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Best Phone Coverage in Texas: Cell Service in the Lone Star State

By
Kyle Reyes
July 18, 2023

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Texas is an incredibly beautiful state that we know you won’t be able to get enough of whenever you move there. Texas has a lot of notable features, such as historical sights, like The Alamo, rodeos, great Southern BBQ, country music, and even the live music capital of the world (Austin).

Whenever you’re moving to another state, even one like Texas, which is known for being one of the most populous states in the country, it is always in your best interest to get a cell phone plan through a carrier that offers the best cell phone coverage out there. That way, you will never have to worry about lousy phone service, dropped calls, text messages that go unsent, and so much more.

If you are thinking about making the switch to a new phone carrier with better service and coverage in Texas, we understand the process can be kind of intimidating, so we will cover the best cell phone coverage in Texas and some other important information you need to know!

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

  • Map of the fastest cell phone coverage in Texas
  • Local and national carriers that cover Texas
  • Frequently asked questions about phone coverage in Texas
Best Cell Phone Coverage in Texas | Blue is AT&T | T-Mobile is Pink | Verizon is Orange || Source

Phone Coverage in Texas at a Glance

Lightning-Fast Data Speeds on Major Networks

As the second-biggest state in the USA, coverage varies based on population density in the area. Each of the three major wireless networks has strengths and weaknesses in the various cities and towns of this state, and we will cover the best areas for each of the three major wireless networks before touching on our favorite MVNOs to enjoy the best cell phone coverage in Texas without paying a premium for a major wireless plan. 

Each of the cities in Texas is covered with new 5G networks, but much of the wider area of the state only has 4G LTE or 3G coverage. When you consider which cell phone provider to use, make sure to look at the local coverage map to see which one has the fastest and most reliable coverage in your area.

Local and National Cell Phone Carriers in Texas

The top three carriers in Texas are Verizon, AT&T, and Visible Wireless. 

If you are moving to Texas or just want to get to know where to find the best cell phone coverage in Texas, this section will cover the top three cell phone carriers in Texas. There are a lot of different carriers to choose from, and we are here to help you with that process.

Not sure how to approach getting a new phone plan with better service and coverage in Texas? Here are some of the best ones to check out immediately with the best service and coverage possible!

Our top three picks are all major wireless carriers, but we also touch on some of our favorite MVNOs, which rent their networks from major companies. Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT&T all own and operate their own networks, and each of the big three has a number of MVNOs that rent bandwidth. Since the MVNOs do not own their own networks, they offer more affordable plans that often give less high-speed data and reserve the right to slow down data in times of high usage. The big cities in Texas are much more likely to run into times of high data usage than the towns and smaller population centers of the Lone Star state. If you are someone who does not often rely on high-speed data, MVNO in Texas can provide some of the best cell phone coverage. For high-speed data, the major wireless providers are much more reliable. 

AT&T Coverage in Texas || Source

#1 in Texas: AT&T 

Fastest 5G and 4G LTE in Texas

A cell phone plan from one of the major wireless providers often offers the best cell phone coverage in Texas.  One of the best major phone carriers to check out is AT&T, which covers 99.99% of the state and has the best overall coverage in Texas.

AT&T not only has amazing coverage, but they also have some of the best 4G LTE and 5G data coverage in the state. There are many reasons to love AT&T as well, especially for the amazing perks they offer.

Price: Varies

Plan: AT&T offers three unlimited plans 

AT&T offers three unlimited plans. 

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

Like the competition, AT&T’s unlimited plans start at a high price point and become much more affordable with the addition of new lines. With three cell phone plans, AT&T has a basic plan with new bells and whistles, a medium plan, and a premium plan with many extras. 

  • 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.

AT&T’s coverage around the city is excellent. Large urban centers nationwide receive a lot of attention from major wireless companies, but there are reports of poor service in and around the state. If you happen to frequent West Adams Avenue in Temple, Texas, be prepared for spotty service. There are also occasional problems with the development of their 5G network, where your phone will struggle to connect to a weak 5G signal rather than a strong 4G LTE signal. These problems are, unfortunately, tied to specific locations around the state, and it is difficult to know if you live in one of those areas without trying out the service. Search local message boards and communities for more detailed information of AT&T’s service in your town. 

