# Ipad Verizon Vs At&t Coverage



## BluegrassRV (Aug 14, 2012)

*iPad Coverage Nationwide AT&T vs Verizon*​
*Which data provider has the best iPad coverage across the USA? (Looking for coverage in most areas, not fastest data)*

AT&T425.00%Verizon1275.00%


----------



## BluegrassRV (Aug 14, 2012)

A little off topic, but we are thinking of getting an iPad on a standard data plan (not prepaid) from Verizon or AT&T. Can you all please share your thoughts on what service provides great coverage in a variety of areas when you're traveling? Im more interested in whether one provider has wider coverage than faster speed.

Particularly interested in how the coverage is for the different carriers while you're using iPad in passenger seat and vehicle is moving.

*Please vote in poll above.*

Thank you!


----------



## SalishSea (May 8, 2012)

Depends on where you live & camp.

AT&T 4G Coverage Map

Verizon Coverage Map


----------



## SalishSea (May 8, 2012)

As to your question regarding coverage using an iPad while traveling it works great on all the interstates we drive on but once you get into more rural areas off major interstates there's 4G coverage gaps between cities. Look at the maps for each carrier to determine where you'll lose 4G coverage on your trip. I've only used the Verizon map but you can tell right down to the street level where the coverage ends.

Another tip if you already have the Verizon unlimited data plan and use an Android phone - download FoxFi and you can use your Android as a wireless hotspot for your ipad for free - no additional cost to your Verizon plan and unlimited data.


----------



## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

Android tablets (and phones) will allow you to use your GPS for navigation WITHOUT cellular coverage. All iPhone and iPad require a data plan to use their GPS. That really bugged me...I am now a 100% Android user and LOVE LOVE LOVE them!!


----------



## H2oSprayer (Aug 5, 2006)

Oregon_Camper said:


> Android tablets (and phones) will allow you to use your GPS for navigation WITHOUT cellular coverage. All iPhone and iPad require a data plan to use their GPS. That really bugged me...I am now a 100% Android user and LOVE LOVE LOVE them!!


That was one of the major factor that made us go with a TF700T tablet vs. an iPad. With the iPad, the Gps receiver is built into the 3G/4G chip. So, as pointed out, unless you get the cellular service, no gps. I did find that if you teather your iPad to your phone, it will triangulate your position on the map from the cell towers.


----------



## KTMRacer (Jun 28, 2010)

SalishSea said:


> Depends on where you live & camp.
> 
> AT&T 4G Coverage Map
> 
> Verizon Coverage Map


when looking at coverage maps it's important to do an "apples to apples" (no pun intended) comparison. Verizon has 3G and 4GLTE, ATT has 3G, 4G and 4GLTE. ATT 4G is faster than 3G but much slower than 4GLTE. Verizon basically skipped the slight move up from 3G to 4G. Our son is in a ATT 4G coverage area that recently went from 4G to 4GLTE. with 4G it really wasn't much faster than our Verizon phone on 3G. He kept saying but they have 4G, why is it so slow? how come it's slow compared to your Verizon 4G. Now the area transitioned to 4GLTE and is comparable to our Verizon service on 4GLTE as one would expect.

That said, which one gives the better coverage does depend on where you are and where you typically travel. And both have spots around the country that aren't covered even for voice.


----------



## W5CI (Apr 21, 2009)

I have the ipad with att, it will work when iphone wont. but I spent the last weekend at a campground with no ATT coverage, wont go back there, my friends verizon phone had full coverage . Just depends where you are.


----------



## BluegrassRV (Aug 14, 2012)

This is really great feedback everyone... i know it will influence my decision on which carrier i choose... and i hope it will help some other folks as well. Thank you again for your votes and your comments. Kevin


----------



## raynardo (Jun 8, 2007)

Oregon_Camper said:


> Android tablets (and phones) will allow you to use your GPS for navigation WITHOUT cellular coverage. All iPhone and iPad require a data plan to use their GPS. That really bugged me...I am now a 100% Android user and LOVE LOVE LOVE them!!


I have an Android phone thru Virgin Mobile (no contract) with unlimited text and data, but only 300 minutes of talk per month. I also have an Android tablet that is WiFi only. In order to get my GPS to work I have to either have WiFi or cell connectivity. I do use the Android phone as a WiFi hotspot so that I can use not only my Anroid tablet, but my iPad (WiFi only) as well as my PC laptop to have Internet connectivity. So by using WiFi on my computers including iPad, I have GPS coverage. Oh yeah, I have an iPhone 5, too, with an unlimited text and data and 400 minutes a month through Sprint (contract). Virgin Mobile uses Sprint's network for connectivity.

