Sprint & T-Mobile Roaming Agreement

[Elijah]

1 minute ago, fizzicsguy said:

I wish.  I live with a native Sprint 1x800 signal that seems to go on forever, even though I'm surrounded by great Extended LTE. I wish I could use both simultaneously.  In fact, this makes some of the areas on the Sprint coverage map a lie. If the area has Extended LTE available, the coverage map will show that. But if native Sprint 1x is also in the area, you will never connect to that Extended LTE. 

Do we live in the same area? I experience this exact situation.

[fizzicsguy]

3 minutes ago, Elijah said:

Do we live in the same area? I experience this exact situation.

East KY here. Check out the coverage map between Paintsville, Prestonsburg, and Pikeville. 4 lone Sprint towers. Pikeville is 3G, the two around Prestonsburg are Band 25, and Paintsville has a single tri-band tower. But the entire region has extended LTE via Appalachian Wireless with excellent coverage on Band 12.  Paintsville's 1x800 signal has amazing reach and creates a huge area of exclusion for the Extended LTE.  I don't mind as long as I can text and make calls, the frustrating part is when it hangs on when it shouldn't in the fringe areas and I can't make or receive calls. 

[jefbal99]

I'm in rural west michigan where Sprint's coverage gets spotty at times.  Many times I end up with false SCP logs showing TMobile connections.  I have a few areas that I can hopefully latch onto a tmobile signal once roaming is working.

I just attempted a PRL update, but still on 55069

[Elijah]

15 minutes ago, fizzicsguy said:

East KY here. Check out the coverage map between Paintsville, Prestonsburg, and Pikeville. 4 lone Sprint towers. Pikeville is 3G, the two around Prestonsburg are Band 25, and Paintsville has a single tri-band tower. But the entire region has extended LTE via Appalachian Wireless with excellent coverage on Band 12.  Paintsville's 1x800 signal has amazing reach and creates a huge area of exclusion for the Extended LTE.  I don't mind as long as I can text and make calls, the frustrating part is when it hangs on when it shouldn't in the fringe areas and I can't make or receive calls. 

In Cumberland, Maryland I experience this exact issue, however with US Cellular LTE. These areas are only covered with 3 3G only towers in which data and texts are broken, but calls works. I have made a lot of reports with he executive office and it seems now that they removed the 3G coverage completely and only have Extended LTE shown. 

[Dkoellerwx]

16 hours ago, EntrepreneurKid said:

If your picking up a Sprint signal it won't let you roam, no device will roam if it can pick up a signal from it's home network, so during a manual network search if Sprint appears, there is no point attempting to connect to T-Mobile as it will refuse and say it is not allowed.

If it is seeing an LTE signal, it will not allow you to roam. However, there are many instances where devices have been on a roaming LTE signal while connected to Sprint 1x (1900 or 800). I have seen this happen on my devices many times. However, it seems to only happen *after* losing the Sprint 1x signal and switching to roaming. Once that happens, the device seems perfectly happy to continue on roaming LTE even when it reacquires a Sprint 1x signal, and doesn't switch away from the roaming signal until it sees a Sprint LTE signal. 

[Trip]

51 minutes ago, Dkoellerwx said:

If it is seeing an LTE signal, it will not allow you to roam. However, there are many instances where devices have been on a roaming LTE signal while connected to Sprint 1x (1900 or 800). I have seen this happen on my devices many times. However, it seems to only happen *after* losing the Sprint 1x signal and switching to roaming. Once that happens, the device seems perfectly happy to continue on roaming LTE even when it reacquires a Sprint 1x signal, and doesn't switch away from the roaming signal until it sees a Sprint LTE signal. 

That has not been my experience at all.  When roaming on US Cellular, the moment my phone thinks it sees 1X 800 from Sprint, it immediately ditches the US Cellular LTE signal and tries to connect to 1X 800 until it realizes there was nothing there after all.  Very, very annoying.

- Trip

[Dkoellerwx]

27 minutes ago, Trip said:

That has not been my experience at all.  When roaming on US Cellular, the moment my phone thinks it sees 1X 800 from Sprint, it immediately ditches the US Cellular LTE signal and tries to connect to 1X 800 until it realizes there was nothing there after all.  Very, very annoying.

- Trip

Hmm... maybe there is something different about the way roaming on NexTech works versus USCC. 

[DurhamHusker]

2 hours ago, Trip said:

That has not been my experience at all.  When roaming on US Cellular, the moment my phone thinks it sees 1X 800 from Sprint, it immediately ditches the US Cellular LTE signal and tries to connect to 1X 800 until it realizes there was nothing there after all.  Very, very annoying.

- Trip

My Pixel 2 does this and previously my GS7 did this in rural Nebraska.

[fizzicsguy]

3 hours ago, Dkoellerwx said:

If it is seeing an LTE signal, it will not allow you to roam. However, there are many instances where devices have been on a roaming LTE signal while connected to Sprint 1x (1900 or 800). I have seen this happen on my devices many times. However, it seems to only happen *after* losing the Sprint 1x signal and switching to roaming. Once that happens, the device seems perfectly happy to continue on roaming LTE even when it reacquires a Sprint 1x signal, and doesn't switch away from the roaming signal until it sees a Sprint LTE signal. 

 Maybe the difference is between traditional roaming (counts against your roaming limit) and roaming on extended LTE (which does not). I have seen SCP show Sprint 1X and Appalachian LTE simultaneously but when this happens it is very short-lived and I do not actually have data availability. The LTE signal quickly goes away and only the 1X remains.