👍 What We Liked

  • Robust 5G Network. AT&T has a great 5G network. Over the next couple of years, we expect AT&T’s 5G network to grow exponentially. 
  • Rural Coverage. AT&T has a lot of coverage in the less-traveled areas outside of the city. 

👎 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. 
  • Premium Data. AT&T’s base plan provides no premium data, leaving your line open to slowdowns if you stumble into a high-volume area. In times of festivity in Dallas, Austin, or other high-population areas, you may experience slowdowns on your mobile data. 
Verizon Coverage in Texas (Darker Red = Stronger Signal) || Source

#2 in Texas: Verizon 

Best Cell Phone Plan Range in Texas

Verizon Wireless is another great large carrier that you can check out and enjoy its amazing phone service and coverage. Verizon Wireless is known for its unlimited 5G access in all of its plans, and you can take advantage of it at affordable prices for having some of the best 5G access nationwide. 

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

Verizon cell phone plans, similar to AT&T and T-Mobile, are very expensive. Every major network offers two kinds of data:

  • Unlimited high-speed data. You need not worry about how much Netflix you stream on the way to work or check around for WiFi networks whenever you can. With unlimited high-speed data, you can use as much as you want whenever you want. 
  • Priority data. Verizon, and the other networks, split their customers into regular and “premium data.” If the bandwidth is strained and they have already slowed down MVNO customers, basic data users will have their data slowed down next. 

Your location in Texas determines how much value you would receive from premium data. The price jump to premium is $15 a month. For Texas-based Verizon users, we recommend starting at their basic plan and watching your data speeds for a few months. If you notice frequent slowdowns, to the point that you are annoyed with them, then it is time to switch. In general, swapping plans within a company (especially if you are switching to a more expensive plan!) is much easier than switching cell phone companies. 

👍 What We Liked

  • Optional Add-Ons. One extra piece of why we like Verizon so much comes from their new add-on structure. Each add-on is $10 a month and saves you some money on the service, but you can skip it entirely and stick with the base plan if you want. 
  • Family Plan Savings. Verizon’s family plan savings neatly cut the price of their plans. We advise getting family and friends together when you open an account with Verizon. 

👎 What We Didn’t Like

  • Price. Verizon is expensive. Their plans provide great service, lightning-fast speeds, and lots of add-ons, but they come at a high price. 
  • Customer Service. This is certainly not unique to Verizon, but their customer service only sometimes solves the problems ailing their customers. 
T-Mobile Coverage in Texas (Darker Color = Better Coverage) || Source

#3 in Texas: T-Mobile

Most Affordable Cell Phone Plans in Texas

Everybody nowadays is raving about the one and only T-Mobile because of their incredible 5G nationwide coverage that is notably one of the best in the country. T-Mobile is just right behind AT&T and Verizon Wireless when it comes to service and coverage, but if you have a device that can use 5G, this network lets you use it with the most frequency. 

We know for a fact that you will not only love T-Mobile for their 5G nationwide coverage, but you will also be able to enjoy all of the extra features and more that come from signing up for one of their phone plans.

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. 

The multi-line savings in two and three-line plans are spectacular. Right now, T-Mobile is running a promotion where the third line does not add any price to your monthly bill, making it a great incentive to find a pair of friends willing to join you in a new T-Mobile account. T-Mobile plans are well-priced compared to the competition, but they don’t offer a lot in the way of add-ons. Unlike the other two major wireless carriers, T-Mobile gives users on their cheapest plan 50 GBs of premium wireless data, which means you are guaranteed their fastest possible speeds nationwide. 

T-Mobile’s network is more robust than the competition, with few reports of slowed data in some big Texas cities. 

👍 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. Fifty (or more) premium gigabytes is a great add-on to T-Mobile’s service. 

