Best Phone Coverage in Milwaukee, WI: Cell Service in the Cream City

Milwaukee is a large city in Wisconsin, home to some of the largest breweries in the United States, many historic landmarks, and a lot of fine restaurants. The city is located on the shore of Lake Michigan at the confluence of three rivers. Milwaukee is an awesome city with lots of job opportunities, food, drink, lots to do, and a lot to see. 

This article will list the top three carriers for the best cell phone coverage in Milwaukee, WI, what we like about each carrier, and how to decide which is best for you.  

Our research found that T-Mobile, Mint Mobile, and AT&T are the top three for best phone coverage in Milwaukee, WI. This article features detailed information on the following: 

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

Phone Coverage in Milwaukee, WI at a Glance

Lightning-Fast Data Speeds on Major Networks

Milwaukee is a big city with just over 500,000 residents. This city has spectacular coverage from each of the three major networks, with strong 5G networks throughout the city and in the surrounding areas. Throughout Wisconsin, however, T-Mobile provides the best cell phone coverage. You may experience areas of low coverage in less populated areas of the state, but all the population centers, at this point, enjoy 5G coverage on T-Mobile’s network. When you travel through Wisconsin, we recommend checking local coverage maps during your journey in order to properly prepare for any no-service areas on your trip. 

Let’s jump into the best cell phone coverage in Milwaukee, WI. 

Local and National Cell Phone Carriers in Milwaukee, WI

The top three carriers in Milwaukee, WI, are T-Mobile, Mint Mobile, and AT&T. 

T-Mobile’s network provides the best cell phone coverage in Milwaukee, WI. Their networks cover almost all of the state, with the strongest sections being where the majority of the people are. T-Mobile is the only network that has 5G coverage in Green Bay, for instance. All three major networks have 5G coverage in Milwaukee. With how data-intensive many phone activities are these days, operating on 4G LTE coverage, while steady, makes certain activities, like streaming video or gaming, much more difficult. We have both major wireless providers and MVNOs on this list. Before we go further, let’s discuss the differences between the two. 

Major wireless carriers own and operate their networks. They are in charge of maintenance and upgrades. Because of this, cell phone plans at major wireless networks give unlimited high-speed data and faster average data speeds for more money each month. 

Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) rent their bandwidth from the big three networks to give their customers cheaper access to data. The two major downsides to MVNOs are that their plans offer limited high-speed data and lower data priority, meaning your data gets slowed down whenever bandwidth is strained. Data priority is most important in cities or areas where a lot of people are gathered. Milwaukee is a big city. It’s not on the same scale as the biggest cities in the country with millions of people, but it is large enough that congestion is common in the busier parts of town. If you are okay with occasional congestion, you can save big with MVNO plans, and we will discuss that in this article. 

Let’s take a look at which of these carriers use the network that gives people in Milwaukee, WI, the best phone coverage.

#1 in Milwaukee, WI: T-Mobile 

Fastest 5G and 4G LTE in Milwaukee, WI

Over the last couple of years, T-Mobile’s 5G coverage has increased exponentially. There are many areas within the country where T-Mobile provides the best cell phone coverage, and Milwaukee, WI, is no exception. T-Mobile hopes to expand its nationwide 5G coverage to over 90% within the next few years, but they already have the best 5G network coverage in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 

Price: Varies

Plan: T-Mobile offers three unlimited plans at various price points. These plans are very expensive as single-line plans and offer immense multi-line savings. 

If you are interested in opening a single-line account, we want to warn you that the monthly cost is high. The single-line costs of T-Mobile lines are immense. The upside is, of course, a higher data priority, meaning you’ll have faster data speeds in the busy streets of Milwaukee. There are a lot of reasons to open an account at T-Mobile. Let’s take a look at a few: 

1. MVNO data is slowed down way more than data on a major network like T-Mobile. The frequency of slowdowns is entirely dependent on your location. If you do a lot of traveling in the big US cities, your premium T-Mobile data will serve you well. 
2. Major wireless providers are always best for high-data users. If you go out and about using your cell phone, then unlimited high-speed data is essential. All three plans provide unlimited high-speed data and premium data on top of it. 
3. T-Mobile cell phone plans provide hotspot data as one of many perks. If you are often in situations where you need to use a laptop or tablet for something on the go, then a plan with T-Mobile is best for you. 

T-Mobile provides the best cell phone coverage in Milwaukee, WI. It also provides the best cell phone coverage throughout the majority of the state. Still, there are areas in Wisconsin and definitely throughout the country where one of the other two networks is best. T-Mobile is your best option if you live in and around Milwaukee.  There are some dead spots in buildings, as T-Mobile’s network has trouble getting through all the concrete and steel, but within buildings, you should also be covered by WiFi. 

👍 What We Liked

• Large 5G Network. T-Mobile provides the best 5G network out of all the major wireless carriers. Keep your eyes open, however, because AT&T and Verizon are hard at work to change that. 
• Consistent Coverage. Of all the major wireless carriers, T-Mobile has the most presence in Wisconsin, especially considering its excellent 5G coverage. 

👎 What We Didn’t Like

• Phone Deals. T-Mobile has long been a fan of highlighting amazing phone deals locked to their most expensive plan: Go5G Plus. 
• Price. This is a common qualm with major wireless networks, but T-Mobile’s prices are steep. Overall, prices at major wireless networks are challenging to pay without multi-line discounts.

#2 in Milwaukee, WI: Mint Mobile 

Most Affordable Cell Phone Plans in Milwaukee, WI

Mint Mobile is excellent. Using T-Mobile’s network. Mint’s plans are affordable, coverage is great, customer service is solid, and there are multi-line discounts. Our one qualm with their service is the lack of unlimited high-speed data on any of their plans. Mint Mobile’s “unlimited” plan provides 35 GB of high-speed data before your data is throttled to 3G speeds. Let’s take a look at their other cell phone plans. 

