Opensignal analyzed 5G users’ experience across three measures: The average speed of the 5G connection when users have an active 5G link, or 5G Download Speed; the time users spend connected to 5G represented by 5G Availability; and the overall speed 5G users experience across different generations of mobile technology, or Download Speed Experience.
Image: Opensignal

Do you want your 5G fast or widely available? Those are the choices most of us have when looking for a 5G connection. The fastest service is millimeter-wave but it has limited range. Low-band connections are easier to find but you may not see much of an increase in speed.

Carriers are building out 5G infrastructure at a steady pace. In November, Verizon added more cities to its 5G Ultra Wideband coverage. In December, T-Mobile launched a 5G hotspot.

SEE: 5G: What it means for edge computing (ZDNet/TechRepublic special feature) | Download the free PDF version (TechRepublic)

Once you’ve figured out whether or not your neighborhood has 5G connectivity, you’ll need to understand what flavor of 5G you’ve got. Each carrier has its own collection of labels for low-band, midband, and millimeter-wave service.

AT&T and T-Mobile both are using low-band 5G for the foundation of their nationwide networks. Low-band has decent range but isn’t much faster than LTE connections. Sprint went with midband connections to build its first 5G connections, which are now part of T-Mobile. Millimeter-wave has the fastest speeds but the smallest range. CNET describes it as a “souped-up Wi-Fi hotspot.” Verizon’s 5G Ultra Wideband service operates on millimeter-wave frequencies.

SEE: Research: How 5G will transform business (TechRepublic Premium)

OpenSignal’s June 2020 report on the 5G rollout in the US found that Verizon wins the 5G Speed award with 494.7 Mbps real-world average speed. OpenSignal awarded T-Mobile the 5G Availability award because its 5G users spend 22.5% of time connected to 5G. AT&T and Verizon tied on overall download speed of 42.6 Mbps and 41.0 Mbps, respectively. OpenSignal is an independent analyst group that assesses consumer mobile experience. OpenSignal’s December 2020 report examines the 5G experience in 15 leading markets.

Here’s a list of where each major US carrier provides 5G service. This list also includes available 5G phones from each carrier. This information is current as of Jan. 5, 2021. The list will be updated as new cities and counties get 5G service.

SEE: US to reallocate Defense mid-band spectrum for commercial 5G networks (ZDNet)

AT&T’s 5G coverage

AT&T has a 5G map that you can use to check coverage by ZIP code.

AT&T has the most confusing mix of names for its 5G services:

  • 5GE: A combination of 4G LTE technologies, not true 5G
  • 5G: Low- and midband service
  • 5G+: Millimeter-wave service

These cities have AT&T’s fastest connectivity, 5G+:

Arizona
Phoenix

California
Los Angeles, Menlo Park, Oakland, Redwood City, San Bruno, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose, and West Hollywood

Florida
Jacksonville, Miami, Miami Gardens, and Orlando

Georgia
Atlanta

Indiana
Indianapolis

Kentucky
Louisville

Louisiana
New Orleans

Maryland
Baltimore, Ocean City

Michigan
Detroit

North Carolina
Charlotte, Raleigh

Nevada
Las Vegas

New York
New York City

Ohio
Cleveland

Oklahoma
Oklahoma City

Pennsylvania
King of Prussia, Philadelphia

Tennessee
Nashville

Texas
Austin, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, and Waco

Wisconsin
Milwaukee

In some markets, AT&T uses dynamic spectrum sharing (DSS) technology, which means both 4G and 5G traffic use the same channel. The cities and counties with this brand of 5G service from AT&T include:

Alaska
Anchorage, AK

Alabama
Anniston, AL
Birmingham, AL
Dothan, AL
Florence, AL
Gadsden, AL
Mobile, AL
Tuscaloosa, AL
Franklin County, AL
Huntsville, AL

Arkansas
Clay County, AR
Cleburne County, AR
Cross County, AR
Fayetteville-Springdale, AR
Fort Smith, AR
Franklin County, AR
Little Rock, AR
Madison County, AR
Ouachita County, AR
Pope County, AR
Polk County, AR

