We’re all familiar with the carrier maps that are displayed all over commercials and billboards, claiming that one carrier’s network is the best. While these maps might appear to offer total coverage, the FCC recently released a map that shows just how much of the United States is still stuck under 3G speeds and it’s surprisingly large.

As you can see from the image above, there are tons of black splotches all across the Western United States, but those in upstate New York and throughout Kentucky and Ohio are rather startling. The map below is an interactive look at these areas, so you can see close ups of just how much these carriers are failing to provide coverage in certain areas.

The fact that the FCC has a map of this data is interesting, as it could be used to force carriers to stop focusing on large populous areas and instead focus on expanding their networks to provide at least 3G coverage before moving on.

Thanks, Samantha!