👎 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. If you are interested in their Essentials plan, you have to wait until you pay off the device in order to switch off of Go5G Plus, which is much more expensive than you need. 
  • Price. This is a common qualm with major wireless networks, but T-Mobile’s prices are steep without multi-line discounts. 
Coverage in Dallas, Texas || Source

Get to Know Your Local Carrier Options in Texas

We highlighted the three major wireless networks in our top three, and they will give you the best cell phone coverage in Texas. To receive that, unfortunately, you need to pay a premium. If you are willing to use a bit less data and receive more frequent slowdowns then switching to an MVNO will save you a lot of money every month. While the major wireless networks are the best overall, you may not notice any big changes when switching to an MVNO, making them excellent alternatives to a plan at a major wireless network. 

Our favorite three MVNOs in Texas are Cricket Wireless, Mint Mobile, and Visible Wireless. We’ll start things off with Mint Mobile! This popular MVNO offers a variety of plans starting at only $15 a month. Mint’s plans are geared towards low-data users, as their most robust plan only offers 35 GBs of high-speed data a month. Mint’s standard pricing and multi-line savings make them very competitive with competing MVNOs in the area. 

Cricket Wireless is our pick for AT&T. Unlike Mint Mobile, their unlimited plan provides unlimited high-speed data, a great boon for high-data users. Cricket’s pricing structure is similar to major wireless companies, where their single-line pricing is pretty expensive, but they offer serious multi-line savings. 

Visible Wireless is our favorite overall MVNO with their $30 cell phone plan that provides unlimited high-speed data on Verizon’s nationwide network. As with all MVNOs, Visible Wireless will slow down your data first if you are ever in a congested area. Since each of these MVNOs runs off of a major wireless network, a peek into the major network’s coverage map will show you what coverage you can expect from the MVNOs as well. 

Texas is an amazing state. Make sure you have the best cell phone coverage in Texas to get high-speed data wherever you go!

FAQ: Your Questions About Cell Phone Coverage in Texas, Answered

Is AT&T or Verizon better in Texas?

AT&T has the widest reach in Texas and excellent high-speed coverage in the cities. This makes them the better of the two major carriers in Texas. 

Who has better coverage, T-Mobile or Verizon, or AT&T?

There is no true winner between the three major wireless carriers, but the best cell phone coverage in Texas depends on where you spend the majority of your time. Take a close look at local coverage maps before making any decision in order to best decide which carrier is for you. 

What is better, Verizon or AT&T?

While both carriers provide excellent high-speed coverage in the state of Texas, AT&T is our pick for the best cell phone coverage. 

What cell phone carrier truly has the best coverage?

Each of the three major wireless networks has its strengths and weaknesses in the state of Texas. Verizon’s 5G network is the fastest, but they fall behind T-Mobile in coverage. AT&T provides the best cell phone coverage in Texas, but you cannot go wrong with any of the three major carriers. 

TLDR; AT&T is your best bet for fast phone coverage in Texas

Use really.com to compare! 

Remember to check local coverage maps to see which carrier provides the best cell phone coverage in Texas, where you are. AT&T has the most coverage overall, making them our pick for the average Texan. Especially so if you are someone who travels a lot. If you want more info about plans available in Texas, you can compare carriers at Really.com to decide which phone carrier is best for you. 

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your questions,
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does this phone service work everywhere?

Yep, we offer premium wireless service on the the nation’s largest and fastest 5G network. If you are in our dewi coverage areas, you’ll also get access to our decentralized phone network powered by the people which will give you even faster speeds and better coverage.

is there a contract?

Nope, it’s pay as you go.

is this prepaid?

Yeah! You put your card on file and prepay each month so that you never experience any disruption.

does my phone need to be unlocked?

Yep, but it’s super easy to unlock your device as long as it’s paid off. Chat with us and a real human can help you here.

what if I want a new phone?

We have some recommendations on what we think you should get, from iPhones to Droids. Check out our list here which includes affordable places online to get a good deal.

what does decentralized wireless (dewi) mean?

It means we are building a phone network that is powered by the people. Your neighbors put small radios on their roof and help extend the phone network to cover deadzones™ and get even faster speeds. Right now our DeWi network is available in Austin, but we’ll be expanding to other cities REALLY soon. Learn more about DeWi here.

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