Does Straight Talk Have Good Coverage? (Our In-Depth Guide)

Mostly everyone with a cellphone has gone through the process of switching from an old wireless provider to a new wireless provider and since you’re here we can assume you are also one of those people. Trying to decide where to switch to can be headache-inducing, especially if you don’t necessarily know where to start. There’s so many factors to consider: price, data limits, family plans, international benefits, taxes and fees, hotspot allowance, and of course the big one, coverage. 

Having good cell phone coverage is key for all those other things to work and work well. And today our main focus is to take a deep dive into the wireless provider Straight Talk Wireless, or more specifically, does Straight Talk have good coverage?

Straight Talk Wireless has been a part of the mobile game since 2009, and many mid-range data users flock to the service as that’s the kind of plans you can expect from the MVNO. Not everyone needs those “heavy-duty” phone plans, the ones stacked with unlimited everything, in fact many prefer to have their phone plans be as simple as can be…with the potential for a few extra benefits along the way. Straight Talk is here to provide that, so let’s take a look at what they have to offer shall we?

• Quick Overview: Straight Talk’s Coverage Map
• What carrier does Straight Talk Wireless use to provide coverage?
• 5G Coverage vs LTE Coverage
• Straight Talk’s Phone Plans & Data Speeds
• Frequently Asked Questions

Quick Overview: Straight Talk’s Coverage Map

As you have your notebook full of pros and cons from multiple different wireless providers ready to look over, the number one thing on the list, besides probably price, is coverage. If you have a 5G capable phone you’re most likely going to want to be in or have your frequently visited locations be in 5G areas as getting the most out of the phone you’ve paid for or are still currently paying for is completely valid. Knowing what a phone company’s coverage is can be a make or break deal, that’s why a lot of provider’s websites will have a “coverage map.” 

Coverage maps will show the country/region with patches of colors or dots displaying the 5G, 4G LTE, or another kind of wireless technology’s signal reach. Normally at first you’d see a wide view of the area but with their search bar you can type in your address and/or city to see what type of coverage is in your area. 

At this point in the article we’d normally show off some screenshots of the wireless provider’s coverage map but Straight Talk’s “5G Coverage Map” is notoriously known for never being online and available. In fact when you go onto their Coverage Map tab you’ll see a message in red text saying “We are currently experiencing a technical issue with our coverage maps. While we quickly work to resolve the issue, please call 1-877-430-CELL(2355) for the most accurate and up-to-date coverage information.” – Which from an outsider’s point of view, is not the best first impression. 

You can however look at Ookla’s 5G Map which shows where cellular towers are located and which company owns them, so instead of getting a concentrated look from Straight Talk on their website you can instead take a look at Ookla for a more in-depth coverage map.

But since Straight Talk Wireless is a MVNO, what cell towers should you be looking for exactly?

Great question! That perfectly leads us to our next section:

What carrier does Straight Talk Wireless use to provide coverage? 

Straight Talk Wireless is a MVNO, Mobile Virtual Network Operator, which is a term used to describe smaller wireless providers that don’t own their own cell towers. Cell phone towers take a lot of money to maintain and manage, and since not every company can own that kind of infrastructure what will happen is these smaller cell providers will “piggyback” signal off of existing cell towers to provide coverage for their customers. More than likely they will partner with one of the “big three” – Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile to provide signal. This can lead to lower prices and better deals for those looking for more budget-friendly options. 

Currently Straight Talk Wireless “share(s) networks with the best four carriers, so you’ll always have reliable coverage from coast to coast.” They work with Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Sprint.

However this is where things get a little tricky, Straight Talk Wireless is a brand of TracFone Wireless, Inc. and TracFone was bought by Verizon officially back in 2021, but talks began as early as 2020. With this move Verizon has stated they eventually want all TracFone customers, including those under the TracFone umbrella – Straight Talk customers – to eventually migrate to Verizon. Along with that move, Sprint was acquired by T-Mobile in 2020, so overall it seems like the slow move to four carriers will most likely be just one as time moves on, so keep that in mind when looking at Straight Talk’s coverage. 

5G vs LTE Coverage

Since we’ve given some insight into the most likely outcome of Straight Talk’s coverage we’re going to go over just Verizon’s signal strength(s) as that’s where the majority of coverage will be coming from. 

Verizon is just behind T-Mobile in the overall race of 5G connectivity. They do however have the best 5G video, games, and voice app experience(s) so it looks like they might eventually catch up with some time. Verizon also has the best 4G LTE coverage out of the big three. Overall you’re expected to get some pretty decent 5G and LTE speeds from Straight Talk barring any data deprioritization and throttled speeds. 

