Best Phone Coverage in Provo, UT: Cell Service in Happy Valley

Provo, UT, is a big city that’s home to Brigham Young University and is settled around many beautiful natural landscapes. Utah is home to many state and national parks, making it a perfect place for those who love a good hike through breathtaking nature. 

Whether you are planning a move to this beautiful city or are simply interested in changing your service provider, this article will tell you all you need to know about the best cell phone coverage in Provo, UT.

Our research found that AT&T, Cricket Wireless, and Unreal Mobile are the top three for best phone coverage in Provo overall. This article features detailed information on the following: 

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

Phone Coverage in Provo, UT, at a Glance

Lightning-Fast Data Speeds on Major Networks

The city of Provo has 5G coverage from the three major carriers, but its 5G networks are not as developed as they are in the country’s major metropolitan areas. That being said, 5G coverage is reliable in this area. While the city of Provo has good cell phone coverage from the three major carriers, AT&T separates itself as the best carrier in the area because of its impressive coverage throughout the state. 

Utah is a place for people who love to travel off the beaten path. There is easy access to nature from Provo, and the less-beaten paths are where AT&T shines. 

Let’s jump into the best cell phone coverage in Provo, UT. 

Local and National Cell Phone Carriers in Provo, UT

The top three carriers in Provo, UT, are AT&T, Cricket Wireless, and Unreal Mobile

On this list, we included one Major Wireless Provider and a pair of Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs). Major wireless providers, like Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT&T, own and operate their own mobile networks. They maintain the current infrastructure while building more throughout the country. As a result, purchasing service from a major wireless provider is expensive but gives you unlimited high-speed data and fast and reliable data speeds. 

Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) are the other cell phone providers. MVNOs comprise the many companies that rent bandwidth from major wireless providers. This lets MVNOs offer more affordable plans that often give less high-speed data and reserve the right to slow down data in times of high usage.

Provo, UT, is a city without routine congestion. With 5G networks deployed over existing 4G LTE, this town has enough bandwidth to handle the residents and BYU students. Strong mobile networks support a high volume of devices accessing the internet before anyone needs to be slowed down. Let’s take a closer look at the top three providers in the city. 

#1 in Provo: AT&T 

Fastest 5G and 4G LTE in Provo, UT

AT&T provides the best cell phone coverage in Provo, UT. While AT&T’s in-city coverage is on par with the other two major networks, AT&T shines in Utah’s many rural areas. Their networks provide comprehensive coverage in the area, ensuring high-speed coverage for everyone. Provo is on the shore of Utah Lake, which is an awesome State Park with trails for hiking and biking, places to boat, and places to fish! 

Alongside high-speed coverage, AT&T customers enjoy top-priority data. In short, AT&T customers experience less congestion than MVNO customers. Congestion occurs when general usage is greater than network strength. When this happens, certain users receive slowed-down data. There are currently three tiers, with tier-three users getting slowed down first. The three tiers are as follows: 

1. At the top are priority data users. These are major network customers who have premium data. 
2. Tier two is basic data users. These major network customers use “basic data.” These users have access to the same networks as priority data users but receive slowdowns first. 
3. Tier three is MVNO users. The moment there is congestion, MVNO customers get slowed down, which frees up more data for major network customers. 

New programs on cell phones take a lot of bandwidth. Networks in the largest population centers in the country are struggling to keep up with the amount of bandwidth used on a daily basis. In Provo, BYU’s campus is the place where congestion is most common, but the campus also has many WiFi areas inside buildings and in some common spaces. The carriers we highlight in this article have their own sets of pros and cons, making them great for different kinds of cell phone users. 

Let’s jump into AT&T, a carrier best for high-data multi-line users. 

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 make use of 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 can make the most of it. We like to highlight the premium data as one of the biggest benefits of high-tier plans. This may not come into play all that much in Provo, UT, but travelers almost always make good use of premium data. Provo has strong enough networks that there is not much congestion, but certain areas with weaker network strength receive congestion much faster. 

👍 What We Liked

• Reliable Network. Many customers report excellent high-speed data, both in the city and around the state.
• Hotspot Data. High-speed hotspot data can come in handy 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. Only the most expensive plan can stream HD using mobile data. 

• Price. Overall, prices at AT&T are challenging to pay without multi-line discounts. If you can, find some friends to take out an account together and enjoy serious savings.  

#2 in Provo: Cricket Wireless

Most Affordable Cell Phone Plans in Provo, UT

Cricket Wireless is an MVNO that operates through AT&T’s network, letting Cricket customers receive the same high-speed data that AT&T customers do. The main difference, as we discussed, is the data priority. Cricket Wireless is at the bottom of the totem pole, along with all other MVNOs. There is a higher chance Cricket is a great MVNO because they provide unlimited high-speed data on both unlimited plans. Let’s see what they have to offer. 

Price: Varies

Plan: Cricket Wireless has four plans, two of which provide unlimited high-speed data and two that provide limited data. 

Cricket Wireless's four plans for one line are as follows:

• Unlimited data + 15 GB Mobile Hotspot
• Unlimited data
• 10 GB data
• 5 GB data

While the base pricing of Cricket’s plans is rather pricey, the company provides excellent multi-line savings. 

Although Cricket is expensive relative to other MVNOs, it is a great MVNO for high-data multi-line users, just like AT&T. The main difference between these two carriers is that AT&T has a higher data priority. Cricket Wireless customers are subject to data slowdowns first. We recommend Cricket to users who don’t mind slowdowns when on mobile data. Seeing videos buffer or websites load slowly is the main downside to switching to Cricket. 

