Verizon’s combination of strong rural coverage and urban 5G gives it an edge over competitors, especially where I live.
Verizon Review: I’ve Used Verizon Since I Was 15—Here’s Why I’m Still With Them
11 min readAfter more than a decade with Verizon, occasional service lapses and convincing competitor ads had me considering jumping ship to another carrier. But after thoroughly testing its rural and urban performance and pitting it against main competitors like T-Mobile and AT&T, I’m staying put.
My journey with Verizon began 14 years ago with my first phone, a cherry red Samsung Intensity (with a sliding QWERTY keyboard and all). At the time, you couldn’t pay me to care about which provider I used–not that I had any other option, because Verizon was the only carrier that could get a signal in my tiny, rural Utah town. Whenever my family members visited from “the city,” their phones couldn’t get a single bar.
Thanks to multi-line discounts, my payment is just as affordable as prepaid carriers like Mint or Visible, at about $30 per month. Verizon’s 4G/LTE coverage is still the most reliable in the rural areas, and its speeds in my city are fantastic. For someone who regularly travels to rural areas but lives in the suburbs, Verizon’s balance of price, network, and services makes it the best choice for me. Let me tell you why.
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Want to save money while still getting the same great coverage?
Try an MVNO like Visible Wireless, especially if you’re a single-line household. This prepaid carrier operates directly from Verizon’s towers, but without the Verizon price tag. Get unlimited premium data on one line for just $45/mo. Same Verizon coverage, just $20 cheaper.
Here's my experienced take on Verizon
For all our mobile reviews, we give a rating based on four main criteria:
Then, we average the scores to make an overall score.
Verizon wins awards for having the fastest and most reliable 5G network. Plus, its 4G LTE is notably robust in rural areas. Each of its three Unlimited plans is packed with data, with its top two plans including exclusive access to new customer deals, upgrade discounts, and enhanced international features valid in over 210 countries.
Here’s a quick overview of what you can expect from any Verizon cell phone plan:
- Three-year price guarantee
- Unlimited data—upgrade to Plus or Ultimate for unlimited premium data
- Up to $35 off per month with multiple lines
- Call Filter spam blocker
- No contracts
- $15/mo. bundle discount on Verizon 5G Home Internet
Dollar value
4/5
Verizon offers three tiers of Unlimited plans. For a single line with AutoPay, prices start at $65 per month for one Unlimited Welcome line, with an $80 per month mid-tier Unlimited Plus plan, and end at $90 per month for one Unlimited Ultimate line. All plans include a three-year price guarantee, unlimited data, 5G and 4G LTE capability, international texting, and a $15 monthly discount when you bundle with Verizon Home Internet.
Unlimited Welcome is a decent plan—it’s $1 cheaper than AT&T’s intro plan and offers unlimited data—but its speeds can slow down during network traffic, and you can get a similar entry-level plan from T-Mobile for $15 less per month.
Unlimited Plus includes 30GB of hotspot data, 5G Ultra Wideband capability, access to new-customer phone upgrade deals, and exclusive data plan discounts. If you upgrade to Unlimited Ultimate, you get 200GB of hotspot data, unlimited international data, talk, and text, up to 300 minutes of global calls from the US, and 4K/Ultra HD video streaming.
Verizon doesn’t really include any perks beyond phone capabilities, but it does offer discounted streaming packages and storage services for $10 to $15 per month–you might as well save $6 to $7 each month for services you’re already using. And if having mobile hotspot data is a make-or-break for you, you can add 100GB of hotspot data for $10 per month to any Verizon Unlimited plan.
While Unlimited Ultimate has the most data and perks to offer, the Unlimited Plus plan is where Verizon really stands out. Unlimited Plus offers unlimited premium data, something you’d have to pay $5 to $6 more each month with T-Mobile or AT&T. Add multiple lines and get even more value–having at least four lines can save you up to $45/month per line, meaning you could pay just $55 per month (instead of $90) for Unlimited Ultimate. Verizon offers up to eight lines on one account, compared to T-Mobile’s and AT&T’s five-line cap, making it a better choice for larger households.
