Best Phone Coverage in Mountain View: Cell Service in the Bay Area

The best phone coverage in Mountain View, California, is divided among Verizon, AT&T, and Visible Wireless. The three major networks all have serious coverage in the city, and their MVNOs provide affordable alternatives for cell phone users interested in saving on their cell phone bills. There are lots of plans, each providing a slightly different set of features and perks. In this article, we will dissect which carriers provide the best phone coverage in Mountain View, CA, download speeds, reliability, and the best and worst of each of the top carriers. 

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

• Map of the fastest cell phone coverage in Mountain View
• Local and national carriers that cover Mountain View
• Frequently asked questions about phone coverage in Mountain View

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Phone Coverage in Mountain View at a Glance

Lightning-Fast Data Speeds on Major Networks

Mountain View is nestled right in Silicon Valley, making it no surprise that the phone coverage in this area is excellent. All the major providers have laid down 4G LTE and 5G networks in the area to cater to its high-tech residents. Our discussion of the best phone coverage in Mountain View focuses on Verizon, AT&T, and Visible Wireless, as each company has great coverage in the area and excellent cell phone plans. 

Even with the new customer deals and multi-line savings, major wireless plans are quite expensive. MVNOs, companies that rent bandwidth from the major networks instead of building and maintaining one of their own, have affordable alternatives. Visible Wireless is one such MVNO, distinguished by its excellent unlimited data plan at the low price of $30 a month. Choosing a new carrier is a difficult proposition, so let’s discuss the best phone coverage in Mountain View to help you make your decision!

Local and National Cell Phone Carriers in Mountain View

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

Verizon and AT&T are major wireless networks, meaning they own and operate their own infrastructure throughout the country. Visible Wireless, on the other hand, is a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO). MVNOs receive bandwidth leased from the major wireless networks and offer more affordable plans that often have high-speed data caps and the potential for deprioritized data in times of high bandwidth usage. 

Let’s look at which of these carriers provides the best phone coverage in Mountain View.

#1 in Mountain View: Verizon Wireless 

Fastest Network in Mountain View

Verizon stands at number one in mountain view because of its 5G network’s speed. Verizon boasts the fastest speeds compared to the three networks in the United States. Verizon’s network hits speeds of over 100 Mbps download. The downside is their lack of 5G coverage. In Mountain View, you are not likely to receive their fastest coverage, but even the slower 5G network speeds give you a lot of flexibility to stream audio and video on the go. While Mountain View is known for its tech, there are over 1,000 acres of green for you to explore. Verizon has your back while you venture into the many parks and trails surrounding the city.

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

While expensive, multi-line savings make these two plans much more affordable. On top of unlimited premium data, the unlimited plus comes with the following: 

• 30 GB mobile hotspot
• Device savings
• Price Guarantee
• Premium data

The unlimited premium data is worth the extra $15 a month if you want to guarantee the fastest speeds wherever you go. Across the country, Verizon’s networks (5G and 4G LTE) provide an immense amount of bandwidth. Generally, only big events which fill the city with people cause a serious strain on their bandwidth. A few Bay Area residents complain about Verizon coverage in Mountain View, citing spots with bad coverage like Campbell and Gilroy. 

Alongside the base plans, Verizon offers a package of optional add-ons that each add $10 to your cell phone bill. The best part is that you can skip them entirely and stick to the base plan price, but if you find any Verizon add-ons you like, adding them to your plan always saves a few dollars on the service. 

Starting a multi-line plan is a key step in any Verizon account. Spending a flat $65 or $80 for your service line before taxes and fees is a lot of money. Finding two or three friends or family members to share a plan saves everyone tons of money each month while letting you enjoy the best service the States can offer. If you are on your own, we recommend Visible Wireless as the best single-line cell phone plan, but Verizon beats it if you can start a multi-line plan. 

👍 What We Liked

• Reliable Coverage. Verizon’s networks cover 100% of Mountain View’s area, providing excellent service to all within the city. Signal strength may vary, but expect to have reliable coverage wherever you are. If you are on the Welcome Unlimited plan, expect to have full-speed data except in times of exceedingly high usage. 
• Family Plan Savings. Verizon's family plans to make up for its single-line costs. Be wary of opening up a Verizon line if you have no intention of starting a family plan. While Verizon offers no-contract plans, keep your eyes open for deals or other promotions that tie you to their company in one way or another. If you are stuck in a contract, then their family plans are extra important to save you money each month.  

👎 What We Didn’t Like

• Price. Even though they have a strong network and provide services to make the price worthwhile, Verizon is very expensive. If you are planning to open a single-line plan, the best way to utilize Verizon’s amazing network is through an MVNO like Visible Wireless. 
• Customer Service. This appears to be a common trend among cell phone companies, but there are many negative experiences with Verizon’s customer service. 

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#2 in Mountain View: AT&T 

Best for Unlimited Plans

AT&T is right up there with Verizon for the best phone coverage in Mountain View. Verizon’s 5G network is a little faster, but AT&T has great cell phone plans. When you’re walking by the Googleplex HQ, you better believe your cell service from AT&T is firing on all cylinders. 

Price: Varies

Plan: AT&T offers three unlimited plans at various price points. Their price is comparable to the plans at Verizon. 

AT&T offers three unlimited plans. 

• AT&T Unlimited Starter Plan, priced at $65/60/45/35/30
• AT&T Unlimited Extra Plan, priced at $75/65/50/40/35
• AT&T Unlimited Premium Plan, priced at $85/75/60/50/45

Like Verizon, 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 premium plan also comes with UHD streaming which is quite nice. It does mean, however, that the other two plans available at AT&T only allow SD streaming when on mobile data. If you are someone who likes to browse TikTok or stream your favorite show while taking the Community Shuttle to work, it might be best to avoid AT&T’s starter plans. That being said, the ability to grab 50 GB of premium data is amazing for some multi-line plans. It lets you start each month with a large pool of data without going in on their most expensive plan. 

👍 What We Liked

• Large 5G Network. While not as large as T-Mobile’s network, AT&T has a great 5G network. It is fast and covers an impressive area of Mountain View, and AT&T is constantly working to improve its coverage and the speed of its network. 
• Premium Data. While it is an unlikely occurrence, a surprise slow-down of your mobile service is quite vexing. The second-tier plan with 50 GBs of premium data works as a great bridge between their first and third plans. Be careful, however, because the 50 GBs are shared between every user, so it will go quickly.  

👎 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. 
• Price. This is a common qualm with major wireless networks, but AT&T’s prices are steep. Overall, prices at major wireless networks are challenging to pay without multi-line discounts. If you can, find some friends to take out an account together and enjoy serious savings. 

#3 in Mountain View: Visible

Best for Affordable Unlimited  in Mountain View

Visible Wireless utilizes Verizon’s network and is an excellent way to use its spectacular nationwide network without paying the steep prices of the major wireless provider. What elevates Visible to our favorite MVNO for the best phone coverage in Mountain View is their truly unlimited plans. Many MVNOs offer plans with “unlimited data,” which means a limited amount of high-speed data and then unlimited low-speed data at 2G or 3G speeds. For many high-data users, the 30 or so GBs of high-speed data is not enough for a month. Let’s dive into what Visible has to offer in Mountain View. While heading to work, you may notice a free WiFi network owned by Google. Your eyes are not deceiving you! Google maintains a colossal WiFi network that’s open to the public. You can take full advantage of that when you are out and about, lowering your overall data usage throughout the month. 

Price: From just $30/month

Plan: Visible Wireless has two wireless plans. Each of them has unlimited high-speed data, an amazing feature of this MVNO. The two Visible Wireless phone plans are as follows:

• $30 per month for Unlimited
• $45 per month for Unlimited plus

Visible Wireless offers two cell phone plans, each with unlimited high-speed data. Visible’s basic unlimited plan has high-speed data on Verizon’s 5G and 4G LTE networks but does not allow users on Verizon’s 5G Ultra Wideband network. The regular MVNO rules apply with Visible’s unlimited plan, where your data will be slowed in times of high traffic in your area. In Mountain View, California, as long as there are no surprise conferences in the convention center, we believe you’ll be good to go. There are numerous complaints about Visible’s customer service and overall difficulties with the transfer process for new customers, but if you make it past any issues with the sign-up process, you will receive unlimited high-speed data on Verizon’s nationwide network for just $30 a month. That’s a pretty sweet deal. 

👍 What We Liked

• Affordable Plans. The low price point of Visible’s unlimited plans is a huge draw for single-line users. 
• Verizon’s Coverage. Verizon Wireless has great coverage in Mountain View. While there are reports of dead spots around the city, we expect you to receive excellent coverage while in Mountain View.  

👎 What We Didn’t Like

• No family plans. There are no multi-line savings from Visible. Their plan is great on its own, but it starts to fall off the top tier if you compare it to the multi-line plans from some other MVNOs. 
• Data deprioritization. While this is true of all MVNOs, it is unfortunate that your data will slow whenever there is a high strain on the bandwidth in your area. There is no telling when your mobile data will slow, so it could never be a problem. 

Get to Know Your Local Carrier Options in Mountain View

While not included on this list, T-Mobile has an excellent presence in Mountain View, and there are dozens of MVNOs that operate on the three major networks, providing affordable and reliable coverage in the area. We highlighted Visible Wireless as our favorite MVNO, but if you aren’t too keen on using Verizon’s network, here is one awesome MVNO for each major network. 

Cricket Wireless is our pick for AT&T because they are another MVNO with an unlimited data plan without a cap, and they also have cheaper options for low-data users. Unfortunately, their unlimited data plan is very expensive, so you won’t see too much savings compared to AT&T. 

Mint Mobile is our pick for T-Mobile MVNOs. They are known for affordable cell phone plans, but it is worth noting that their unlimited plan is not unlimited high-speed data. Mint’s unlimited plan comes with 35 GB of high-speed data before your data is throttled to 3G speeds. Mint Mobile’s plans are priced excellently relative to major networks, and their contract-based savings make it so anyone can enjoy their lowest possible prices if they are willing to sign a yearlong contract. 

FAQ: Your Questions About Cell Phone Coverage in Mountain View, Answered

Which phone carrier has the most coverage?

Verizon has the most nationwide coverage and the best phone coverage in Mountain View, CA. AT&T and T-Mobile are right behind Verizon in their nationwide coverage, and T-Mobile, notably, has the best 5G network in 2023. 

Who has the most 5G coverage?

In 2023 T-Mobile has the most 5G coverage. Every major network has impressive 5G coverage, but right now, T-Mobile is the best of the three, with AT&T coming in a close second and Verizon trailing in third place. While Verizon’s coverage is a bit lacking, they provide the fastest 5G speeds where it is available. 

Who has the best cell phone coverage in the Bay Area?

Verizon Wireless has the best phone coverage in Mountain View and the greater Bay Area. 

TLDR; Verizon is your best bet for fast phone coverage in Mountain View

Use really.com to compare! 

You have lots of options to find fast phone coverage in Mountain View, but Verizon takes the cake with its reliable service, lightning-fast speeds, and loads of add-ons. In terms of MVNOs, Visible Wireless is at the top of the pack with its spectacular unlimited data plans. These and AT&T are our top three picks for the best phone coverage in Mountain View. If you want more info about plans available in Mountain View, compare carriers at Really.com to decide which phone carrier is best for you.