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 is our favorite T-Mobile MVNO, providing some of the best cell phone coverage in Milwaukee, WI. Mint Mobile customers enjoy T-Mobile’s excellent coverage in the city and all over the state without paying the prices of a major wireless company. 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 is best for low-data users. With the data intensity of so many phone processes, regular mobile data usage will quickly eat up the 35 GB monthly allocation and leave you stranded with 3G. Trust us: You do not want to be using 3G data during the month. If possible, check your data usage over the past few months. Do you use more than 35 GB a month? If so, try to lower your data usage (while on an unlimited plan) so you can confidently switch to Mint Mobile while enjoying high-speed data all month long. 

There are a lot of ways to limit data usage on your phone! You can download your favorite Spotify playlists, and Netflix shows before you go so you can watch them without streaming on a mobile network. You can also limit random browsing of social media or the web while out and about, saving that for times you are using WiFi. Thirty-five GB goes quickly if you use your phone all the time, but you can do everything you need to do on your phone, like call, text, e-mail, maps, and transportation without going through all that data. 

Mint Mobile is best for users who don’t need high-speed data and are able to open a multi-line account. 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 Green Bay and provides great data speeds throughout Wisconsin. You will not receive lightning-fast data all the time, but it is enough to use the majority of features on your phone.  

👎 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. 

#3 in Milwaukee, WI: AT&T

Best Cell Phone Plan Range in Milwaukee, WI

Rounding out our list is AT&T. AT&T’s coverage in Milwaukee is very impressive, and it beats out T-Mobile in the more rural parts of the state. This service is best for people who live in and around the city and travel to the more rural parts of the state. T-Mobile is better than AT&T overall, but AT&T is still a fantastic choice that gives you high-speed data, reliable coverage, and excellent multi-line savings. Let’s take a look at what they bring to the table.  

Price: Varies

Plan: AT&T offers three unlimited plans at various price points. 

AT&T offers three unlimited plans. 

• AT&T Unlimited Starter Plan
• AT&T Unlimited Extra Plan
• AT&T Unlimited Premium Plan

AT&T’s unlimited plans start at a high price point and become much more affordable with the addition of new lines. Multi-line savings are similar among the three major providers and are essential to avoid paying huge cell phone bills each month. These are the basic details of AT&T’s three cell phone plans: 

• AT&T’s starter plan has unlimited high-speed data with 3 GBs of high-speed hotspot data.  
• AT&T’s extra plan comes with 50 GB of premium data and 15 GB of high-speed hotspot data. 
• AT&T’s premium plan comes with unlimited premium data and 50 GB of high-speed hotspot data.

This is a great trio of plans, with the hotspot data an excellent addition for those who can use it. While the unlimited premium data is great, the added cost of the 50 GB hotspot data will weigh on your cell phone bills unless you use most of it each month. We like to highlight the premium data as one of the biggest benefits of high-tier plans, but as you shop around for the best cell phone coverage in Milwaukee, WI, make sure to see what the plans have to offer and decide which one is the best for you!

Unfortunately, AT&T only allows SD streaming on the Unlimited Starter and Extra plans. If you are someone who loves to stream video on the go, the hard cutoff on standard definition is an unfortunate clause of AT&T’s cell phone plans. AT&T’s Unlimited Premium plan is the only one to offer HD streaming. 

👍 What We Liked

• Rural Network. Many customers report excellent high-speed data in the city and around the state. 
• Hotspot Data. High-speed hotspot data can be useful if you often find yourself out and about and need to access the web on a laptop or tablet. 

👎 What We Didn’t Like

• SD Streaming. Cutting video streaming off at standard definition for the starter and the mid-tier plan is a tough sell for anyone who likes to stream video when on the move. 
• Multi-Line Savings. The multi-line savings through AT&T are amazing, but they don’t have any good single-line offers.

Get to Know Your Local Carrier Options in Milwaukee, WI

We highlighted T-Mobile and AT&T on this list because their network is superior to the competition in Milwaukee, WI, at this moment. If you are moving to Wisconsin, we recommend using T-Mobile’s network for the best cell phone coverage. If you are interested in other options, however, both Verizon and AT&T have excellent coverage in the area, a good set of plans, and their own MVNOs that bring something to the table. Let’s take a look at some of our favorite MVNOs from these carriers. 

Visible Wireless is a Verizon MVNO that offers unlimited high-speed data on both data plans. Starting at $30 a month, users may receive excellent data speeds and coverage on Verizon’s network. 

Cricket Wireless is an AT&T MVNO that also offers unlimited high-speed data. They have some plans with limited data, as well. Their base prices are a little expensive, but Cricket Wireless has fantastic multi-line savings. 

FAQ: Your Questions About Cell Phone Coverage in Milwaukee, WI, Answered

Who is the best cell phone network in Wisconsin?

Right now, AT&T provides the best cell phone coverage in Wisconsin, but T-Mobile provides the best cell phone coverage in Milwaukee. 

How to determine which cell carrier has the best coverage in my area?

We recommend looking at local message boards and coverage maps to determine the best cell carrier in your area. While AT&T’s network is the best overall in the state, there are many locations where its network is weaker than the competition.

Does AT&T have better coverage than Verizon?

AT&T has better coverage than Verizon in Milwaukee. 

TLDR: T-Mobile is your best bet for fast phone coverage in Milwaukee, WI

Use really.com to compare! 

T-Mobile provides the best cell phone coverage in Milwaukee, WI. If you want more info about plans available in Milwaukee, you can compare carriers at Really.com to decide which phone carrier is best for you.