Arizona
Gila, AZ
Mohave County, AZ

California
Alpine County, CA
Bakersfield, CA
Chico, CA
El Dorado County, CA
Fresno, CA
Kings County, CA
Los Angeles, CA
Madera County, CA
Modesto, CA
Mono County, CA
Oxnard, CA
Redding, CA
Sacramento, CA
Salinas, CA
Santa Barbara, CA
Santa Cruz, CA
San Diego, CA
San Francisco, CA
San Jose, CA
San Luis Obispo, CA
Santa Rosa, CA
Sierra County, CA
Stockton, CA
Tehama County, CA
Visalia-Tulare, CA
Vallejo, CA
Yuba City, CA

Colorado
Colorado Springs, CO
Denver, CO
Fort Collins-Loveland, CO
Greeley, CO
San Miguel County, CO

Connecticut
Bridgeport, CT
Hartford, CT
New Haven, CT
New London-Norwich, CT

Delaware
Kent County, DE
Wilmington, DE

Florida
Calhoun County, FL
Citrus County, FL
Collier County, FL
Daytona Beach, FL
Dixie County, FL
Fort Myers, FL
Fort Pierce, FL
Fort Walton Beach, FL
Gainesville, FL
Glades County, FL
Hamilton County, FL
Hardee County, FL
Jacksonville, FL
Jefferson County, FL
Lakeland, FL
Melbourne, FL
Miami, FL
Monroe County, FL
Ocala, FL
Orlando, FL
Pensacola, FL
Putnam County, FL
Sarasota, FL
Tallahassee, FL
Tampa, FL
Walton County, FL
West Palm Beach, FL

Georgia
Atlanta, GA
Albany, GA
Athens, GA
Bleckley County, GA
Chattooga County, GA
Dawson County, GA
Early County, GA
Hancock County, GA
Jasper County, GA
Liberty, GA
Macon, GA
Marion County, GA
Warren County, GA
Whitfield County, GA
Worth, GA

Hawaii
Maui County, HI

Iowa
Sioux City, IA

Idaho
Boise City, ID
Boundary County, ID
Elmore County, ID
Idaho County, ID

Illinois
Adams County, IL
Alton-Granite City, IL
Aurora-Elgin, IL
Bureau County, IL
Champaign-Urbana, IL
Chicago, IL
Clay County, IL
Joliet, IL
Mason County, IL
Montgomery County, IL
Springfield, IL
Vermilion County, IL
Washington County, Il

Indiana
Bloomington, IN
Brown County, IN
Decatur County, IN
Elkhart-Goshen, IN
Evansville, IN
Fort Wayne, IN
Gary, IN
Huntington County, IN
Indianapolis, IN
Kosciusko County, IN
Muncie, IN
Newton County, IN
Randolph County, IN
South Bend, IN
Warren County, IN

Kansas
Brown County, KS
Lawrence, KS
Topeka, KS
Wichita, KS

Kentucky
Fayette County, KY
Fulton County, KY
Lexington, KY
Louisville, KY
Mason County, KY
Meade County, KY
Spencer County, KY
Trimble County, KY

Louisiana
Baton Rouge, LA
Beauregard County, LA
Caldwell Parish, LA
Claiborne Parish, LA
Houma-Thibodaux, LA
Iberville Parish, LA
Lake Charles, LA
Lafayette, LA
Monroe, LA
Morehouse Parish, LA
New Orleans, LA
Shreveport, LA
St. James Parish, LA
West Feliciana Parish, LA

Massachusetts
Boston, MA
New Bedford, MA
Springfield, MA
Worcester, MA

Maryland
Baltimore, MD
Cumberland, MD
Frederick, MD
Garrett County, MD
Hagerstown, MD
Kent County, MD

Maine
Portland, ME

Michigan
Alger County, MI
Allegan County, MI
Battle Creek, MI
Benton Harbor, MI
Cass County, MI
Cheboygan County, MI
Detroit, MI
Jackson, MI
Kalamazoo, MI
Manistee County, MI
Muskegon, MI
Newaygo, MI

Minnesota
Chippewa County, MN
Duluth, MN
Hubbard County, MN
Koochiching County, MN
Le Sueur County, MN
Minneapolis, MN
Moorhead, Minnesota
St. Cloud, MN

Missouri
Bates County, MO
Callaway County, MO
Columbia, MO
DeKalb County, MO
Kansas City, MO
Jackson, MS
Joplin, MO
Moniteau County, MO
Saline County, MO
Springfield, MO
St. Joseph, MO
St. Louis, MO

Mississippi
Leake County, MS

Montana
Beaverhead County, MT
Billings, MT
Deer Lodge County, MT
Great Falls, MT
Lincoln County, MT
Mineral County, MT

