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Here’s how 5G availability stacks up in major US cities
June 20, 2025
It’s easy to find5G service in the US, but what service can you count on? OpenSignal might help. The wireless analyst group hasshareda study outlining 5G availability in five major US urban areas, and it’s clear that real-world coverage is better for some carriers than others.
Of the top three networks,T-Mobileoffered the most consistent 5G availability in the Atlanta, Houston, Los Angeles, New York City and Washington, DC areas between mid-July and mid-October 2020. You could expect to see that “5G” logo light up between 23.6% and 33.7% of the time. AT&T’s service was available between 18.9% and 28.6% of the time. Verizon (disclaimer: this author also writes for Verizon-ownedEngadget) fared considerably worse, with itsmillimeter wave 5Gonly reaching users between 0.3% and 0.9% of the testing period.
See also:The best 5G plans in the US
Downloads were another matter. Verizon’s mmWave service was consistently the fastest, with overall speeds ranging from 49.2Mbps in the Washington area to 72.7Mbps in Houston. AT&T and T-Mobile traded blows, but were generally slower with data transfers hovering between 38.3Mbps and 48.5Mbps.
The results reflect what many have suspected. T-Mobile’s focus on lower-frequency 5G gives it an edge in availability — you can find coverage in more areas, and you’re more likely to hold on to a signal indoors. Verizon only had mmWave 5G coverage during the study period, so you had to be extremely close to a cell site to see the benefits.
With that said, the situation has already changed. Verizon launched its lower-frequency Nationwide 5G network alongside theiPhone 12on October 13, dramatically improving coverage at the potential expense of overall speed. T-Mobile, meanwhile, iswidening accessto the faster 2.5GHz frequencies it inherited with the Sprint acquisition. All of the providers are still filling gaps as we write this. The 5G availability you see in OpenSignal’s study is a brief snapshot — there’s a good chance you’ll have better access soon, if not already.
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