Perks and add-ons
Verizon’s built-in cell phone plan perks focus more on connectivity than free entertainment bundles or goody bags. Customers can get unlimited premium data, 4K streaming capability, and eligibility for exclusive phone upgrades and international features. While not totally free, Verizon does still offer à la carte perks for $10 to $15 per month, including storage plans, travel passes, and 40% off top streaming services like Disney+, Netflix, and HBO Max. Verizon customers can also get a $15 monthly bundle discount on Verizon 5G Home Internet. We list more offers in our Verizon cell phone plans and deals article.
Access to new-customer upgrade deals
Sign up for any Verizon plan
Up to 50% off data plans
Sign up for the Unlimited Plus or Unlimited Ultimate plan
300 mins of international calling from the US
Sign up for the Unlimited Ultimate plan
Unlimited international data, talk, and text
Sign up for the Unlimited Ultimate plan
200GB of hotspot data
Sign up for the Unlimited Ultimate plan
“I switched from T-Mobile to Verizon because I had a hookup, but after switching, I got way better service, especially while traveling with family to southern Utah. I don’t miss T-Mobile’s perks either.” – Colton Story
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Network coverage
5/5
While I can’t guarantee perfect Verizon performance where you live, I can assure you that compared to T-Mobile and AT&T, Verizon offers the best coverage. Verizon’s 4G network is expansive, covering the majority of every U.S. state. In fact, Verizon scored a 9.6 out of 10 for Opensignal’s Coverage Experience award, with Opensignal noting that “Verizon customers can get a connection in the most places.” Verizon is also the reigning coverage champion for the fourth consecutive year, and I can attest to that. During a trip to Alaska, where coverage is spotty (Verizon’s 5G network is less widespread, with limited availability in West Virginia, Alaska, and Wyoming), I had great service in Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Juneau, with decent support on Kodiak Island.
If you’re concerned about Verizon’s compatibility with CDMA or GSM band frequency, don’t be. While Verizon’s network used to be exclusively CDMA, making it difficult to transfer certain phones from another carrier, Verizon has since transitioned to the new global LTE 4G standard. CDMA and GSM standards mainly apply to 2G and 3G networks, which are largely being decommissioned.
Traveling outside Fillmore, UT (Pop. 2,788). Photo by Brenna Elieson
Quality of reception when I made a call:
- In the city (Salt Lake City, UT): I experienced perfect reception on both voice and video calls. My FaceTime call never froze or became noticeably blurry.
- In the suburbs (Pleasant Grove, UT): Call quality remained consistently strong. Both voice and FaceTime calls had great reception, though my FaceTime quality had some weak, slightly blurry moments.
- In rural areas (Fillmore, UT): While traveling through rural southern Utah, Verizon’s reception was perfect. Voice call was clear, and while the FaceTime video was a tad blurry at times, the call never dropped or froze.
In my decade-plus experience with making Verizon phone calls, I have only ever had excellent call quality, especially for simple voice calls. Only data-heavy tasks like video calls or streaming can vary in quality, depending on your area.
Data performance
5/5
With the exclusion of its prepaid plans, Verizon doesn’t bother itself with data caps anymore. Every plan includes unlimited 5G data, with the top two plans offering unlimited premium data. Hotspot data is only included with the top two plans: 30GB with Unlimited Plus, or unlimited with Unlimited Ultimate (200GB at priority speeds).
Did I mention that Verizon has award-winning 5G? The latest 2025 State of the Mobile Union Report by RootMetrics crowned Verizon as the fastest and most reliable 5G carrier, showing impressive speeds in most of its test cities: “The carrier improved its metro speeds as well, with median download speeds of at least 100 Mbps in 122 cities and over 200 Mbps in 92—up from 61 last time.”
Testing download speeds side by side in a dead zone near my condo. My 4G phone (middle) proved competitive, matching an iPhone 13's 5G speed (left) and beating an iPhone X’s 4G speed (right). Photo by Brenna Elieson
These 5G trophies are a green light for urban users, but rural coverage will depend more on your specific area. Don’t get me wrong, Verizon’s 4G LTE coverage is pretty robust, with Verizon claiming it covers more than 99% of the country. So while you won’t get great 5G rural coverage, you’ll get the next-best service. As a matter of fact, with my iPhone 11, I can only ever use 4G LTE, and my service is just as good (or bad) as my friends' phones on Verizon’s 5G. At a dead zone near my condo, where both 4G and 5G are available, my speeds matched an iPhone 13 on 5G and beat an iPhone X on 4G. While 5G is a newer and often stronger connection, Verizon’s 4G is definitely strong enough for most users.