North Carolina
Anson County, NC
Hickory, NC

North Dakota
Fargo, ND

New Hampshire
Portsmouth, NH

New Jersey
Atlantic City, NJ
Hunterdon County, NJ
Long Branch, NJ
New Brunswick, NJ
Ocean County, NJ
Sussex County, NJ
Trenton, NJ
Vineland, NJ

New Mexico
Colfax County, NM
Grant County, NM
Las Cruces, NM
Lincoln County, NM
San Juan County, NM
Santa Fe County, NM

Nevada
Lander County, NV
Las Vegas, NV
Reno, NV
Storey County, NV

New York
Albany, NY
Binghamton, NY
Buffalo, NY
Chautauqua County, NY
Elmira, NY
Glen Falls, NY
Jefferson County, NY
New York City, NY
Poughkeepsie, NY
Orange County, NY
Otsego County, NY
Rochester, NY
Syracuse, NY
Utica-Rome, NY
Yates County, NY

Ohio
Ashtabula County, OH
Cincinnati, OH
Clinton County, OH
Columbiana County, OH
Columbus, OH
Dayton, OH
Hamilton, OH
Hancock County, OH
Lima, OH
Mansfield, OH
Mercer County, OH
Morrow County, OH
Perry County, OH
Ross County, OH
Sandusky County, OH
Springfield, OH
Steubenville, OH
Tuscarawas County, OH
Williams County, OH
Youngstown, OH

Oklahoma
Grant County, OK

Oregon
Clatsop County, OR
Eugene-Springfield, OR
Lincoln County, OR
Medford, OR
Portland, OR
Salem, OR
The Dalles, OR

Pennsylvania
Allentown, PA
Altoona, PA
Bedford County, PA
Bradford County, PA
Crawford County, PA
Greene County, PA
Harrisburg, PA
Huntingdon County, PA
Jefferson County, PA
Johnstown, PA
Lancaster, PA
Lawrence County, PA
Lebanon County, PA
Philadelphia, PA
Pittsburgh, PA
Reading, PA
Sharon, PA
State College, PA
Union County, PA
Wayne County, PA
Williamsport, PA
York, PA

Puerto Rico
Adjuntas Municipality. PR
Aguadilla, PR
Aibonito Municipality, PR
Arecibo, PR
Ceiba Municipality, PR
Ciales Municipality, PR
Mayaguez, PR
Ponce, PR
Rincon Municipality, PR
San Juan, PR

Rhode Island
Newport County, RI
Providence, RI

South Carolina
Anderson, SC
Calhoun County, SC
Cherokee County, SC
Laurens County, SC
Oconee County, SC

South Dakota
Kingsbury County, SD
Marshall County, SD

Tennessee
Chattanooga, TN
Fayette County, TN
Giles County, TN
Lake County, TN
Maury County, TN
Memphis, TN
Nashville, TN

Texas
Abilene, TX
Amarillo, TX
Atascosa County, TX
Austin, TX
Beaumont, TX
Brownsville, TX
Burleson County, TX
Chambers County, TX
Cherokee County, TX
Concho County, TX
Corpus Christi, TX
Dallas, TX
Edwards County, TX
Fannin County, TX
Galveston, TX
Killeen-Temple, TX
Houston, TX
Laredo, TX
Lubbock, TX
Navarro County, TX
Newton County, TX
Parmer County, TX
Runnels County, TX
San Antonio, TX
Sherman-Denison, TX
Tyler, TX
Victoria, TX
Waco, TX
Wilson County, TX

Utah
Beaver County, UT
Box Elder County, UT
Provo, UT
Salt Lake City, UT

Virginia
Caroline County, VA
Danville, VA
Frederick County, VA
Madison County, VA

Washington D.C.

