Finding Cellular Signal and Travel Planning for RV and Boat Mobile Internet

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Researching Cellular and Wi-Fi Before You Arrive

You've got the gear to connect. You've got the data plans. But to get a reliable mobile internet experience, now you need to plan your RV or boat travels around finding usable cellular signal. 

A critical part of successfully navigating a mobile lifestyle while keeping connected is knowing where along your routes you’ll have the best chance of getting online with the gear and plans you have chosen to carry with you.

For those who rely on mobile internet, it can be very important to research what to expect for connectivity before heading out to a new location. Does your carrier have coverage there? Does the campground have Wi-Fi? Are any of these usable for what you need to do?

While there is no single source that will give you a definitive answer, there are tools available to help. Finding cellular signal and Wi-Fi in your travels becomes a lot easier when you learn how these tools are best used together. 

Doing a little bit of research in advance can go a long way to making sure you'll be able to get online once you arrive at your next stop. 

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Finding Cellular Signal Video Overview 

Here is our quick video covering our top tips for finding cellular and Wi-Fi signals in your RV or boat travels:

 

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There are several handy resources for tracking mobile internet information down - ranging from maps to crowdsourced information. But remember, you probably want to use some or all of these types of resources in combination: a map from a Carrier or advertised campground Wi-Fi may not meet expectations. 

Carriers’ Cellular Coverage Maps

Each of the carriers publishes their coverage maps on their websites to make it easier for finding cellular signal. Unfortunately, some carrier coverage maps contain more helpful information than others.

Here's where each carrier keeps their maps:

• Verizon
• AT&T
• T-Mobile
• Dish

Cautions

Keep in mind, just because a carrier claims to have coverage - it doesn't necessarily mean you'll get it, or that it'll be usable signal. Nor do carrier maps promise a minimum data speed you can expect. 

Many things can impact your signal - the gear you travel with, local terrain, weather, tower congestions, and more. Carrier maps are derived from computer modeling of the towers they have transmission gear installed on, and they don't usually account for those variables that can affect your signal.

Unfortunately, carrier maps can sometimes be a bit...umm...optimistic, as their maps are used for marketing purposes too.

But these coverage maps are still a good place to start: they will give you an idea of where your carrier claims to have signal available. If your carrier claims to have coverage in a certain area, then with the right gear, you probably can find a way to get online. 

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Coverage? App for Finding Cellular Signal

Although anyone can go to each carrier’s maps individually, we decided to make it easier by bringing the major carriers’ maps to your smartphone or tablet.

Want maps for Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, and US Cellular in the US; and Rogers, Telus, and Bell in Canada?

We wrote an app for that!

Coverage? (available for iOS and Android) allows you to overlay regional or city-level resolution versions of the major carriers’ maps, created from Ookla's® cellular coverage data. This lets you can create a personalized coverage map for the carriers you travel with. It even lets you choose the minimum coverage type (mmWave, mid-band, 5G Nationwide, LTE, and roaming) you seek.

The maps are stored on-device after downloading the app, so you don’t need to be online to find out which direction to head when you're looking for a signal.

In 2022 Coverage? added Ookla's SpeedTest® feature, allowing you to run tests that are shared with Ookla, improving the maps for the future, and giving users the opportunity to document performance at their favorite locations for future travels. 

It’s also useful for planning your next stop - you can look ahead to see if your carriers will have service in the areas you're planning to travel to.

Learn more about Coverage? in our Gear Center - or download it from your app store:

Cautions

Do keep in mind, just because the carrier claims to have coverage, it doesn't mean you'll necessarily be able to get it. Many things can impact actual signal: like obstacles, distance to the tower, your modem, signal enhancing gear, and tower congestion. 

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FCC Coverage Map

In August 2021, the FCC published their own 4G LTE coverage map online, using maps supplied by all of the carriers (the map information is dated May 2021) - giving consumers a free tool for finding a cellular signal.

Again, keep in mind that carrier-provided coverage maps don't guarantee that you'll be able to get a signal. 

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Crowdsourced Coverage Maps

There are resources out there that aggregate crowdsourced cellular signal and speed reports.

Crowdsourced apps and websites use actual real-world user signal reports to build a coverage map for finding cellular signal and anticipated speeds. And then this information might be used by more advanced crowdsourced tools to geolocate where cell towers might be located. 

These resources rely on user data, so to aid in collecting that data, they often utilize a smartphone app that measures signal on your device, and then reports that back to the database.

If you're interested in more detailed information about your planned locations - like signal strength and what towers are nearby - crowdsourced tools may help. They also provide information for locations beyond the US and Canada.

Here are the major (and free!) crowdsourced tools and apps:

• OpenSignal - http://www.opensignal.com
  • Has both an iOS and Android app.
  • Speedtest Function
  • Estimates direction to connected cell tower
  • Shows device data usage
  • Option to disable automatic submission of signal data.
  • Option to contribute signal data in the background.
• Cellmapper - https://www.cellmapper.net/
  • Only has an Android App.
  • Shows tower location information, tower signal sectors, supporting bands, MIMO, and several other tower characteristics.
  • The App map can show which specific tower your device is connected to, assuming the tower is in the database.
  • Option to manually upload collected data.
  • Displays low-level cellular network information data along with frequency band calculations (for some providers and device dependent).
  • The site can be confusing to use, but they do have a beta test with a simpler interface at https://www.cellmapper.net/testmap/.

Cautions

Of course, with crowdsourcing, the maps are only as useful as the data they collect from users of their apps.

These resources tend to have good data for urban areas where they have a strong user base. But, when you get to smaller cities, the maps can show no coverage at all (even when there is coverage!)

Also, it's important to note that these apps may not be representative of the actual signal or data performance you'll get in a location. The reports are based off of the gear used for collecting the data. The gear you have could give you better or worse results simply because of the modem specifications, external antennas or boosters you might have in your mobile internet arsenal. 

For those venturing off the beaten path, it's wise to also supplement crowdsourced maps with the carriers' maps and campground/marina reviews. 

Uber Geek Resources

One little-understood aspect of cellular networks is that carrier frequency licenses are not nationwide but vary by location. So even though a carrier may support a particular cellular band, they might not have a license to operate that band in every part of the country, or may only have access to parts of the band.

Spectrum Omega's Spectrum Ownership Map is a resource for uber-geeks who want to dig down to see who has licensed the spectrum in a particular area. This level of detail is of limited usefulness for travel planning, but may still be interesting and useful for those who understand the intricacies of cellular spectrum.

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Campground/Marina Reviews

As many RVers and boaters depend on a solid internet connection, you’ll frequently find reports of cellular coverage and Wi-Fi performance hidden within campground reviews. Think of reviews as another resource for your internet travel planning.

As a reminder, reports of "bars" doesn't equate to data performance, and rapidly evolving cellular network may make a 5-year old review not very helpful.

Here are some of our favorites:

RV & Camping Sites

• Campendium – This review site includes specific fields for reporting the number of bars received from each of the major carriers in their reviews (reminder: bars don't necessarily equate to data performance). Campendium's premium members get additional tools, such as a basic LTE coverage map overlays and coverage filters. 
• FreeRoam - An app and online tool for finding campground locations also included basic LTE coverage map layers for the major carriers (date of maps not disclosed, and the maps require an internet connection to work). 
• Recreation.gov - The booking platform for federally owned parks, such as National Forest campgrounds and Corps of Engineers parks. There is an area in their review section that shows camper-provided ratings of cell coverage for each carrier, which the service then conglomerates into an overall rating.
• Freecampsites.net – A database of remote camping and RV boondocking options. Reviewers are asked to report their cellular signal for each carrier, but you have to search individual reviews to get the information.
• RV Life Campgrounds – There is Connectivity section for each park that indicates which carriers have service there, and also if the park provides Wi-Fi. There is a Connectivity filter when searching a general area, but you can only filter by Wi-Fi availability, not by cellular connectivity. RVers tend to leave coverage reports in their reviews. Their app allows users to report speed tests. (RV Life purchased the popular review site Campground Reviews, and reviews from that site are now incorporated into the RV Life review page.)
• RV Life Trip Wizard - Their routing tools include campground reviews with coverage reports, however it is a paid resource. They are now owned by RV Life as well.
• RVParky – RVParky.com is a review site where you might find cellular coverage mentions within individual reviews, although they don't yet feature a filter feature for cellular coverage. You can filter by if a park offers free/paid Wi-Fi.
• AllStays - Their app and website have reviews where past campers may have noted the cellular coverage.
• The Dyrt - A camping review website with a focus on tent camping, but inclusive of RV parks and campgrounds too. There are no specific areas to report cellular coverage or experience or search by it, but it might be mentioned in some reviews. 

Marina & Anchorage Sites

• ActiveCaptain - Boaters share their experiences on an app and website, and mentions of internet availability are often included within reviews.
• Waterway Guide - Boaters share their experiences on the website, and mentions of internet availability are sometimes included within reviews.

Cautions

With crowdsourced reviews, the information is only as useful as the information being shared. 

User submitted reports can have a lot of variability and could require you to parse through a lot of written text about a campground or marina. Details about a mobile internet connection could be hidden among reports on the bathhouse or playground.

Also, not everyone has the same mobile internet needs, therefore what is one camper's great experience may not be yours. 

For instance, some may report in very general terms like 'I was able to work' or 'I was able to stream Netflix'. Or a review may report a solid connection if it was possible check e-mail, but not mention video conferencing. And some may include what gear they have that made a connection possible, which can have a huge influence on performance. 

Also keep in mind when the review was made,  as cellular technology is rapidly advancing and things can change in a matter of months in some locations. 

And of course, don't just read reviews - leave your reviews to help your fellow travelers!

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Conclusion: Research In Advance

If it's important to you to know where along your route you'll have a good signal, advance planning is important. There are plenty of research tools available to help you, including carrier maps, our Coverage? app, crowdsourced apps, as well as online campground and marina reviews.

Unfortunately, there's not a one-stop-shop for knowing exactly what to expect at a particular location, but using several of these resources together can help. 

This uncertainty and variability is why we consider REDUNDANCY to be the most essential tool in your mobile internet arsenal. 

Learn More: The Importance of Mobile Internet Redundancy