Are you curious about how Boost Mobile provides service to millions of customers? Many people wonder what towers Boost Mobile uses to deliver their cell phone service. In this article, I’ll explain everything you need to know about Boost Mobile’s network infrastructure. We’ll look at which towers they use, how their coverage works, and why understanding this matters if you’re thinking about switching to Boost Mobile.
Boost Mobile is a popular prepaid wireless service provider in the United States. They offer affordable plans without contracts. But to provide reliable service, they need to use cellular towers. Let’s dive into the details of Boost Mobile’s network to better understand how they provide coverage across the country.
Boost Mobile: A Mobile Virtual Network Operator
First, it’s important to understand that Boost Mobile is what’s called a Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO). This means Boost Mobile doesn’t build or maintain its own towers. Instead, they lease network access from larger carriers who own the physical infrastructure.
MVNOs like Boost Mobile can offer lower prices because they don’t have the huge costs of building and maintaining thousands of cell towers across the country. They focus on providing good customer service and competitive plans while relying on established networks for the technical side.
T-Mobile Towers: Boost Mobile’s Primary Network
Currently, Boost Mobile primarily uses T-Mobile’s network towers. This wasn’t always the case. For many years, Boost Mobile operated on Sprint’s network. However, things changed when T-Mobile merged with Sprint in 2020.
After the merger, Boost Mobile was sold to Dish Network as part of an agreement with the Department of Justice. This agreement was necessary for the T-Mobile-Sprint merger to be approved. Even though Boost Mobile was sold to Dish, they continued to use T-Mobile’s towers through a network access agreement.
This arrangement means that Boost Mobile customers connect to T-Mobile towers when making calls, sending texts, or using data. T-Mobile’s network covers:
- Over 99% of Americans with voice service
- About 98% of Americans with LTE data service
- Growing 5G coverage across the country
The T-Mobile network that Boost uses includes thousands of towers across all 50 states. These towers provide various types of signals:
- 4G LTE for reliable, widespread coverage
- 5G for faster speeds in supported areas
- 3G for basic connectivity in remote areas (though 3G is being phased out)
AT&T Towers: Expanded Coverage
To improve coverage even further, Boost Mobile also has an agreement with AT&T. In 2021, Dish Network (Boost Mobile’s parent company) signed a network access deal with AT&T worth approximately $5 billion.
This agreement gives Boost Mobile customers access to AT&T’s nationwide network. AT&T has one of the largest cellular networks in the United States, covering:
- More than 99% of Americans
- Over 2.2 million square miles of coverage area
- Strong rural coverage in many regions
By leveraging both T-Mobile and AT&T towers, Boost Mobile can provide better coverage to its customers. This dual-network approach helps eliminate dead zones and provides more reliable service in different geographic areas.
Dish Network’s Own Tower Network: The Future
An exciting development for Boost Mobile customers is that Dish Network is currently building its own 5G network. As Boost Mobile’s parent company, Dish has committed to building a nationwide 5G network from scratch.
Dish Network aims to:
- Cover 70% of the US population with 5G by mid-2025
- Deploy thousands of new cell sites across the country
- Create America’s first cloud-native, Open RAN-based 5G network
As Dish continues building this network, Boost Mobile customers will eventually transition to using Dish’s towers in addition to their existing partnerships. This will give Boost Mobile more control over the service they provide and potentially lead to better coverage and speeds.
How Tower Sharing Affects Boost Mobile Users
What does all this tower sharing mean for you as a Boost Mobile customer? Here are the practical implications:
Coverage Benefits
Using multiple networks provides several advantages:
- Wider coverage areas: Access to both T-Mobile and AT&T towers means more places with service.
- Better indoor reception: Different tower locations help signals reach inside buildings.
- Rural connectivity: AT&T’s extensive rural coverage complements T-Mobile’s urban strength.
- Fewer dead zones: If one network has a weak spot, the other might provide coverage.
Coverage Limitations
However, there are some limitations to be aware of:
- Secondary priority: On busy networks, Boost Mobile customers might experience slightly slower speeds during congestion.
- Roaming restrictions: Some plans may have limitations on how much data can be used on partner networks.
- Tower handoffs: Your phone may sometimes need to switch between different carrier towers, which can briefly interrupt service.
- Phone compatibility: Older devices might not support all the frequency bands used by these different networks.
Understanding Cell Tower Technology
To better understand how Boost Mobile provides service, let’s look at how cell towers actually work.
Cell towers, also called cell sites, are tall structures with antennas and electronic equipment. These towers create “cells” of coverage (hence the name “cellular” network). When you use your phone, it connects to the nearest tower. As you move, your connection hands off from one tower to the next.
Modern cell towers use different frequency bands for different purposes:
- Low-band frequencies (600-900 MHz): Travel far and penetrate buildings well, but provide slower speeds.
- Mid-band frequencies (1.7-2.5 GHz): Balance good coverage with faster data speeds.
- High-band frequencies (24-39 GHz): Extremely fast but cover small areas and don’t penetrate obstacles well.