Washington
Bellingham, WA
Clallam County, WA
Ferry County, WA
Kittitas County, WA
Okanogan County, WA
Olympia, WA
Pacific County, WA
Richland-Kennewick, WA
Seattle, WA
Spokane, WA
Tacoma, WA
Yakima, WA

Wisconsin
Kenosha, WI
Madison, WI
Milwaukee, WI
Racine, WI
Sheboygan, WI
Wood County, WI

West Virginia
Charleston, WV
Grant County, WV
Huntington-Ashland, WV
Monongalia County, WV
Parkersburg-Marietta, WV
Raleigh County, WV
Tucker County, WV
Wheeling, WV

Wyoming
Casper, WY
Sheridan County, WY

All AT&T Unlimited plans include 5G connectivity. AT&T’s 5G phones include:

  • Google Pixel 4a 5G
  • Google Pixel 5
  • iPhone 12
  • iPhone 12 mini
  • iPhone 12 Pro
  • iPhone 12 Pro Max
  • LG K92 5G
  • LG V60 ThinQ 5G
  • LG Velvet 5G
  • LG Wing 5G
  • Motorola one 5G
  • Motorola razr
  • Samsung Galaxy A71 5G
  • Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G
  • Samsung Galaxy Note20 5G
  • Samsung Galaxy A51 5G
  • Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G
  • Samsung Galaxy S20 5G
  • Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G
  • Samsung Galaxy S20+ 5G
  • Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5G

SEE: Samsung Galaxy Note 20 and Galaxy Note 20 Ultra: A guide to everything you need to know (TechRepublic)

T-Mobile’s 5G service

T-Mobile’s commercial nationwide standalone 5G network covers about 260 million people in 7,500 cities and towns, according to the carrier. Customers in those areas can expect average download speeds 7.5x LTE with an average speed of 300 Mbps with peaks up to 1 Gbps, according to the company. T-Mobile also has a map to search for 5G connectivity.

SEE: Research: How 5G will transform business (TechRepublic Premium)

T-Mobile is using its entire 600 MHz footprint with this new standalone network. This low-band frequency is not as fast as millimeter-wave frequencies but it does have more range. T-Mobile has built its 5G network with low-band, midband, and millimeter-wave components. The company also is testing 4G Home Internet in select areas; the new T-Mobile’s nationwide 5G Home Internet rollout is still in the works.

T-Mobile has been expanding its midband 2.5 GHz network and recently announced availability in these cities:

  • Atlanta
  • Chicago
  • Houston
  • Los Angeles
  • New York City
  • Philadelphia
  • Washington D.C.

T-Mobile has been expanding its midband 2.5 GHz network throughout the year. On Sept. 29, 2020, the company announced that customers in 121 new cities have midband 5G service. Those cities include:

Arkansas
Jacksonville
Trumann

California
Los Angeles

Delaware
Wilmington

Florida
Dunedin
Key Vista
Ridgecrest

Georgia
Atlanta
Scottdale

Illinois
Addison
Belleville
Bourbonnais
Bradley
Buffalo Grove
Burbank
Carol Stream
Chicago
Chicago Ridge
Crestwood
Elmwood Park
Evergreen Park
Forest Park
Hazel Crest
Hoffman Estates
Indian Creek
Kankakee
Lake Zurich
Lockport
Lombard
Lyons
Markham
Melrose Park
Midlothian
Mundelein
Normal
North Chicago
Palos Hills
Park Forest
Paxton
Plainfield
River Grove
Riverdale
Romeoville
Stone Park
Streamwood
Swansea
Tinley Park
University Park
Vernon Hills
Waterloo
Wheaton
Wheeling
Woodridge
Worth

Indiana
Crown Point

Maryland
Laurel
Lochearn
Parkville

Massachusetts
Melrose
Revere
Saugus

Michigan
Ypsilanti

Minnesota
Hopkins
Minneapolis
St. Paul

Missouri
Black Jack
Cliff Village
Dennis Acres
Flordell Hills
Grandview
Houston Lake
Joplin
Lawson
St. Joseph
Warrensburg

New Jersey
Atlantic City
Clifton
Echelon
Edgewater
Elmwood Park
Englewood
Fairview
Franklin Center
Garfield
Jersey City
Lodi
Passaic
Ridgefield
Rockaway
Trenton
Victory Gardens
Wallington
Wood-Ridge

New York
Amsterdam
Franklin Square
Lake Mohegan
New York City
Shrub Oak
South Hempstead
Terryville
University Gardens

North Carolina
Cornelius
Piney Green

Ohio
Finneytown
Sandusky

Oklahoma
Broken Arrow

Pennsylvania
Chalfant
Collingswood
Duryea
Lansdowne
Levittown
Liberty
Millbourne
North Braddock
Philadelphia
Phoenixville

Tennessee
Lebanon
Oak Ridge
Sevierville
Shelbyville

Texas
Galena Park
Houston

Virginia
Alexandria
Arlington
Norfolk
Virginia Beach

Washington D.C.