How does 4G perform where 5G isn’t available? In my hometown of Minersville, Utah (Pop. 882), the nearest Verizon 5G tower is about 20 miles away in Beaver; however, there is a Verizon 4G tower right outside town–it’s even visible from my parents’ backyard!
With our speed test, my mom’s iPhone 13 clocked in speeds at over 100Mbps, which is just as fast as Verizon’s 5G speeds in this year’s RootMetrics report—and way faster than the speeds I got at my own condo. 4G’s no chump.
Verizon 4G tower, seen from my parents’ backyard. Photo by Brenna Elieson
Speed text from my mom’s iPhone 13, one mile from Verizon’s 4G tower. Screenshot by Sherisse Coombs
Quality of download speeds when I tested:
Urban area (Pleasant Grove, Utah): Testing at 37.25Mbps download speed, I am still able to scroll Tik Tok smoothly and stream YouTube in HD.
Suburban or rural area (Minersville, UT): My rural test was the fastest at 63.48Mbps, a testament to Verizon’s 4G service. The connection was even better than my parents’ Wi-Fi, strong enough for a quick FaceTime call with friends and a full movie stream.
Customer service
3/5
The My Verizon app is very user-friendly, making it easy to manage my bill and plan. The home page shows the date of my next bill payment front-and-center, and I can choose “Bill overview” to not only see an itemized breakdown of my bill but also view any price changes from last month and exactly where they came from. The “Shop” tab lists all available discounts plus available phones, watches, tablets, or laptops for purchase. With the “Mobile” tab, I can also keep track of my data, minutes, and texts for the current billing period.
The My Verizon app shows my billing information, including any price changes. Screenshot by Brenna Elieson
The app’s “Support” tab is useful for straight-forward issues like no service, dropped calls, or perks attached to your plan. I recently used the chatbot to learn about the international perks of my plan for an upcoming trip to the Bahamas, and it was able to explain my phone plan’s TravelPass perk. However, to speak to a real human, I had no choice but to schedule a call—which I admit is a convenient feature—or else suffer through some jazzy tunes on hold. And don’t be fooled by “Live Agent,” it’s really just a chatbot. I called customer service to learn more about my phone plan’s features, since it’s not clear on the app which of Verizon’s current plans I have. I was able to contact an actual live agent after 15 minutes of waiting, and after some quick verifications, the agent informed me that my plan, “the new Verizon Plan Unlimited,” is an older plan name just carried over, and it includes the same features as the Welcome plan.
I don’t have experience signing up or cancelling with Verizon Wireless myself, but my friend Jake, despite experiencing an easy sign-up process, ran into problems while trying to upgrade his device online.
“I was trying to transfer my phone number over to our new account online, and it wasn’t working. I had to call my brother-in-law, who works at Verizon, to help sort it all out. I had accidentally locked everyone out of the new account, and we all had to get new numbers.” –Jake Story.
Many Reddit Verizon forums agree with Jake—online or over-the-phone modifications are more likely to create issues. Signing up, cancelling, or upgrading is smoother in person at a Verizon Store or even a Best Buy. Generally, Verizon doesn’t have great customer service ratings. With 1.2 stars on Trustpilot, it ranks just below AT&T’s 1.3 stars and T-Mobile’s 1.4 stars. Granted, none of those scores are great, so you’ll likely experience some hiccups no matter which carrier you choose.
Need to contact Verizon?
The easiest way to get general support is through the My Verizon app, where you can schedule a call or chat with a live agent. For more specific issues, call these numbers:
- Account & billing + Technical support: 800-922-0204
- Sales: 800-225-5499
Asking an AI chatbot for more information about my plan's international perks. Screenshot by Brenna Elieson
AI chatbot in the My Verizon app gave me all the information I needed about my plan's international perks. Screenshot by Brenna Elieson
Final take: Is Verizon worth your money?
