Best Phone Coverage in Baltimore, MD: Cell Service in the Charm City

Baltimore is a city in Maryland with over 500,000 residents. It has a vibrant culture, countless amazing restaurants, excellent universities, and a lot to do nearby. It is within a few hour's drive of many other big cities, like Philadelphia, New York, and Washington DC. Due to this, there is exceptional coverage in the area. All three of the major wireless networks have great 5G coverage in that area, leaving the final question of which network provides the most consistent lightning-fast data and the best cell phone coverage in Baltimore, MD. 

Our research found that T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon are the top three for best phone coverage in Baltimore, MD overall. This article features detailed information on the following: 

• Map of the fastest cell phone coverage in Baltimore, MD
• Local and national carriers that cover Baltimore, MD
• Frequently asked questions about phone coverage in Baltimore, MD

Phone Coverage in Baltimore, MD, at a Glance

Lightning-Fast Data Speeds on Major Networks

Baltimore is covered almost equally by all three major networks, but T-Mobile is the overall winner. T-Mobile’s strong 5G network minimizes congestion within the city and keeps everyone’s data at max speeds better than the competition. That’s not to say that Verizon and AT&T don’t also provide some of the best cell phone coverage in Baltimore, MD. Far from it! All three major carriers are excellent options for coverage in the city. The east coast of the USA has some of the best coverage in the country, so it’s no surprise that Maryland also has excellent coverage from the major networks. 

Let’s jump into the weeds of the best cell phone coverage in Baltimore, MD, and help you decide which cell phone carrier is right for you!

Local and National Cell Phone Carriers in Baltimore, MD

The top three carriers in Baltimore, MD, are T-Mobile, Verizon, and AT&T. 

T-Mobile is your best bet for cell phone coverage in Baltimore, MD. This article focuses on the three major wireless carriers, all of whom own their networks. These companies are in charge of maintenance and upgrades.  Because of this, cell phone plans at major wireless networks give unlimited high-speed data and faster average data speeds for more money each month. 

This article, however, focuses on Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs). These companies rent their bandwidth from the big three networks to give their customers cheaper access to data. The two major downsides to MVNOs are that their plans offer limited high-speed data and lower data priority, meaning your data gets slowed down whenever bandwidth is strained. Data priority is most important in cities or areas where a lot of people are gathered. You can save big with MVNO plans, and that’s what we will discuss in this article. 

#1 in Baltimore, MD: T-Mobile

Fastest 5G and 4G LTE in Baltimore, MD

T-Mobile has the top spot in the city. With its amazing 5G network and reliable coverage in and around the city, T-Mobile provides the best cell phone coverage in Baltimore, MD. T-Mobile is in the process of constructing more and more 5G towers throughout the country, but they got a headstart over the other two carriers, and their network still provides much more coverage than the competition. T-Mobile hopes to expand its coverage to over 90% within the next few years, positively blanketing the city with its high-speed 5G coverage. 

Price: Varies

Plan: T-Mobile offers three unlimited plans at various price points. Like Verizon, these plans are very expensive as the single-line plan and offer immense multi-line savings. 

One thing that’s common among the major wireless carriers is immense multi-line savings. We recommend reaching out to friends and family before making the switch, as a handful of like-minded individuals will save everyone big on their cell phone plans. Unlike the other two major wireless carriers, T-Mobile gives users 50 GB of premium wireless data on their cheapest plan, which means you are guaranteed their fastest possible speeds nationwide.

While there are areas on the east coast where Verizon or AT&T have the best cell phone coverage, T-Mobile is your best bet in Baltimore. If you commute primarily in Baltimore and around the Baltimore area, your T-Mobile coverage will not disappoint you. There are some dead spots in buildings, as T-Mobile’s network has trouble getting through all the concrete and steel, but within buildings, you should also be covered by WiFi. Next time you visit the National Aquarium (which, as a Baltimore resident, you should do at least once a year!) T-Mobile and the Aquarium’s WiFi network will keep you covered all day long.

👍 What We Liked

• Large 5G Network. Of all the major wireless providers, T-Mobile is the winner in 5G network coverage. The 5G network is well-suited for streaming video on the go without worrying about a WiFi connection. If you have a 5G-Compatible device, you can let it flex its muscles the most on T-Mobile’s 5G network. 
• Premium Data. While it is an unlikely occurrence, a surprise slow-down of your mobile service is quite vexing. The fact that they include 50 GBs of premium data with their Essentials plan is something we like a lot about their service. 

👎 What We Didn’t Like

• Phone Deals. T-Mobile has long been a fan of highlighting amazing phone deals locked to their most expensive plan: Go5G Plus. Carriers often open up great deals on their higher-tier plans, but T-Mobile often locks the deals to their premium plan only, taking them out of the running for users happy to open an account on the Essentials or Go5G plans. 
• Price. This is a common qualm with major wireless networks, but T-Mobile’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. 

#2 in Baltimore, MD: AT&T

Most Affordable Cell Phone Plans in Baltimore, MD

AT&T is right up there with T-Mobile for the best cell phone coverage in Baltimore, MD. 

T-Mobile’s 5G network is better overall, but AT&T has excellent cell phone plans and excellent network strength all up and down the east coast. When you walk through Baltimore’s Inner Harbor and stop at Cafe Express, you can snap a picture of your latte and upload it to Instagram without worrying about your data speeds. 

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
• AT&T Unlimited Extra Plan
• AT&T Unlimited Premium Plan

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. It does mean, however, that the other two plans available at AT&T only allow SD streaming when on mobile data. Outside of SD streaming on their normal cell phone plan, there are not many reports of congestion in the city (with the exception of events like a sports game or big concerts), so you should not run into many data slowdowns on their basic plan. If you travel into other cities, however, you should check out their local coverage maps and see if there are any reports of congestion in the area. 

👍 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 almost all of Baltimore. AT&T is constantly working to improve its coverage and the speed of its network. 
• High-Speed Hotspot. Three GBs might not seem like a lot, but it is a great emergency pool in case you ever need to connect your laptop and there’s no WiFi in sight. 

👎 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. AT&T’s base pricing is very high. If you don’t have multiple lines on your account, the benefits of this premium cell phone provider are much more costly. 

#3 in Baltimore, MD: Verizon Wireless 

Best Cell Phone Plan Range in Baltimore, MD

Though Verizon ranks third in the race for the best cell phone coverage in Baltimore, MD, they are by no means a bad choice. Verizon’s Ultra Wideband 5G network is astonishingly strong and provides great overall coverage throughout the city. Let’s jump into the details of their service. 

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

These plans bring a lot to the table. Both have unlimited high-speed data, and the unlimited plus brings a number of additional incentives to the table, including: 

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

The extra cost of their unlimited plus plan is worthwhile if you want unlimited premium high-speed data. If you live in an area of Baltimore where there is a constant set of people moving around on their cell phones, you may experience congestion. Neighborhoods like the Inner Harbour, Fells Point, and Federal Hill are prone to more congestion throughout the day. We recommend starting with Verizon’s less expensive plan and switching to unlimited plus if you notice data slowdowns throughout the day. 

Verizon users only receive data slowdowns if Verizon MVNO customers are already slowed down, but there is still congestion on the network. If that’s the case, basic users get slowed, and premium users continue to enjoy the fastest possible data speeds. There is a point, however, where no amount of data slowdowns can prevent congestion, making the distinction between basic and premium data much less important. 

Verizon offers a wide variety of add-ons, which are nice bonuses to their service. The best part — they are optional. Each add-on is $10 a month and saves you some money on the service, but if none of them seem like things you need, then you can skip it entirely and stick with the base plan. 

👍 What We Liked

• Reliable Coverage. Verizon’s 4G LTE and 5G networks provide stellar coverage in and around Baltimore.  
• Family Plan Savings. The biggest con of Verizon is the price of their plans, and their family plan savings neatly cut the price of their plans. If you have at least three lines on the plan, it becomes much more affordable, but be wary of opening a line with Verizon if you are on your own. 

👎 What We Didn’t Like

• Price. Verizon is expensive. Their plans provide great service, lightning-fast speeds, and lots of add-ons, but they come at a high price. If you aren’t able to find family and friends with whom to share the account, the price point of their plans is a hard pill to swallow. 
• Customer Service. This is certainly not unique to Verizon, but their customer service does not always solve the problems ailing their customers. 

Get to Know Your Local Carrier Options in Baltimore, MD

We highlighted the three major wireless networks as the top three best cell phone coverage providers in Baltimore, MD, but if none of the plans caught your eye, we recommend taking a look at MVNOs. Each major network has a variety of MVNOs, and our favorites are Cricket Wireless, Visible Wireless, and Mint Mobile. 

Both Cricket and Visible Wireless offer unlimited high-speed data on some of their cell phone plans which is very unusual for MVNOs. This lets high-data users enjoy MVNO savings without worrying about their data consumption.

Mint Mobile, on the other hand, does not offer any unlimited high-speed data plans but offers four excellent and affordable cell phone plans on T-Mobile’s network. Ranging from 5 GB to 35 GB each month, Mint Mobile is a great choice for those who don’t always use a ton of data. Take advantage of WiFi networks when you can and save big with Mint Mobile’s service!

FAQ: Your Questions About Cell Phone Coverage in Baltimore, MD, Answered

How to determine which cell carrier has the best coverage in my area?

We recommend looking at local message boards and coverage maps to determine the best cell carrier in your area. While T-Mobile’s network is the best in Baltimore, there are many locations where its network is weaker than the competition.

Does Verizon work in Baltimore?

Yes! Verizon’s 5G network is very good in and around Baltimore.

What cell phone carrier truly has the best coverage?

It all depends on where you are in the United States. The best cell phone coverage in Baltimore, MD, is T-Mobile, but each major carrier has places where it provides the best cell phone coverage. 

Who is the number one cell phone network?

The number one cell phone network is the network that best provides what you need from your cell carrier. Think about what you need from your cell phone plan to determine which carrier is best for you. 

TLDR; T-Mobile is your best bet for fast phone coverage in Baltimore, MD

Use really.com to compare! 

Baltimore is an amazing place to be. If you are planning a move, get excited! There is a lot to explore within Baltimore, regardless if you are about to move or have been a resident for years. If you want more info about plans available in Baltimore, MD, you can compare carriers at Really.com to decide which phone carrier is best for you.