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Best Phone Coverage in Los Angeles, California: Visit the City of Angels With the Best Cell Phone Coverage

By
Sara Nuss
August 7, 2023

Los Angeles is known as the City of Angels and is a hotspot for many celebrities and up-and-coming stars. Whether you want to stroll down the Sunset Strip with a loved one, explore the exciting nightlife, lounge at Venice Beach, or even check out some of the world-renowned parks and landmark museums, Los Angeles is full of endless fun for anybody.

Main image courtesy of National Geographic

Trying to find the best cell phone plan can be difficult, especially when you want to get the best cell phone service and coverage in Los Angeles. To avoid dead zones or congestion during busy hours, learning more about your options with mobile providers and how good their coverage can be is essential. 

Consider looking more into your options for mobile providers with the best cell phone coverage in Los Angeles!

In this article, there are a few important topics to discuss pertaining to cell phone coverage:

  • Map of the fastest cell phone coverage in Los Angeles
  • Local and national carriers that cover Los Angeles
  • Frequently asked questions about phone coverage in Los Angeles
Best Cell Phone Coverage in Los Angeles || Source

Phone Coverage in Los Angeles at a Glance

Because of the mass population of people, it’s important to find the best mobile provider that provides some of the best service and coverage for everyone, but who offers the best?

Just like many other cities and states around the United States, Verizon Wireless takes the lead r. Verizon customers can enjoy up to 100% of the city covered in reliable call and text performance. Customers can also enjoy 4G LTE coverage up to 100% of the city and 5G falling slightly behind at 92%.

AT&T takes second place when choosing a cell phone plan in Los Angeles. This mobile provider is always neck and neck with Verizon in terms of coverage, where they also cover up to 100% of Los Angeles, but they have 4G LTE coverage up to 100% and 5G at 99%.

Last, but certainly not least is T-Mobile where many people see them as the third runner up because of their overall coverage, and in Los Angeles it is up to 100% as well. This mobile provider makes up for it with their fast 5G data speeds where their 4G LTE and 5G fall at around 100% in the city.

Many customers located throughout Los Angeles have confirmed that Verizon Wireless has some of the best service and coverage throughout the city. T-Mobile customers have also confirmed that their service is great when traveling around Los Angeles, but for both carriers, they noticed a drop in their service if they traveled to any mountainous areas. AT&T was the minority for many Reddit users, but this all comes down to the cell towers around the areas that you are in.

Coverage maps are a great way to check out what mobile provider offers some of the best service and coverage in the area you live. Making sure that you’re not living in a random blind spot through one carrier is important and coverage maps can help you pinpoint the best mobile provider for where you live, and even give you some options on cell phone carriers too.

Local and National Cell Phone Carriers in Los Angeles

When selecting a mobile provider, or Mobile Network Operator (MNO), the next step you’ll want to consider is if you should purchase a Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO). While it is a much cheaper option than getting an MNO, MVNOs offer the same and reliable network coverage through Verizon Wireless, AT&T, or even T-Mobile.

When selecting a MVNO, you’ll want to consider the MNO’s network that you wish to share. Once you have found out what works best in your area, selecting an MVNO is your next step, and a great option for anyone who is on a budget, but needs a reliable cell phone plan that still includes all of the essential features you may need. 

Breaking down MVNOs further, T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless carriers from above are Mobile Network Operators, which means they maintain their own networks. Credo Mobile on the other hand is a Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO), which means they buy minutes from an MNO with extra capacity and resell under their own brand. In this case, Credo Mobile uses the power of the Verizon Wireless network to provide reliable coverage at a lower price.

There is one main con that many MVNOs ultimately suffer from and that is deprioritization. Deprioritization is when your service and 4G LTE or 5G speeds slow down significantly due to congestion during busy hours during the day. While individuals that have a MVNO cell phone plan will suffer, people who have a plan through an MNO will always get first priority and won’t experience this issue, hence why they ultimately pay more money for their plan.

Let’s take a look at which of these carriers use the network that gives people in Los Angeles the most coverage.

Verizon 4G (Light Purple) and 5G (Dark Purple) Coverage in Los Angeles, California || Source

#1 in Los Angeles: Verizon Wireless

Best for 4G LTE and 5G Range in Los Angeles

Verizon Wireless is a popular option when it comes to selecting a cell phone plan all across the country, but especially in Los Angeles. Sometimes purchasing a plan directly through Verizon Wireless is the best decision you can make, even if it will be a little more expensive, but you’ll get the best 4G LTE and 5g range in Los Angeles.

Features of a Verizon Wireless cell phone plan include:

  • Unlimited talk, text, and data
  • 4G LTE or 5G nationwide coverage
  • Unlimited mobile hotspot
  • Spam protection
  • Unlimited talk and text to Mexico and Canada
  • 24/7 access to customer service
  • Entertainment perks

Price: Verizon Wireless cell phone plans are affordable, but tend to be more expensive since you’re purchasing a plan directly through the provider. Depending on the plan that you choose, such as a prepaid plan or a popular unlimited one, it can cost as little as $35, or as expensive as $50 per line per month on a plan. This price also depends on how many people you need on your plan and what extra features that are necessary for you.

Plan: There are a ton of plans to consider when choosing a cell phone plan through Verizon where they offer prepaid plans and even popular unlimited ones. All of their plans include unlimited talk, text, and data, but you can enjoy extra entertainment options, such as a Walmart membership, Apple Music, and even streaming services as Disney+ that you can get through your plan.

👍 What We Liked

  • Uses Verizon’s Network. One of the many reasons why people select a cell phone plan through Verizon Wireless is because of their incredible service and coverage and their 4G LTE and 5G range.
  • 100% Unlimited Plans. Verizon Wireless offers everything from prepaid plan to unlimited data plans where you can take advantage of the incredible 4G LTE and 5G range and speeds. 

👎 What We Didn’t Like

  • More Expensive. Selecting a cell phone plan directly through a mobile provider is always a great option if you want to enjoy the best service and coverage, but Verizon Wireless plans are known for being more expensive compared to other plans. 
  • Pay More For Better Entertainment Perks. Through many mobile providers or MVNOs, you can get entertainment perks such as video or music streaming services. While these are also offered through Verizon, to get the best streaming services, you’ll have to pay for the more expensive plan. 
AT&T 4G (Light Purple) and 5G (Dark Purple) Coverage in Los Angeles, California || Source

#2 in Los Angeles: Cricket Wireless (AT&T)

Best for Full Service MVNO in Los Angeles

Luckily the 5G coverage and service through AT&T in Los Angeles is some of the best that there is and Cricket Wireless provides a full service MVNO for their customers.

Features of a Cricket Wireless cell phone plan include:

  • Fast nationwide 5G coverage
  • High-speed data access
  • Unlimited talk, text, and picture messaging
  • HD voice and Wi-Fi calling
  • Cricket Call Defense to protect you from spam calls
  • Affordable Connectivity Program if you’re eligible
  • Mobile hotspot on most plans
  • HBO Max included in plan price
  • Cloud storage available
  • International calling to Canada and Mexico
  • International text to 37 countries
  • Save more money by adding more lines

Price: Cricket Wireless offers individual and multiple-line family plans all for an affordable price. Most Cricket Wireless customers spend around $30 to $60 per month depending on the plan that they choose and how much data they’ll also need.

Plan: There are a couple different options when it comes to choosing a cell phone plan through Cricket Wireless, including set data allotment plans and unlimited ones. The set data allotment ranges from 5GB to 10GB, or you can spend a little extra money to get AT&T’s 5G speeds with an unlimited plan.

👍 What We Liked

  • AT&T’s Network Coverage. Cricket Wireless is known for their incredible cell phone plans where they use AT&T’s network service and coverage with fast 5G speeds. 
  • Full Service MVNO. Cricket Wireless is a full service MVNO, which means that it provides all of the necessary features needed, such as unlimited talk, text, data allotments, international features, and even a mobile hotspot. 

👎 What We Didn’t Like

  • Poor Customer Service. Cricket Wireless customers have often complained about the poor customer service where people have been left with unresolved issues and long wait times to talk to a customer service agent. 
  • Lack of a Cell Phone Selection. If you need a new cell phone plan, you can get one through Cricket Wireless, but they don’t offer Samsung or Google phones, but they offer a ton of Apple products. 
T-Mobile 4G (Light Purple) and 5G (Dark Purple) Coverage in Los Angeles, California || Source

#3 in Los Angeles: Google Fi (T-Mobile)

Best Unlimited Plans in Los Angeles

There are a ton of MVNOs that use T-Mobile’s cell phone service and coverage and one of the best options is Google Fi. Google Fi is known for their amazing unlimited data plans and their convenient pay-per-GB plan all for an affordable price. 