Dollar value
4/5
Network coverage
5/5
Data performance
5/5
Customer service
3/5
Overall quality
4.3/5
If you value reliable 4G/LTE coverage in rural areas and fast 5G in cities, Verizon’s your guy, especially if you can take advantage of its significant multi-line discounts. Verizon also offers unlimited premium data for less than its competitors.
For single-line users who can’t swing at least $65 per month, a more affordable option like Visible Wireless offers Verizon-backed coverage at around half the price.
A carrier is more than its prices and speeds. To provide the fullest picture of Verizon, I used a multi-faceted approach that combined my long-term experience with direct testing and independent data.
- Long-term personal use: My research is built on over a decade of personal experience as a Verizon customer, including experience with both pre-5G and post-5G service, allowing me to experience first-hand how Verizon’s network has evolved over time.
- Customer interviews: To cover any gaps in my own experience, I spoke with seven different Verizon users about their experience with the service. This included their experiences with rural speeds, opening accounts, account changes, and customer service issues.
- Direct service testing: I performed live speed tests and made video and voice calls across different network environments:
- Call quality: I made voice and video calls in urban (Salt Lake City), suburban (Pleasant Grove), and rural (Minersville) areas to test clarity and stability.
- Network performance: I conducted speed tests on my 4G-only device and compared its results with my friends’ 5G phones around suburban settings to gauge real-world performance.
- In-app testing: I explored the My Verizon app to test its user-friendliness, including bill management features, plan overviews, and the effectiveness of its AI chatbot. I specifically used the chatbot to research my plan’s international perks to assess its usefulness for specific, straightforward tasks.
- Reviews and data analysis: I compared my direct experience with a review of external, third-party data and research for a more objective perspective. This included the following:
- Opensignal’s Coverage Experience Award: I cited Opensignal’s report to verify that Verizon has superior coverage, with Verizon scoring a 9.6 out of 10.
- RootMetrics’ 2025 State of the Mobile Union Report: I used this report to confirm Verizon’s award-winning 5G reliability and speeds.
For more information on how we test, check out Our Methodology.
Verizon vs. the competition
Choosing between Verizon, T-Mobile and AT&T will hinge on your specific location and data needs. While T-Mobile has the best 5G coverage, Verizon is a no-brainer for rural folks who depend on 4G, and urban users can rely on its award-winning 5G upload speeds.
Verizon’s mid-tier Unlimited Plus plan offers more value than its rivals, including unlimited premium data for $5 to $6 less than comparable plans. Users with lower data needs can get the cheapest base package from T-Mobile for $50 per month, but at that price point you might as well go for an MVNO or prepaid carrier like Visible or US Mobile, which offer unlimited premium data on Verizon’s network for less than $40 per month for one line. US Mobile can even hook you up to any of the three networks!
Or, if T-Mobile service is better in your area, MVNOs like Mint Mobile and Tello offer super affordable data plans under $20 per month.
Verizon at a glance
Other cell phone carriers
Verizon customer reviews
Customer Reviews
Lower prices
I wish the price was lower, but that’s OK. It’s been fine since I got it and I haven’t had a problem at all. Just wish the price was a little bit lower.
Cheryl | North Las Vegas, NV
Submitted 9/6/2025
Great price for unlimited
John | Selden, NY
Submitted 9/27/2025
the service works good and does not lag
Taylor | Milwaukee, WI
Submitted 9/27/2025
The price i really dislike
Kelli | Birmingham, AL
Submitted 9/30/2025
That it has great reception on my small town. My dislike is no senior discount and that it is due on the firsy werk of the month
Lisa | Globe, AZ
Submitted 9/27/2025
Verizon FAQ
You can easily make basic changes to your account through the My Verizon app or the website’s Manage Plans. However, customer reviews suggest that when making significant changes (like transferring numbers or setting up a new account), it’s best to visit a Verizon store or work with a representative.
You can make payments on your device in the My Verizon App or by calling Verizon’s Account and Billing line at 800-922-0204, but you aren’t required to fully pay off your device in order to unlock it. Verizon automatically unlocks your device 60 days after purchase, so long as your account is in good standing.
The easiest way to check Verizon’s network status is with the My Verizon App: In the Support tab, choose Network status, and enter your location or phone number to check the network at your location. You can also check via Verizon’s support page.
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