Where is Boost Mobile Available?
Boost Mobile is an American wireless service provider owned by Dish Wireless that offers high-quality mobile devices, prepaid phone plans, frequent deals, reliable services, and nationwide coverage. Boost Mobile is a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), which means that it does not own its own network towers, but instead has an agreement with larger carrier companies to use their network towers.
The company has partnered with not one, but two of the largest carriers in the country for network access, therefore, Boost Mobile’s phone and wireless services are available nationwide – in all states and territories.
What Network Does Boost Mobile Use?
Boost Mobile uses the network of two of the largest three carriers in the country – AT&T and T-Mobile. As such, Boost Mobile’s customers can enjoy nationwide coverage for a lower price. In fact, Boost Mobile’s services are so much more affordable than the services of those two original carrier companies, that Boost’s customers could save up to $600 per year on their phone bills without compromising the coverage or call quality.
Note: Boost Mobile is powered by two networks, but each customer can only get access to one network – the one that has better coverage in the customer’s area.
What Towers Does Boost Mobile Use?
Boost Mobile is a prepaid MVNO without its own wireless network infrastructure. Therefore, it runs on AT&T and T-Mobile’s large networks and uses their widespread network towers. AT&T and T-Mobile are two of the three largest carriers in the country (AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon) and they both have huge amounts of network towers located throughout the county. Through the use of these network towers, Boost’s customers can access nationwide 4G and 5G networks.
Nonetheless, since Boost Mobile was recently acquired by Dish Wireless, a wireless company that is building its own 5G service and planning to become one of the largest carriers in the country, Boost may start using Dish’s network towers in the future.
How Good is the Boost Mobile Network?
Prior to the merger of T-Mobile and Sprint, Boost Mobile was using Sprint’s less spectacular network, therefore its coverage was not the best. However, ever since Boost Mobile’s customers can access two of the largest networks in the U.S. (AT&T and T-Mobile), Boost’s network is nothing short of excellent.
After all, AT&T offers 68% 4G coverage and 18% 5G coverage. T-Mobile, on the other hand, offers 63% 4G coverage and a whopping 41% 5G coverage, which is by far the largest 5G network in the county.
Both of Boost Mobile’s network providers offer excellent coverage that reaches over 99% of the country’s population.
Nevertheless, Boost Mobile’s network depends on several factors, including location and network congestion.
Is the Boost Mobile Network Reliable? How Reliable?
As is evident from the information about the Boost Mobile network that we have provided above, Boost’s network is very reliable. After all, it uses the network tower of two of the largest carriers in the country. It offers a huge 4G LTE coverage that reaches more than 99% of the population and the largest (due to T-Mobile) 5G coverage that reaches over 80% of the U.S. population.
As AT&T and T-Mobile’s network towers are unevenly distributed, both networks offer better coverage in urban areas. As such, Boost Mobile’s network is more reliable in metropolitan areas and less reliable, even patchy coverage in remote, rural areas.
Moreover, as network tower owners tend to have a natural network advantage over their MVNOs, during times of congestion, AT&T and T-Mobile customers may get higher data speeds, better coverage, and better reception.
Boost Mobile’s Coverage Area
Even though each Boost customer only uses one network (AT&T or T-Mobile), Boost’s overall coverage is the sum of both networks. Therefore, Boost Mobile’s coverage area is huge.
For each individual customer, Boost Mobile’s network coverage is exactly the same as AT&T or T-Mobile’s coverage. As both of these carriers have large nationwide networks, the customer should be satisfied with the network. However, the two networks are unevenly distributed, therefore, it is vital to check which of those networks offers better coverage in your area.
To do so, visit boostmobile.com/coveragemap.html and zoom in on the map or search the coverage based on your ZIP code or address.
What Other Carriers Use the Same Network?
In addition to its many other products and services, Boost Mobile also offers a Bring Your Own Phone program that allows customers to bring their own phones to Boost’s network and services. However, if you wish to bring your own phone, the device must be carrier-unlocked and compatible with Boost’s services. As such, the device you bring must use the same network.
Networks that use the same network as Boost Mobile (both T-Mobile and AT&T) are:
- Consumer Cellular
- Wing
- FreedomPop
Boost Mobile Network GSM or CDMA
Both T-Mobile and AT&T use GSM technologies and networks, as such, Boost Mobile is compatible with most GSM devices. If you are planning to bring your own phone to Boost Mobile, you will easily be able to do so if your phone is a GSM device. However, as Sprint (a carrier that uses CDMA technology) is now a part of T-Mobile, you may also be able to bring your CDMA phone.
Check your phone’s compatibility with Boost Mobile by visiting boostmobile.com/bring-your-phone.html?intnav=TopNav:Phones:BringYourPhone, entering your device ID in the provided search box, and pressing ‘Continue’. The system will immediately let you know whether or not you can bring your phone to Boost Mobile.
How Boost Mobile’s Coverage Can Compare With Other Prepaid Providers
It is possible to compare Boost Mobile’s network with both T-Mobile and AT&T’s networks, as Boost uses both of these networks.
Carrier | 4G LTE | 5G |
T-Mobile | 63% | 41% |
Boost Mobile’s T-Mobile | 63% | 41% |
AT&T | 68% | 18% |
Boost Mobile’s AT&T | 68% | 18% |
See T-Mobile’s 4G and 5G coverage at t-mobile.com/coverage/coverage-map.
See AT&T’s 4G and 5G coverage at att.com/maps/wireless-coverage.html.
See Boost Mobile’s 4G and 5G coverage at boostmobile.com/coveragemap.html.
Boost Mobile’s coverage can also be compared with other MVNOs that use these two networks – Consumer Cellular, Wing, and FreedomPop.
What Carriers Are Compatible With Boost Mobile
Since Boost Mobile offers a ‘Bring Your Own Phone’ program, it is important to know which carriers and wireless providers are compatible with Boost Mobile, as their devices are most likely to work at Boost Mobile. Boost Mobile is compatible with AT&T, T-Mobile, and all of their MVNOs, including:
- Net10 (AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon)
- Red Pocket (AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon)
- TracFone (AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon)
- Straight Talk (AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon)
- Consumer Cellular (AT&T, T-Mobile)
- US Mobile (T-Mobile, Verizon)
- Ting (Verizon, T-Mobile)
- Wing (AT&T, T-Mobile)
- FreedomPop (AT&T, T-Mobile)
- Gen Mobile (T-Mobile)
- Google Fi (T-Mobile)
- Metro by T-Mobile (T-Mobile)
- Mint Mobile (T-Mobile)
- Simple Mobile (T-Mobile)
- Ultra Mobile (T-Mobile)
- Tello (T-Mobile)
- TextNow (T-Mobile)
- Republic Wireless (T-Mobile)
- Cricket (AT&T)
- FreeUp Mobile (AT&T)
- Good2Go Mobile (AT&T)
- H2O Wireless (AT&T)
Is Boost Mobile LTE Coverage Good?
Boost Mobile offers two different 4G LTE networks – T-Mobile’s and AT&T’s.
T-Mobile has the third-best 4G coverage, covering 63% of the territory. AT&T, on the other hand, has the second-best 4G coverage (lagging behind the leader – Verizon, by only 2%), covering 68% of the country’s territory.
These percentages may not sound so great, however, as the territory that does not have coverage has very few to no inhabitants, both networks still reach approximately 99% of the U.S. population.
As such, it is safe to say that Boost Mobile’s LTE coverage is excellent, especially in urban areas.
Does Boost Mobile Have 5G?
Just like LTE coverage, Boost Mobile also uses two different 5G networks. When it comes to the 5G network, it is important to note that 5G is a relatively new type of network, as such, carriers are just beginning to develop their 5G networks.
AT&T has the second-best 5G coverage, covering 18% of the territory. On the other hand, T-Mobile offers by far the best 5G coverage, covering approximately 41% of the territory, reaching over 80% of the population, which is quite remarkable.
As Boost Mobile uses T-Mobile’s largest 5G network, we can conclude that Boost Mobile also has the best 5G coverage. Nonetheless, it is important to note that T-Mobile has a slight advantage over its MVNOs, especially in times of congestion.
Boost Mobile’s 5G coverage is available in major cities. To make sure the company also offers 5G speeds in your area, check the company’s coverage map.
Note: To enjoy 5G speeds, you need a 5G-compatible device.
How Fast Are Data Speeds on Boost’s Network?
At Boost Mobile you can generally expect to experience 600 Kbps-1.4Mbps download speeds and 350Kbps-500Kbps upload speeds.
Depending on which network a customer gets access to (T-Mobile or AT&T), they should theoretically enjoy the same data speeds as customers of the original carrier. However, in reality, network tower owners always have a slight advantage over their MVNOs, especially in times of congestion. As such, T-Mobile and AT&T’s customers may enjoy higher data speeds.
How Do I Check if Boost Mobile is Available in My Area?
Boost Mobile operates on T-Mobile and AT&T’s networks, therefore it is available nationwide. However, both of these carriers offer better coverage in more populated areas and patchy coverage in remote areas. As such, to make sure that Boost Mobile offers good coverage in your area, visit the company’s coverage map at boostmobile.com/coveragemap.html.
Boost Mobile Plans That Use T-Mobile
Boost Mobile offers a large selection of versatile prepaid plans with no credit checks and no contracts. All of those plans include unlimited talk and text, a mobile hotspot, and nationwide coverage, and all can be used on either T-Mobile/Sprint or AT&T’s network. Boost Mobile’s plans include:
- Plans under $10. These plans are only available for new customers and online. They include unlimited talk, unlimited text, and a certain amount of monthly data (starting from 1GB).
- $15 2GB a month plan. It comes with unlimited talk, unlimited text, 2GB of data, and mobile hotspot. It is available for new BYOP customers only.
- $25 5GB a month plan. It comes with unlimited talk, unlimited text, 5GB of data, and mobile hotspot. It is available for new customers only.
- $35 10GB a month plan. It comes with unlimited talk, unlimited text, 10GB of data, and mobile hotspot.
- $50 35GB a month plan. It comes with unlimited talk, unlimited text, 35GB of 4G/5G data, and 12GB of mobile hotspot. You can add a line for $30 a month.
- $60 35GB a month plan. It comes with unlimited talk, unlimited text, 35GB of 4G/5G data, and 30GB of mobile hotspot. You can add a line for $40 a month.
Boost Mobile also offers add-on services, such as data packs, phone insurance, international services, and Boost call screener.
See more at boostmobile.com/plans.html.
Important Things About Boost Mobile Coverage – Are There Any Limitations of Boost Mobile Which You Should Know About?
As mentioned before, Boost Mobile offers excellent coverage, as it uses two of the three largest carriers in the country. Nevertheless, there are some limitations to Boost’s network that you should take into consideration:
- First of all, while Boost uses both T-Mobile and AT&T’s network, the tower owners always have a slight advantage over their MVNOs, which means that T-Mobile and AT&T’s customers may experience higher data speeds, better reception, and a stronger signal, especially in times of congestion.
- Boost Mobile does not own any network towers, therefore, the company has no control over the coverage. As such, may any issues arise, the company’s customer support team will not be able to resolve them.
- Each Boost customer only gets access to one network, as such, they must check which network offers the best coverage in their area. To do so, review Boost’s coverage map.
- The coverage is also influenced by some other factors, including the weather, network traffic, the terrain, proximity of buildings and obstructions, etc., just like all other MVNOs and carriers.
What to Know Before Signing Up for Boost Mobile
Before you sign up for Boost Mobile’s services, make sure to take the following considerations into account:
- Check the company’s coverage in your area at boostmobile.com/coveragemap.html.
- Make sure Boost Mobile’s plans fit your needs. Check them at boostmobile.com/plans.html.
- Make sure Boost Mobile’s phones fit your needs. Check the devices at boostmobile.com/phones?intnav=TopMobileNav:QuickLinks:Phones and the promo deals at boostmobile.com/deals?intnav=TopMobileNav:QuickLinks:Deals.
- If you are planning to bring your own phone, make sure the device is compatible with Boost Mobile. Do so at boostmobile.com/bring-your-phone.html?intnav=TopNav:Phones:BringYourPhone.
How Can I Switch to Boost?
Switching to Boost Mobile is easy. Plus, as new customers who switch to Boost can receive many fine discounts and benefits (including very affordable plans and discounted or free phones), it is also advantageous.
In order to switch to Boost Mobile, follow these simple steps:
- Contact Boost Mobile’s customer service or visit one of their stores. Tell the agent that you wish to switch to Boost Mobile.
- Make sure you don’t have any debt with your previous provider and that your phone (if you wish to bring it to Boost Mobile) is unlocked (otherwise, you can ask your previous provider to unlock it).
- When contacting Boost Mobile, make sure to mention that you wish to bring your own phone number (if that is the case). If so, make sure not to cancel your previous service before that, as this way you may lose your number.
- The agent will guide you through the switching process. You will have to choose a device (or bring your own), a plan, and a network, and provide some personal information.