Features of a Google Fi cell phone plan include:

  • Unlimited talk and text
  • Unlimited high-speed 5G data
  • T-Mobile’s 5G nationwide service and coverage
  • No contracts or activation fees
  • Built-in VPN and spam blocking
  • Data budgets available
  • Contact controls available
  • 24/7 customer support
  • Easily switch plans whenever you want to
  • Use Fi app to manage your account anytime
  • Mobile hotspot available on some plans
  • Entertainment perks available
  • 100GB of cloud storage available on some plans
  • Free unlimited international talk and text to Canada and Mexico
  • Free talk and text to over 200+ countries on some plans

Price: Google Fi is known for providing affordable cell phone plans. Customers can choose their pay-as-you-go plan for $17 per month plus $10 for every GB you use, or you can splurge a little bit more and pay $20 to $40 per month for one of their unlimited plans.

Plan: Google Fi features three different cell phone plans that you can choose from. They offer  a pay-as-you-go plan, which means that you pay for the amount of GBs that you use. It starts out at a flat rate of $17 per month and you pay $10 for every GB you use. Customers can also choose one of their unlimited plans that include the essentials, including unlimited talk, text, and data.

👍 What We Liked

  • Uses Any Network Available. The best part about Google Fi is that not only do they use T-Mobile’s network coverage, but can also connect to AT&T and Verizon’s network  as well depending on what is best in the area you’re in. 
  • Truly Unlimited Plans Offered. With Google Fi, there are two unlimited cell phone plans to choose from that cost anywhere from $20 to $40 depending on the one you choose. 

👎 What We Didn’t Like

  • Expensive Pay-Per-GB Plan. While Google Fi offers a pay-per-GB plan, for many it tends to be more expensive if they end up using more data than they thought they would. For $10 a GB used, it can be easy to go over your budget and spend more money than you thought you would. 
  • Can’t Purchase Certain Cell Phones. If you need to purchase a new cell phone, it is important to know that Apple phones aren’t sold through Google Fi. Customers will only have the choice of Samsung or Google phones. 
Verizon 4G (Light Purple) and 5G (Dark Purple) Coverage in Los Angeles, California || Source

Get to Know Your Local Carrier Options in Los Angeles

There is nothing more important than finding the best MVNO that fits your budget and provides all of the features you need in a cell phone plan. Consider looking at some of the most popular MVNO options in Los Angeles to help make your decision:

  • Tello
  • Mint Mobile
  • US Mobile
  • Consumer Cellular
  • Red Pocket
  • Twigby
  • Good2Go Mobile
  • Pure Talk
  • Ultra Mobile
  • Straight Talk Wireless
  • Tracfone
  • Net10 Wireless
  • And more!
Los Angeles is the entertainment capital of the world known for its movie studios and endless beaches. Image courtesy of Encyclopedia Britannica

FAQ: Your Questions About Cell Phone Coverage in Los Angeles, Answered

Check out some of the best last second questions that many people have about cell phone plans in Los Angeles!

Is AT&T or Verizon Wireless Better in Los Angeles?

When taking a look at either AT&T or Verizon Wireless’ coverage in Los Angeles, Verizon has a slight edge compared to its competitor. While all three major networks offer some of the best service and coverage in the city, Verizon takes the lead due to both coverage and data speeds.

Is Verizon Wireless Better Than AT&T?

Verizon Wireless is number one all across the United States in terms of coverage and even 5G data speeds. AT&T falls slightly behind Verizon, but they are often neck and neck with how good their coverage is. 

Does T-Mobile Use Verizon Wireless Towers?

Verizon Wireless and T-Mobile have separate towers, but because the two oftentimes allow MVNOs to share either one of their networks, people believe that they share the same towers. Verizon Wireless and T-Mobile have different coverage in every state and city with the use of their own towers. 

Verizon Wireless is your best bet for fast phone coverage in Los Angeles

Out of the main mobile carriers that are offered, Verizon Wireless is the best decision to make when choosing a cell phone plan for you or your family. 

Looking to switch to another mobile provider in Los Angeles, California? Check out Really to help make the best decision for yourself and your family! At Really, you can compare phone plans to save more money and see what carriers and plans are in your area. It also gives you the option to sort by price, check the best value, and even click on plans you want to learn more about.

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Sara Nuss
Sara Nuss is a journalist from Pittsburgh, PA that specializes in wireless, dewi, phone plan advice & blockchain.
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