Boost Mobile coverage vs. Straight Talk coverage
by sb (admin)
(Virginia)
Boost Mobile used to rely on on Sprint's CDMA network for its cell phone coverage and its IDEN network for its walkie-talkie or push to talk coverage. However, Boost Mobile is now owned by DISH. The coverage is currently provided by T-Mobile and AT&T.
Straight Talk phones, depending on which one you own, can rely on Verizon, AT&T or T-Mobile for coverage.
If the networks are the same, then the coverage is going to be pretty much the same with the only difference being the specific agreements Boost Mobile and Straight Talk have in place regarding bandwidth.
Where you may see a difference is when you have a Straight Talk phone that uses the Verizon network (which will be more common now that Verizon has acquired Tracfone) and compare it to a Boost Mobile phone on, say, the T-Mobile network.
In this case, the Straight Talk phone might have a slight edge as Verizon’s network is generally considered the best overall, though things might be different in your area.
When looking at the coverage based on the maps given by the providers, the Straight Talk map seems to provide better overall coverage, but you should take a look at how the coverage is where you live.
You can check out Boost Mobile's coverage map here. For Straight Talk coverage on the Verizon network, you can't really check it at the local level on their site, but you can head over to the Verizon coverage locator and check it there. Make sure you select "Prepaid" and hit "Refresh Map" to get the right coverage.