Since Cricket is on AT&T’s network, you retain AT&T’s awesome rural coverage, which is perfect for travelers who go to Utah Lake, Provo Bay, or Dimple Dell! If you are moving to Provo or are a student at BYU, we highly recommend checking out the state parks! They will be pretty cold this winter, but there is beauty to the barren trees and snowy grounds of Utah State Parks in the Winter. 

Cricket’s two unlimited plans provide unlimited high-speed data, which is what separates them from many other MVNOs. Few MVNO data plans offer the same. Make sure you read the fine print as you browse other MVNO deals. Lots of MVNO unlimited plans offer unlimited 3G data and a limited amount of high-speed data, taking them out of the running for high-data users. 

Most of these plans offer between 30 and 50 GB per month, which, while sizable, is not a lot if you use your phone on the mobile network every day. As data speeds increase, so does your phone’s data consumption. It is all too easy to burn through any limited data allocation before the month is done, leaving you with slow, slow 3G data for the rest of the month. 

👍 What We Liked

• Multi-Line Savings. While the prices start high, multi-line accounts rack up serious savings. 
• Reliable Network.  Cricket Wireless works on AT&T’s network, providing some of the best cell phone coverage in Provo, UT, to all its users. 

👎 What We Didn’t Like

• High Starting Prices. The single-line pricing of Cricket plans is much higher than other MVNOs that provide similar amounts of data. 
• Strange Pricing. The multi-line pricing on the two limited-data plans means low-data users cannot save as much as those on unlimited plans. 

#3 in Provo: Visible Wireless

Best Cell Phone Plan Range in Provo, UT

Rounding out our list is Visible Wireless, an MVNO on Verizon’s wireless network. Visible, like Cricket, provides unlimited high-speed data on their cell phone plans. This carrier is best for high-data single-line users. Let’s look at what Visible Wireless has to offer. 

Price: From just $25/month

Plan: Visible Wireless has two wireless plans. Each of them has unlimited high-speed data, an amazing feature of this MVNO. The two Visible Wireless phone plans are as follows:

• $25 per month for Unlimited
• $35 per month for Unlimited plus

Visible is great for BYU students and Provo residents. It is best for single-line accounts because it does not offer any multi-line sayings. Any student can pick up a Visible Wireless account for $30 a month for unlimited high-speed data on Verizon’s network. It’s a pretty awesome deal, and you can explore the city with TikTok open on the bus or while you wait for food at some of Provo’s amazing restaurants. The Brick Oven is our personal favorite. If you’ve never been, we recommend it! 

Visible’s two cell phone plans are pretty similar. They both have unlimited high-speed data, which is awesome. Visible’s Unlimited Plus gives users access to Verizon’s 5G Ultra Wideband network, which is nice, but it is not a huge change in data speeds versus their regular unlimited plan. We recommend Visible’s Unlimited Plus for people who love the fastest data speeds they can get. 

👍 What We Liked

• Affordable Plans. The low price point of Visible’s unlimited plans is a huge draw for single-line users. 
• Verizon’s Coverage. Verizon Wireless has great coverage in Provo. While Verizon does not offer 5G coverage in the area, no network has that strong coverage in the area, either.  

👎 What We Didn’t Like

• No family plans. There are no multi-line savings from Visible. Their plan is great on its own, but what you see is what you get. 
• Data deprioritization. We do not expect your data to slow down due to deprioritization in Provo but you may find slowdowns if you travel the country. 

Get to Know Your Local Carrier Options in Provo, UT

This cell phone coverage article highlights AT&T and Verizon as Provo cell phone carriers. They provide amazing coverage, but T-Mobile is right behind them. We don’t recommend T-Mobile because their coverage in rural Utah trails behind the other two major carriers, but they have great coverage in Provo and on BYU’s campus. If you don’t travel too much, you will have great coverage each day. All the major wireless networks have significant swaths of the country where their coverage is best, so travelers should consider the areas where they will spend the most time and have the greatest need for speedy mobile data. 

All three major wireless providers have similar cell phone plans. They are all pretty expensive, have unlimited high-speed data, and have excellent multi-line savings. Their MVNOs, however, have much more variability. There are many good reasons to avoid particular carriers, whether it’s because you will often travel to another location where their coverage is lackluster or because you’ve had a bad experience in the past. 

Our favorite T-Mobile MVNO is Mint Mobile because it provides excellent family plan savings for low-data users. Their family plan savings are the same regardless of how many lines you have, meaning you only need two to receive maximum savings. Considering the amazing prices, you have to purchase three months of service at a time, but that is not too bad. 

FAQ: Your Questions About Cell Phone Coverage in Provo, UT, Answered

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

We recommend using local coverage maps to find the best cell phone coverage in your area.

Which phone carrier gets the best signal in Utah?

That depends on the area! While AT&T offers the best cell phone coverage in Provo, UT, there are areas throughout Utah where another of the big three carriers provides the best service. Look at local coverage maps for more detailed information! 

Is there cell service in Provo Canyon?

The main canyon has cell service, but service gets spotty in the South Fork. 

TLDR: AT&T is your best bet for fast phone coverage in Provo, UT

Use really.com to compare! 

Provo is a beautiful city in the middle of Utah. Residents here should take advantage of its proximity to so many amazing state parks where you can hike, bike, and enjoy the scenery!If you want more info about plans available in Provo, UT, you can compare carriers at Really.com to decide which phone carrier is best for you.