SAN FRANCISCO · CA · FCC DATA

Best cell phone coverage in San Francisco San Francisco, California · AT&T · T-Mobile · Verizon

The carriers' outdoor figures run from 20.3% (T-Mobile) to 82.6% (Verizon) of San Francisco, CA, but 79.9% of San Francisco, CA's area is water and carriers differ in whether they file coverage over water. The gap is no bigger than the water, so the FCC figures don't show any carrier covering more of the land.

Figures are the share of San Francisco's area where each carrier reports 4G LTE or 5G service to the FCC, as of December 31, 2025. The area includes water (79.9% of it), which some carriers file coverage over and others don't. A state or city figure can hide dead spots, so check your own ZIP code below.

RESULT · SAN FRANCISCO, CA

Coverage in San Francisco, CA

Population 827,526 (Census 2024 estimate) · FCC filings as of December 31, 2025

≈ NO CLEAR LEADER ON LAND
All three carriers
20.3–82.6%

79.9% of San Francisco's area is water. The carriers' figures differ by no more than that, and some carriers file coverage over water while others don't, so the FCC figures don't show one carrier covering more of the land here.

Outdoor coverage range across AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon. Each carrier's own figures are below.

AT&T vs T-Mobile vs Verizon in San Francisco

=
Verizon
Reported coverage, % of area
Outdoor
82.6%
In car
58.5%
=
AT&T
Reported coverage, % of area
Outdoor
20.3%
In car
20.2%
=
T-Mobile
Reported coverage, % of area
Outdoor
20.3%
In car
17.7%

Outdoor is the share of the area where the carrier reports 4G LTE or 5G to a phone standing still outdoors; in car is the share it reports to a phone in a moving vehicle, which is always lower. Indoor signal is not part of the FCC filing and can be weaker than either.

4G and 5G across all carriers in San Francisco

4G LTE
82.6%
5G 7/1
58.2%
5G 35/3
49.1%

Share of San Francisco's area where at least one carrier reports each technology outdoors. "5G 7/1" means 5G of at least 7 Mbps down and 1 Mbps up, "5G 35/3" at least 35/3 Mbps, the two speed tiers the FCC publishes. The FCC summary does not split 5G by carrier.

Choosing a carrier in San Francisco

On land, the FCC figures don't separate the three carriers in San Francisco, so price, data allowance and contract terms can decide it. Check your own street in each carrier's map, because a city-wide share can hide a dead spot.

Questions about coverage in San Francisco

Q1

Which carrier has the best coverage in San Francisco, CA?

The carriers' outdoor figures run from 20.3% (T-Mobile) to 82.6% (Verizon) of San Francisco, CA, but 79.9% of San Francisco, CA's area is water and carriers differ in whether they file coverage over water. The gap is no bigger than the water, so the FCC figures don't show any carrier covering more of the land.

Q2

How much of San Francisco has 5G?

Across all carriers, 58.2% of San Francisco's area has 5G of at least 7/1 Mbps and 49.1% has 5G of at least 35/3 Mbps outdoors, in filings to the FCC as of December 31, 2025.

Q3

Where do these numbers come from?

From the FCC National Broadband Map. Each carrier files where it offers mobile broadband; the FCC publishes the share of each city's area inside that filing. They are carrier-reported, not measured, so check the carrier's own map for your exact address before you switch.

ZIP codes mostly inside San Francisco

94102, 94103, 94104, 94105, 94107, 94108, 94109, 94110, 94111, 94112, 94114, 94115, 94116, 94117, 94118, 94121, 94122, 94123, 94124, 94127, 94129, 94130, 94131, 94132, 94133, 94134, 94158, 94188.