T-Mobile users don’t need a certain plan to access 5G connections. T-Mobile’s 5G phones include:

  • Google Pixel 4a 5G
  • iPhone 12
  • iPhone 12 mini
  • iPhone 12 Pro
  • LG V60 ThinQ 5G
  • OnePlus 8 5G
  • OnePlus 8T+ 5G
  • Samsung Galaxy S20
  • Samsung Galaxy S20 5G
  • Samsung Galaxy S20+ 5G
  • Samsung Galaxy Note20 5G
  • Samsung Note20 Ultra 5G

Since acquiring Sprint, T-Mobile has been providing Sprint customers with access to the company’s 600MHz spectrum.

SEE: IBM, Verizon partner to develop 5G enabled IoT technologies for industrial sector (ZDNet)

Verizon’s 5G coverage

Verizon’s CEO Hans Vestberg joined Tim Cook at Apple’s Hi Speed event to announce an expansion of the company’s 5G Ultra Wideband services and a new nationwide 5G network.

Verizon’s new network uses DSS technology and the existing networking infrastructure that the carrier’s LTE traffic runs on currently. This approach makes it easier to expand low-band 5G offerings quickly and without a significant new investment, similar to what AT&T and T-Mobile have done.

Verizon offers its fastest connectivity in 61 cities as of December 2020. The newest cities on the list are in bold:

Albuquerque, NM
Akron, OH
Anaheim, CA
Ann Arbor, MI
Arlington, TX
Atlanta, GA
Baltimore, MD
Boise, ID
Boston, MA
Charlotte, NC
Chicago, IL
Cincinnati, OH
Cleveland, OH
Columbus, OH
Dallas, TX
Denver, CO
Des Moines, IA
Detroit, MI
Durham, NC
Fort Wayne, IN
Grand Rapids, MI
Greensboro, NC
Hartford, CT
Hoboken, NJ
Houston, TX
Indianapolis, IN
Jersey City, NJ
Kansas City, KS
Las Vegas, NV
Little Rock, AR
Los Angeles, CA
Louisville, KY
Memphis, TN
Miami, FL
Milwaukee, WI
Minneapolis, MN
Nashville, TN
New York City, NY
Norfolk, VA
Oklahoma City, OK
Omaha, NE
Panama City, FL
Philadelphia, PA
Phoenix, AZ
Providence, RI
Raleigh, NC
Richmond, VA
Sarasota, FL
Salt Lake City, UT
San Diego, CA
San Francisco, CA
San Jose, CA
Sioux Falls, SD
Spokane, WA
St. Louis, MO
St. Paul, MN
St. Petersburg, FL
Syracuse, NY
Tampa, FL
Tucson, AZ
Washington D.C.

Verizon offers Ultra WideBand connectivity at seven airports also:

  • Chicago O’Hare International Airport
  • Des Moines International Airport
  • John Glenn Columbus International Airport
  • Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport
  • Minneapolis-St Paul International Airport
  • Salt Lake City International Airport
  • San Antonio International Airport

Thirty-four sports arenas around the US have Ultra Wideband service as well

In December 2020, Verizon announced a 5G edge network in 10 cities:

  • Atlanta
  • Boston
  • Dallas
  • Denver
  • Las Vegas
  • Miami
  • New York City
  • San Francisco Bay Area
  • Seattle
  • Washington, DC

This service is designed for businesses and designed to enable developers to build applications for mobile end-users and wireless edge devices with ultralow latency.

Verizon’s 5G phones include:

  • Google Pixel 4a 5G UW
  • iPhone 12
  • iPhone 12 mini
  • iPhone 12 Pro
  • iPhone 12 Pro Max
  • LG V60 ThinQ 5G UW
  • LG Velvet 5G UW
  • LG Wing
  • Motorola edge+
  • Motorola moto z4
  • Motorola one 5G UW
  • Nokia 8V 5G UW
  • OnePlus 8 5G UW
  • Samsung Galaxy A515G UW
  • Samsung Galaxy A715G UW
  • Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G
  • Samsung Galaxy Note20 5G
  • Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G
  • Samsung Galaxy S20+ 5G
  • Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G UW
  • Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G
  • Samsung Galaxy S20 5G UW
  • Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 5G
  • TCL 10 5G UW

You can keep track of Verizon’s 5G service expansion here.

Editor’s note: This article was updated on Jan. 5, 2021 with the latest 5G coverage and phones from AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon.