US Cellular Vs Verizon Coverage (Read This Before Choosing)

If you’re thinking about getting a new cell phone carrier, you might want to know whether US Cellular or Verizon is better when it comes to coverage.

Well, keep reading below if you want to know more about US Cellular Vs Verizon coverage because I’m going to tell you everything I’ve discovered about which offers more coverage!

US Cellular Vs Verizon Coverage

There is no real debate between US Cellular Vs Verizon coverage as Verizon is better in nearly all aspects, although US Cellular still provides excellent coverage to people in the United States, especially in locations such as Nebraska. However, Verizon gives you a more reliable network and better overall coverage.

Do you want to know more about US Cellular Vs Verizon coverage, such as which offers more 5G availability? If so, continue reading below to find out those details and much more!

Who Has Better 5G Coverage US Cellular or Verizon?

Verizon has better 5G coverage than US Cellular since it’s available in more cities, which you can see if you compare the US Cellular Coverage Map to the Verizon Coverage Map.

However, both Verizon and US Cellular are behind other carriers when it comes to 5G, so if you’re in the market for a 5G network, neither carrier is going to be that great at this time.

Who Has Better 4G Coverage US Cellular or Verizon?

Verizon wins the 4G LTE coverage battle with US Cellular since Verizon covers more than 70% of the United States in its 4G LTE network, compared to 10.27% for US Cellular’s network.

Furthermore, Verizon has been one of the most reliable and consistent networks across the country, so you’re almost guaranteed to be covered by Verizon no matter where you travel to.

However, US Cellular does have “4G LTE Data Partner Coverage” agreements with Verizon and other providers to offer services to customers that are roaming and off-network.

Therefore, when you look at the US Cellular map, you’ll see the widespread coverage thanks to these agreements, which allows them to provide additional coverage outside of their network.

Who Has Better Rural Coverage US Cellular or Verizon?

While Verizon has better coverage, depending on which state you’re living in or traveling to, US Cellular might be a better option since US Cellular offers services for people in specific locations.

Thus, it’s almost a toss-up in rural coverage since Verizon has expanded to include more rural locations in recent years, including fringe and remote rural locations.

However, certain more rural states are where US Cellular shines, and we’ll talk about where you’ll find the best US Cellular coverage below.

What States Does US Cellular Provide the Best Coverage?

What States Does US Cellular Provide the Best Coverage? Verizon

While US Cellular cannot compete with Verizon at all in coverage, what sets US Cellular apart is that it’s focused on providing coverage for a select portion of the United States including:

  • Arkansas
  • Illinois
  • Iowa
  • Kansas
  • Maine
  • Maryland
  • Missouri
  • Nebraska
  • New Hampshire
  • North Carolina
  • Northern California
  • Oklahoma
  • Oregon
  • Tennessee
  • Washington
  • West Virginia
  • Wisconsin

Therefore, if you’re in one of these states, then you might find that US Cellular is the best option for coverage when compared to Verizon, especially in states like West Virginia.

Unfortunately, if you live in states like Alaska, you’re not going to get hardly any network coverage with either Verizon or US Cellular and will be roaming in Alaska on an in-state network instead.

Who Has Better Metropolitan Coverage US Cellular or Verizon?

There is no doubt that Verizon beats US Cellular in Metropolitan areas across the United States, which is where you’ll also find Verizon has most of its 5G coverage as well. 

Since US Cellular does provide specific coverage for those in areas where other networks might be spotty, such as rural West Virginia, it’s not focused on the bigger cities nearly as much.

However, US Cellular still manages to have quite a bit of off-network coverage in metropolitan areas, so you’re likely going to have service even if you’re off US Cellular’s primary network.

Who Has Better North Central Region Coverage US Cellular or Verizon?

Both Verizon and US Cellular are identical when it comes to the coverage available in the North Central Region of the United States.

For example, when you look at the maps of both networks, you can see that coverage is consistent and also reliable in locations such as Ohio, Indiana, and Michigan.

Therefore, since US Cellular has those agreements with other networks including Verizon, it can still provide service to customers outside of its primary network and compete with Verizon.

Who Has Better Overall Coverage U.S Cellular or Verizon?

When you look at the Verizon Coverage Map, you can see just how much of the United States is covered both in 4G LTE and 5G, and Verizon will give you the best coverage overall.

Furthermore, whether you want 5G coverage or 4G coverage, Verizon offers a more consistent and reliable connection, even though US Cellular does partner with Verizon on coverage.

However, since US Cellular has partnerships with Verizon and other carriers, even though it only has 10.27% coverage on its primary network, it’s still able to work in a majority of the country. 

We still have to give this one to Verizon because it’s a more reliable network and you rarely have to travel off the Verizon network to get service no matter your location.

Is US Cellular Coverage Just as Reliable as Verizon?

US Cellular coverage isn’t quite as reliable as Verizon even though US Cellular partners with Verizon since it still does leave out some locations from getting coverage.

Additionally, with Verizon, you don’t have to worry about dropped calls or spotty service as you travel, and we can’t say the same for US Cellular.

To know more, you can also read our related posts on Sprint vs Verizon coverage, AT&T vs Verizon coverage, and Google Fi vs Verizon coverage.

Conclusion

Verizon hands-down wins when it comes to coverage when compared to US Cellular, as US Cellular only covers 10% of the United States compared to Verizon’s 70% coverage.

Additionally, Verizon offers more 5G coverage than US Cellular and there is no debate about that either, but Verizon doesn’t have extensive 5G coverage throughout America yet.

However, if you’re looking for coverage in certain states, such as West Virginia where Verizon coverage is known to be lackluster, then US Cellular would be the better option.

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Florence Howard

Florence Howard has been freelance writing for over a decade, and has a vocational background in retail, tech, and marketing. Outside of work, she enjoys listening to rock and metal, and playing with her dog and cat.

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