I don't think I can get GPS navigation without cellular coverage or without WiFi, I have to have one or the other. Do you know something I don't?

Can I say one is better than the other. Maybe.

Overall Verizon seems to have the better coverage, but then again I've been in places where my Sprint/Virgin Mobile phones have coverage and my Verizon friends don't.

One more thing, as a back-up I use a Tracfone from Wal*Mart. Tracfone uses AT&T for coverage.

When I'm out of cell range, but in a campground that has WiFi, I use either Google Voice or Skype to make phone calls (the data part is just default via WiFi).


----------



## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

raynardo said:


> Android tablets (and phones) will allow you to use your GPS for navigation WITHOUT cellular coverage. All iPhone and iPad require a data plan to use their GPS. That really bugged me...I am now a 100% Android user and LOVE LOVE LOVE them!!


I don't think I can get GPS navigation without cellular coverage or without WiFi, I have to have one or the other. Do you know something I don't?

[/quote]

I deal with Tablet/Ultrabooks at work, so I have MANY MANY devices to try... say..30+ in my house (which is my office...I work from home when not traveling around the world) and all of the Android devices I have will work without cell coverage. Just enable the GPS and it works.....that simple. The one trick is to download maps to the device (at home on wifi) and then it can still route you. If you don't have maps information of the area you're in then it will try to use cached maps but if they are not there, then it will have nothing to display your location against.


----------



## raynardo (Jun 8, 2007)

Oregon_Camper said:


> ... all of the Android devices I have will work without cell coverage. Just enable the GPS and it works.....that simple.


I get that, but since these devices triangulate via cell towers or WiFi connectivity they don't appear to work otherwise. I have a high end GPS mapping program for one of my Android tablets (and yes, I too have an inordinate number of electronic devices at my home office), but it doesn't work without at least WiFI connectivity. I used the program to travel between Southern California and Canada and back. But if I failed to turn on the WiFi, I'd be gently informed by the program to turn it on otherwise I wouldn't be going anywhere.

Please double check whether or not your running WiFi or if you've disabled your phone's 3G (or 4G or whatever) connectivity, and with both turned off if your GPS program is still not only running, but tracking your progress as well. I can't imagine it would be spatially aware without triangulation.

It's gotta be voodoo magic....


----------



## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

No Vodoo Magic...









As you can see from the image, the GPS is on, but there is no Cellular (this unit only has Wifi) an the Wifi is off. You can see the blue arrow (below the word "Beaverton")....that is me!

One thing...have you downloaded maps for "Offline Viewing"? You need to do this first.


----------



## rdvholtwood (Sep 18, 2008)

BluegrassRV said:


> A little off topic, but we are thinking of getting an iPad on a standard data plan (not prepaid) from Verizon or AT&T. Can you all please share your thoughts on what service provides great coverage in a variety of areas when you're traveling? Im more interested in whether one provider has wider coverage than faster speed.
> 
> Particularly interested in how the coverage is for the different carriers while you're using iPad in passenger seat and vehicle is moving.
> 
> ...


i know this topic is old; however, I am wondering *what service you ended up choosing? *- and how you like it. I have an iPad 4 with wireless and just bought my wife the same one. I am within the 14 day return/exchange window and am thinking about exchanging it for an iPad 4 with cellular. From what I've found searching on the web, it looks like *Verizon *might be the choice I would select.

We live in a rural area that historically had no coverage years back. DW and I both have cell phone plans with AT&T and coverage is ok. When I checked the Verizon map for Holtwood, it showed we had 4GLTE coverage.

Thanks,

Rick


----------



## BluegrassRV (Aug 14, 2012)

Hello, sorry for the late reply, we were in Yellowstone for 2 weeks. I can say the Verizon Ipad 4 has had mixed results... really not fair for me to judge it while traveling since most of the time we were in very remote areas. I-90 through South Dakota was pretty disappointing for coverage. Once we got into Wyoming Verizon ipad coverage was spotty, then once we were in Yellowstone, we got nothing the whole time.

Also when we then when down to the Snake River KOA in Jackson, WY (a town of 10K), the coverage was showing as 1 bar, but really pathetic.

But once we got onto interstates (I-80) we really didnt have any trouble and got many bars and even some LTE.

Im not really saavy on the technical language and what not, i just know when the thing works and when it doesnt.

Hope that helps.


----------