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Straight Talk’s Phone Plans & Data Speeds

What’s great about Straight Talk Wireless is their variety of plans. When it comes to MVNOs you can tend to have a mixed bag, sometimes there are only a couple plans to choose from and that can be great for some customers but not for others. With Straight Talk you won’t have to worry about being limited to only a couple plans. Here’s what they got in store for you, starting first with their three most popular plans:

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¹As per the Straight Talk Wireless website: “At 2G speeds, the functionality of some data applications such as streaming video or audio may be affected. Please refer always to the latest Terms and Conditions of Service at StraightTalk.com”

A few perks like the Walmart+ Membership and Cloud Storage is always appreciated. 

Straight Talk Wireless highlights “Auto-Refill” which is their version of AutoPay, if you’ve signed up for their Auto-Refill you can save a few bucks on your bill. Also good to note is if you decide their “Extended Silver Unlimited” plans pique your interest then you will have to pay that number upfront, so make sure you have the cash before you buy-in.

Now’s the time to talk about data speeds, and we’ll say right off the bat you might feel a bit unsatisfied with the answers. 

We talked briefly before about throttling and how it will happen to those who go over their data allotment for the month, now normally even if it’s in smaller text underneath all the flashy stuff the carrier will put the data allotment number on their website. For Straight Talk? It’s virtually nowhere to be found. We went through the terms and conditions and they don’t seem to advertise a set number, many have theorized online that it’s 60GB, so that could be a number to go off of but there isn’t one stated anywhere on their website besides their Bronze Unlimited plan which tells you after 10GBs your speeds will be throttled. 

Information they do offer however is their data speeds provided with each plan on their 5G network and 4G LTE network. Here’s what each plan’s speeds look like:

For 5G:

• Typical Download Speed: 34-149 Mbps
• Typical Upload Speed: 6-37 Mbps
• Typical Latency: 42-63 ms

For 4G LTE:

• Typical Download Speed: 9-69 Mbps
• Typical Upload Speed: 1-13 Mbps
• Typical Latency: 51-82 ms

If you have a 5G capable phone or you’re a 4G LTE user those listed above speeds are what to expect from a Straight Talk Wireless plan. (And yes those are across the board speeds, no speeds get faster or slower depending on the “tier” of plan you pay for).

Frequently Asked Questions - Wrap Up!

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

What does the Walmart+ Membership entail?

Straight Talk’s biggest perk for their phone plans include a Walmart+ Membership. But if you don’t know what comes with it, how can you know it will be worth it? Don’t worry we got you covered, here’s what you get:

• Free delivery from store
• Free shipping, no order minimum
• Paramount + video streaming
• Early access to promotions and events
• Savings on fuel
• Mobile Scan and Go
• Returns from home
• Pluto ad-free video streaming
• Walmart+ Travel

Lots of really cool features for those with a Walmart close to them or who already shop at the superstore chain.

What other plans does Straight Talk Wireless offer?

We mentioned before that Straight Talk sets itself apart from other MVNOs for having a wider range of phone plans, but that’s not all they have. Also included under Straight Talk plans is their Home Phone & Wifi, Home Phone, Home Internet, Data Plans, Data Add Ons, and Global Calling. 

You can mix and match plans to create your perfect blend of phone plans that’s right for your monthly usage. 

View every Straight Talk Wireless plan and add-on here.

Can I bring my own phone? How does their SIM kit work?

Yes, you can bring your own phone if you’re interested in signing up for a Straight Talk Wireless phone plan. However, just like with any other wireless carrier, you need to check your phone’s compatibility in order to make sure it will work with the Straight Talk network. 

It’s pretty easy to do, go to the Bring your Own Phone (BYOP) page on the Straight Talk website and there will be an icon for you to click to “Check Compatibility” once you select that you’ll be asked a few questions and they will then let you know if your phone is eligible.

As for a SIM card you can either buy a Phone SIM Kit for 99 cents or buy an activation code. They also outline the steps for you in order to make anyone who hasn’t dealt with SIM cards before less stressed. The physical SIM kit comes with a Nano, Micro, and Standard SIM.

Straight Talk Wireless may have its bumps and blemishes, there’s certainly a number of things they can improve on, but if you don’t mind what we’ve laid out and find their versatile phone plans intriguing along with those extra special perks then you may have just found your new wireless carrier.

But if you want to be sure, you can compare and contrast Straight Talk Wireless 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.