Cellular coverage

[CTANut]

It might be helpful to make a list of spots where cellular coverage is/is not available on most trains. The only thread that I could find on this is almost 10 years old.
I found some maps:
T-Mobile:
https://www.t-mobile.com/coverage/coverage-mapAT&T:
https://www.att.com/maps/wireless-coverage.htmlVerizon:
https://www.verizon.com/coverage-map/MVNO (subsidiaries of the "big three")
Visible wireless, Spectrum Mobile, Xfinity Mobile runs on Verizon
Cricket is AT&T
MetroPCS and TextNow run on the T-Mobile network.

A note that I thought of:
T-Mobile has very little native (on-network) coverage in Nebraska, and thus you likely will be roaming off network there.
If you are traveling overnight on the California Zephyr, your data may be slowed to dial up speeds, if you use over 200 MB in Nebraska.

 

[jebr]

The FCC also provides a map, currently available here (click on "Go to the Mobile Map"):
https://www.fcc.gov/BroadbandData/MobileMaps/mobile-map
In Nebraska, T-Mobile uses US Cellular and Viaero, with Viaero preferred. Both of these are currently considered preferred roaming partners, and so the 200MB roaming cap generally doesn't apply. I heard a couple of reports where people got cut off after multiple gigabytes of usage, but for an overnight that shouldn't be a concern.

One note in my experiences on the Empire Builder: With T-Mobile, once you lose signal or get extremely slow service after either Winona (eastbound) or Portage (westbound,) speeds and coverage is more reliable for that segment if you force roam your phone on US Cellular. That said, when it drops out after that segment you'll want to be sure to turn your phone back on automatic mode - and the process to do this varies by device.

 

[CTANut]

Another option (if your phone is unlocked), is to activate a trial of Verizon service through an MVNO
https://www.visible.com/free-trial/

 

[Devil's Advocate]

With modern phones supporting multiple eSIM's you can combine a postpaid primary with a prepaid secondary to get maximum connectivity in both rural and urban areas. Or you can choose to use the train as an excuse to unplug and unwind instead. Also, unlike with aircraft 5G service has no known impact on passenger rail operations.

 

[west point]

If the maps are good then stay on the train's side of antennas. I often found if service lost just changing to other side cell often worked.

 

[TinCan782]

Although I tend to use my phone frequently, plotting out places with and without coverage just doesn't seem that important to me.
If I don't have coverage in an area I just wait awhile until I'm in a good area. My Facebook post can wait!

 

[BlackDiamond]

Interesting. I had to look up MVNO as I had not seen that acronym before. It stands for Mobile Virtual Network Operator i.e. a cellular provider that operates over someone else's network for example Cricket which uses AT&T to provide the underlying network.