Cell Coverage Maps Come To Offline Navigation Tools

Easily see where your phone will get signal, even when you have no signal

Thanks to an expansion in publicly available data from the Federal Communications Commission, accurate, easy-to-use information showing where and how much cell signal is available in what places is now available on your favorite mapping app. Let’s explore how you can take advantage of it, and the new possibilities it creates.

Above: OnX parses available coverage by data speeds and cell networks (Verizon, AT&T, or T-Mobile).

Like it or not, but digital connectivity is quickly expanding into the backcountry. SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet network has expanded high speed coverage to nearly the entire globe. But its expensive equipment (plus the additional systems necessary for powering it) is still too bulky for most human-powered adventures. T-Mobile is currently working with Starlink to expand a limited version of that connectivity to smart…