G speeds. Mint’s unlimited plan is still great, but it is better to think of it as a 35 GB cell phone plan. 

Price: Varies

Plan: Mint Mobile has a variety of limited-data cell phone plans. Ranging from 5 GB to 35 GB of high-speed data, Mint’s plans are very affordable. 

Mint Mobile’s coverage in Albuquerque, NM, is some of the best. They leverage T-Mobile’s fantastic network to give customers high-speed data and reliable coverage at a fraction of the cost. These are the plans Mint Mobile offers: 

• 5 GB High-Speed priced at $25/20/15
• 15 GB High-Speed priced at $35/25/20
• 20 GB High-Speed priced at $45/35/25
• Unlimited (35 GB) High-Speed priced at $40/35/30

Mint Mobile, and most MVNOs, do not provide unlimited high-speed data in their cell phone plans. Most range between 25 and 50 GB per month. If you use more than that regularly, trying an MVNO plan may result in unpleasant periods after you use up all your high-speed data. Companies slow down data speeds to 2G or 3G speeds, which, if you don’t remember, is slow. We recommend Mint Mobile to our mid-data users who don’t need unlimited every month. If you can switch to a limited-data plan, you will save big on your cell phone bill each month. 

Mint Mobile offers contract-based coverage, where the three tiers of per-month cost relate to their three, six, and 12-month contract offerings. The further you contract out your data, the more you save each month. The main downside to their contracts is that you have to pay for them, in full, right away. 

There is, fortunately, a way around that contract, which is Mint Mobile’s family plan. Their family plan lets users take out 3-month contracts while enjoying the lowest price on all the plans. Mint Mobile’s family plan gives each line-owner their own data pool and the ability to pick a favorite plan. That flexibility is amazing. 

👍 What We Liked

• Affordable Plans. Mint Mobile’s well-priced plans let you save a lot of money on your cell phone bill. 
• T-Mobile’s Coverage. T-Mobile has good coverage in Albuquerque, NM, and provides great data speeds throughout the state.  

👎 What We Didn’t Like

• Prepaid Plans. Regardless of contract length, all Mint Mobile plans are purchased, in full, upfront. That’s a pretty high cost that is hard to fit into budgets. It’s easier with family plans as it’s only three months at a time, but anyone working with the 12-month contract faces a big bill at the start of the year
• Data Deprioritization. There is no way to get unlimited high-speed data with Mint Mobile. 

Get to Know Your Local Carrier Options in Albuquerque, NM

As you can see, AT&T has not yet built a 5G network in Albuquerque, NM. This puts them out of the running for the best coverage in the area, but their 4G LTE network does provide solid coverage in the area. 

FAQ: Your Questions About Cell Phone Coverage in Albuquerque, NM, Answered

Does Albuquerque have Verizon 5G?

Yes! Verizon provides some of the best cell phone coverage in Albuquerque, NM, with its 5G network 

How do I find the best phone coverage in my area?

You can find the best phone coverage in your area by checking local coverage maps. While T-Mobile provides the best cell phone coverage in Albuquerque, NM, there are other areas in the state where Verizon or AT&T provides the finest coverage.

Does T-Mobile have good coverage in New Mexico? 

Yes! T-Mobile provides the best overall cell phone coverage throughout New Mexico. 

TLDR; T-Mobile is your best bet for fast phone coverage in Albuquerque, NM

Use really.com to compare! 

T-Mobile provides the best cell phone coverage in Albuquerque, NM, but you can choose from one of their MVNOs or go to another provider entirely if you see a deal you like or find another reason why it’s the best for you. If you want more info about plans available in Albuquerque, NM, you can compare carriers at Really.com to decide which phone carrier is best for you.