Does MetroPCS Have Good Coverage? (What To Know)

If you’re someone that’s not wholly addicted to having the most amount of data and typical “phone plan” features on their phone then you might be a fan of prepaid. It’s the age-old question of whether prepaid or postpaid is the better option and we think the answer solely relies on the consumer. Postpaid phone plans are great for those constantly out and about calling, texting, and using their data to its fullest potential. Prepaid plans are great for those who tend to stick with wifi or aren’t on their phone as much so having “unlimited everything” doesn’t necessarily apply to them. 

But what if you are a person that tends to be in the middle of those two options? Well, there are a few wireless carriers out there designed for you- including MetroPCS aka Metro by T-Mobile. Metro by T-Mobile has gone through many names, most commonly referred to as “Metro” they have been taking the prepaid phone game by storm with their affordable prices and intriguing wireless plans. But does MetroPCS have good coverage? And what do their plans include? Don’t worry, we’ve got the answers for you, so stick around as we deep dive into Metro. 

• Quick Overview: Metro by T-Mobile’s Coverage Map
• What carrier does Metro use to provide coverage?
• 5G Coverage vs LTE Coverage
• Metro by T-Mobile’s Phone Plans & Data Speeds
• Frequently Asked Questions

Quick Overview: Metro by T-Mobile’s Coverage Map

For those looking for a new wireless provider, one of the very first things on the checklist is to see what their coverage map looks like. Coverage maps are on almost every provider’s website, you’ll normally find a tab titled “Coverage” with a map of the country and any other regions they service. As for Metro by T-Mobile, they have a map detailing their 5G Ultra Capacity, 5G Extended Range, 4G LTE, 3G/2G, Partner, and “Canada and Mexico” coverage. Most newcomers to cell phone lingo will know what 5G and 4G LTE means, but there are a few extra terms here that you may be confused by so let’s dissect them together:

• 5G and 4G LTE - 5G is the fifth generation of wireless technology, coming out to the public in 2019/2020, this tech is the latest and greatest of wireless connection speeds. As 4G LTE is still the most commonly used wireless tech, it’s our reliable backdoor and covers most of the country. 

• 5G Ultra Capacity - Because technology is always changing and evolving, 5G is in its beginning stages of advancements and T-Mobile’s “5G Ultra Capacity” or “5G UC” is describing exactly that. According to T-Mobile, 5G UC is something “that utilizes mid-band and/or high-band (mmWave) 5G frequencies,” – it provides higher data speeds for more intensive applications like streaming HD video, gaming, and more. It’s their best speed out there.
• 5G Extended Range - For their 5G Extended Range you will “receive nationwide coverage, faster speeds than 4G LTE, and a reliable connection indoors and out from the big city to rural areas.” It’s their low-band 5G network, while 5G Ultra Capacity and 5G is faster to mid-band network.
• 3G/2G - Their 3G/2G coverage is the most outdated wireless technology on the map. Slowly being phased out in order to extend LTE and 5G technologies, their 3G and 2G coverage is for the most rural of rural areas. Slow speeds and shouldn’t be paid too much attention to when looking at the coverage map if you have a 4G LTE and/or 5G capable phone.
• Partner - And speaking of more rural areas, T-Mobile’s “Partner” coverage is for those areas. When you aren’t close to a T-Mobile tower and aren’t close to anything but long stretches of land, one of their local wireless network partners will provide you coverage. This signal will vary depending on the partner and location.
• Canada and Mexico / Partner: Canada and Mexico - T-Mobile provides data roaming in certain parts of Canada and Mexico and this coverage is accessible from the moment you arrive if you have that in your current plan. “T-Mobile Essentials provides data in Canada and Mexico at up to 128kbps at no additional cost.”

Now that we know the key, let’s look at a wide view of the Metro by T-Mobile coverage map first:

And now here’s a closer look at the map which you can see for yourself on their website zoomed in on New York City where you can view the specific type of coverage you’ll get in your area if you were to look up your own address:

As you can see from the close-up the Metro by T-Mobile Coverage Map is pretty extensive which is nice to any potential customer.

What carrier does Metro use to provide coverage?

If you didn’t pick up on it by now then we’ll lay it out straight, Metro uses T-Mobile to provide coverage to their customers. MetroPCS was the former name and when it was acquired by T-Mobile in 2013 they began changes, including changing the name to Metro by T-Mobile. 

5G Coverage vs LTE Coverage

T-Mobile is one of the “big three” in wireless, (along with Verizon and AT&T), they are known for their truly enormous 5G speeds. In fact thanks to Open Signal we know, “T-Mobile remains the sole winner of both 5G speed and both 5G coverage awards, while also widening its lead over its competitors for 5G Download Speed and 5G Availability.”

If you have a 5G capable phone or are in the market to get one you’ll be excited to learn that your Metro service will be provided by the leader in 5G wireless. While they are “last” in place in 4G LTE coverage, (we put last in quotes as there is only a few percentages difference between T-Mobile, Verizon, and AT&T), they still have a pretty broad reach as you can view on their coverage map. 

Take pictures at your bestie’s wedding and upload them to your Insta-story with ease.

Metro by T-Mobile’s Phone Plans & Data Speeds

Metro by T-Mobile has four phone plans, three are under the “unlimited” data category and one is for our light-data users. We will first go over the unlimited options as those are the most popular choices:

Then for our limited data users:

For a MVNO and prepaid wireless service, Metro has some pretty sweet features. Depending on your plan you can get access to a 100GB Google One membership and 1-year VIX Premium Subscription. 