Boost Mobile’s service quality depends on:
- How close you are to a tower
- What type of tower technology is available in your area
- How many customers are using that tower at once
- Whether there are obstacles blocking the signal
5G Coverage on Boost Mobile
Boost Mobile has been expanding its 5G coverage as T-Mobile and AT&T roll out more 5G towers. T-Mobile has been particularly aggressive with its 5G deployment, giving Boost customers access to growing 5G service.
There are three main types of 5G that Boost Mobile customers might access:
- 5G mmWave: Ultra-fast speeds but very limited range (mostly in dense urban areas)
- 5G Mid-band: Good balance of speed and coverage (expanding in cities and suburbs)
- 5G Low-band: Wider coverage but more modest speed improvements over 4G (available in many rural areas)
To use 5G on Boost Mobile, you need:
- A 5G-compatible phone
- A plan that includes 5G access
- To be in an area with 5G coverage
As more towers are upgraded to support 5G, Boost Mobile customers will see improved service quality and faster data speeds in more locations.
Checking Boost Mobile Coverage in Your Area
Before switching to Boost Mobile, it’s smart to check coverage in the places you spend most of your time. Here’s how you can do that:
- Visit Boost Mobile’s website and look for their coverage map
- Enter your address or zip code to see coverage details
- Check if your area has 4G LTE and 5G coverage
- Look at both indoor and outdoor coverage predictions
Remember that coverage maps are estimates. Actual coverage can be affected by:
- Buildings and terrain
- Weather conditions
- Network congestion
- Your specific device
If possible, ask friends or family who use Boost Mobile about their experience in your area. Real-world feedback is often more valuable than coverage maps.
Optimizing Your Boost Mobile Signal
If you’re using Boost Mobile and want to get the best possible connection to their tower network, try these tips:
- Update your phone: Make sure your phone’s software is up to date for the best network compatibility.
- Check network settings: Sometimes manually selecting network options can improve your connection.
- Consider a signal booster: For areas with weak coverage, a cellular signal booster can amplify existing signals.
- Use Wi-Fi calling: When cellular coverage is poor, Wi-Fi calling can provide clear calls over your internet connection.
- Minimize obstructions: Metal, concrete, and even some types of glass can block cellular signals.
- Check your SIM card: A damaged SIM card can cause connection problems.
- Reset network settings: This can fix software glitches affecting your connection.
- Position matters: Moving to a window or higher floor can sometimes improve signal strength.
Comparing Boost Mobile’s Tower Access to Other Carriers
How does Boost Mobile’s tower situation compare to other carriers? Here’s a quick comparison:
- Verizon: Owns their tower network; generally considered to have the best rural coverage but is often more expensive than Boost Mobile.
- AT&T: Owns their network; Boost Mobile now has access to this network, giving customers similar coverage footprints.
- T-Mobile: Owns their network; Boost Mobile customers use this network extensively.
- Cricket Wireless: Uses AT&T’s network; similar coverage to Boost Mobile’s AT&T access.
- Metro by T-Mobile: Uses T-Mobile’s network; comparable coverage to Boost Mobile’s T-Mobile access.
- Mint Mobile: Uses T-Mobile’s network; similar coverage profile to parts of Boost Mobile’s service.
The main difference is that Boost Mobile has agreements with multiple carriers, potentially giving customers more comprehensive coverage than some other MVNOs that rely on just one network.
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The Future of Boost Mobile’s Tower Infrastructure
Looking ahead, Boost Mobile’s tower situation is likely to evolve in several exciting ways:
- Dish’s 5G Network: As mentioned earlier, Dish Network is building its own nationwide 5G network, which will benefit Boost Mobile customers.
- Expanded Partnership Agreements: We might see Boost Mobile negotiate additional tower access with other carriers.
- Advanced Tower Technology: New technologies like small cells and distributed antenna systems will complement traditional towers, improving coverage in dense areas.
- Rural Expansion: Government initiatives are pushing for better rural coverage, which could help Boost Mobile customers in remote areas.
- Satellite Integration: In the future, we might see integration with satellite communications for truly nationwide coverage without dead zones.
Conclusion
Boost Mobile uses a combination of T-Mobile and AT&T towers to provide nationwide coverage to its customers. This arrangement gives Boost Mobile users access to two of the largest cellular networks in the United States, offering good coverage across urban and rural areas.
Additionally, as Dish Network continues building its own 5G network, Boost Mobile customers can look forward to even better coverage and faster speeds in the future. This three-network approach positions Boost Mobile to offer competitive service quality despite being an MVNO.
When considering Boost Mobile as your carrier, check their coverage maps for your specific area, as service quality can vary by location. With the right phone and plan, Boost Mobile’s tower arrangements can provide reliable coverage for most users at a lower cost than the major carriers.
Understanding which towers Boost Mobile uses helps you make an informed decision about whether their service is right for your needs. Their multi-network approach provides flexibility and coverage advantages that many other budget carriers can’t match.