Now let’s talk about data speeds. Thanks to the Metro by T-Mobile website they have given you a breakdown of each plan and provided these numbers which we will say is refreshing to see as a lot of other phone companies make it difficult to find sometimes.

For every plan tier you will get:

• Typical Download Speed 79 – 357 Mbps (5G)
• Typical Upload Speed 6 – 30 Mbps (5G)
• Typical Latency 17 – 32 ms

Those are the speeds for every Metro by T-Mobile plan, no speeds get faster or slower depending on the “tier” of plan you pay for.

And their data speeds will throttle after 35GB of usage for their “unlimited” plans and after 5GB of their 5GB High-Speed plan.

But what does “throttled” speeds mean?

Throttling is “the dramatic slowing of your data speeds to the point that it becomes almost unusable.” This will happen when you go over a certain number of gigabytes of data for the month. And for Metro by T-Mobile that number is 35GB. Your speeds will slow until the start of your next billing cycle so if you anticipate a heavier flow of data usage for the month ahead make sure to monitor your usage and keep your phone on airplane mode if you don’t need to use it in order to make sure your speeds won’t get throttled. 

Data overage fees and “cut-offs” are a thing of the past, instead of getting charged more for your additional data usage, your speeds will get throttled instead. Now you may be thinking, “but my plan is unlimited, shouldn’t I have unlimited data at high speeds all the time?”  Well, in an ideal world- yes, everyone would have high-speed unlimited data, but in a world where it takes to maintain the level of infrastructure that cell phone companies have to manage- it’s just currently not feasible. 

Consistently and constantly sending and transferring data at those guaranteed high speeds costs a ton of money, so having a “data cap” is a small way for these wireless providers to save money. 

Another factor to consider when looking into Metro by T-Mobile is that all of their phone plans are deprioritized. Data deprioritization is similar to data throttling but not exactly.

Data deprioritization is “the temporary slowing of data speeds for certain customers in order to give priority to other customers.” Meaning those who are direct customers of the one providing coverage, in Metro’s case it’s T-Mobile, will get network priority. This will tend to happen when you’re in a high traffic area like a concert venue or sports stadium, or when there’s network congestion. Network congestion works like regular congestion, sometimes there’s just too many data signals and attempted requests so the network becomes bunched up and it needs time to “blow its nose” before it can send your request. 

In these peak times of network congestion you will see some slower speeds but once the network clears up your speeds will go back to normal. Frequent data deprioritization times can normally be pointed to mornings, people getting up and checking their phone, or late afternoons when people are getting home from work and want to check their phone.

These are two common terms you’ll find when researching cell phone plans so it’s good to keep that noted as you write down more info on your checklist.

Frequently Asked Questions - Wrap Up!

Let’s summarize what info we learned in a three FAQ wrap up.

Does Metro by T-Mobile offer any “add ons”? And if so, what are they?

Everyone loves a few extra bonus features when they buy something and that’s no different for cell phone plans. With a MVNO you typically won’t find too many add-ons but Metro by T-Mobile has got a few you might be interested in:

• $5 Per Month for Mexico and Canada Unlimited: “Unlimited calling and texting to and from Mexico and Canada with up to 5GB of data roaming included.”
• $10 Per Month for Latin America ILD: “Talk and text to 15+ Latin American countries.”
• $10 Per Month for Metro by T-Mobile Global Voice^TM: Call your friends in over 210+ countries and destinations with unlimited texting in select countries.
• $20 Per Month for Metro by T-Mobile Global Voice+^TM: Double the call time to your friends in over 210+ countries and destinations along with unlimited texting in select countries.

There’s also data, calling, and protection add-ons which can all be viewed on the Add-On Services & Bundles page on the Metro by T-Mobile website.

Does every Metro by T-Mobile plan get access to T-Mobile Tuesdays?

Yes! Every Unlimited phone plan gets access to T-Mobile Tuesdays and if you aren’t sure what T-Mobile Tuesdays are let us tell you. T-Mobile Tuesdays is a program for T-Mobile customers where every Tuesday they will get select deals, free stuff, and exclusive offers courtesy of T-Mobile. It’s a small way for the company to thank recurring customers. There’s even raffles for the chance to win even bigger prizes like vacations, Smartphones, gift cards, and more. 

Can I bring my own phone? How does that work?

Yes you can bring your own phone to Metro by T-Mobile, but firstly you have to check your current phone’s compatibility with Metro. The way to do that is to go online to the “Bring Your Own Phone” tab on their website, or click here. You’ll then be asked to find your phone’s IMEI number- (it gives you step-by-step instructions on how to find the IMEI number on the website), and type it in. There you will be told whether your current device is eligible. 

After checking is complete you will buy a Metro SIM Card and choose the plan you’ve been eyeing. All of it is relatively simple!

For those looking to experience the high speeds from one of the “big three” networks but don’t want to pay those higher prices than MetroPCS might be the solution to your inquiry. Get access to the best of T-Mobile with prepaid phone plans and enjoy the few perks that come with it.

But if you want to double check all of your options just in case, you can compare and contrast Metro by T-Mobile to over 1,200 other phone plans so you know you’re getting the service that’s right for you, then make sure to check out the REALLY compare page which allows you to look at pricing, coverage, what phone plans are available, current deals and steals, and how you can make the most of your potential phone bill.