Of course this raises the question:  Once T-Mobile roaming is activated and only Sprint 1X is available will phones connect to T-Mobile LTE if available? Will T-Mobile roaming be traditional or extended?

[Dkoellerwx]

Just now, fizzicsguy said:

 Maybe the difference is between traditional roaming (counts against your roaming limit) and roaming on extended LTE (which does not). I have seen SCP show Sprint 1X and Appalachian LTE simultaneously but when this happens it is very short-lived and I do not actually have data availability. The LTE signal quickly goes away and only the 1X remains.

Of course this raises the question:  Once T-Mobile roaming is activated and only Sprint 1X is available will phones connect to T-Mobile LTE if available? Will T-Mobile roaming be traditional or extended?

Well, in the examples above both NexTech and USCC are extended LTE now. I don't know if it is a regional thing, or a device thing, but I do recall in a small USCC roaming area nearby that I had a USCC LTE signal and Sprint 1x signal for a time as I was re-entering Sprint coverage, it only lasted a couple minutes as I was soon in range of Sprint LTE, but data didn't seem to be disrupted. This is on the LG G6. 

I suspect that, for now at least, you will need to lose all Sprint signal in order to connect to T-Mobile LTE. I would guess that it probably won't let you hold on if you have a Sprint 1x signal. Roaming on T-Mobile sounds to be extended LTE rather than coming out of the 100MB roaming bucket. 

[EntrepreneurKid]

According to todays T-Mobile Earnings Call the T-Mobile roaming is LTE Data only and in the example given outside of Sprint coverage your device would use T-Mobile LTE for Data and Verizon for CDMA voice.

[Wireless Junkie]

1 minute ago, EntrepreneurKid said:

According to todays T-Mobile Earnings Call the T-Mobile roaming is LTE Data only and in the example given outside of Sprint coverage your device would use T-Mobile LTE for Data and Verizon for CDMA voice.

That’s exactly what they do with AT&T. I usually roam on Verizon 1X and ATT LTE. I guess I will start seeing T-Mobile LTE instead when it’s active.

[utiz4321]

My v30 just got done with doing a network update and resetting on its own. Unfortunately, I am not going to be able to test the roaming anytime soon. 

[fizzicsguy]

9 hours ago, utiz4321 said:

My v30 just got done with doing a network update and resetting on its own. Unfortunately, I am not going to be able to test the roaming anytime soon. 

Happened to my v30 last night as well, will try and test this afternoon. 

[jroepcke51]

I am heading up to Denver this weekend from Albuquerque. I will try and update everything before I leave to see if it roams btwn Las Vegas and Colorado boarder.

[jroepcke51]

1 hour ago, jroepcke51 said:

I am heading up to Denver this weekend from Albuquerque. I will try and update everything before I leave to see if it roams btwn Las Vegas and Colorado boarder.

I looked at the coverage map and I should have LTE that is not partner LTE the whole way.

[drhz]

According to Sprint's earnings call today, Marcelo said that it would take them 60 to 90 days to implement TMobile Roaming. He said he told John Saw to get it running as soon as possible. Marcelo also said it is significantly cheaper than roaming on Verizon and ATT although he couldn't share numbers. 

[though]

1 hour ago, drhz said:

According to Sprint's earnings call today, Marcelo said that it would take them 60 to 90 days to implement TMobile Roaming. He said he told John Saw to get it running as soon as possible. Marcelo also said it is significantly cheaper than roaming on Verizon and ATT although he couldn't share numbers. 

Sprint doesn't roam on Verizon LTE (data) do they?

What areas of the U.S. has T-Mob LTE where Sprint/USCC/other Extended Networks do not???

[Dkoellerwx]

42 minutes ago, though said:

Sprint doesn't roam on Verizon LTE (data) do they?

What areas of the U.S. has T-Mob LTE where Sprint/USCC/other Extended Networks do not???

1x only on Verizon.

I think mostly the Dakotas, Montana, Wyoming is where T-Mobile may have coverage. Beyond that, it think it's pretty spotty where they have coverage that Sprint or partners do not. I'm not sure if T-Mobile roaming is going to be prioritized over that of USCC or other partners like NexTech or Pioneer. 

[Wireless Junkie]

10 minutes ago, Dkoellerwx said:

1x only on Verizon.

I think mostly the Dakotas, Montana, Wyoming is where T-Mobile may have coverage. Beyond that, it think it's pretty spotty where they have coverage that Sprint or partners do not. I'm not sure if T-Mobile roaming is going to be prioritized over that of USCC or other partners like NexTech or Pioneer. 

The South East is a big one. Sprint is pretty pathetic in Alabama to be honest. My phone usually stays on Verizon 1X and ATT LTE when I leave the interstate.

Edited May 3, 2018 by Wireless Junkie

[greenbastard]

44 minutes ago, Dkoellerwx said:

1x only on Verizon.

They still do EVDO data roaming too, but the speeds are capped just like they are on At&t LTE and it's not widespread. Before porting out last month, I was able to get data from one Verizon site in rural Texas.

I also noticed that domestic roaming that counts towards your roaming allowance has blocked off video services from places such as YouTube. Videos will not load at all.

[greenbastard]

51 minutes ago, Dkoellerwx said:

1x only on Verizon.

I think mostly the Dakotas, Montana, Wyoming is where T-Mobile may have coverage. Beyond that, it think it's pretty spotty where they have coverage that Sprint or partners do not. I'm not sure if T-Mobile roaming is going to be prioritized over that of USCC or other partners like NexTech or Pioneer. 

It'll be impossible to roam on T-Mobile in most of Wyoming. Outside of Cheyenne, the only LTE band they use is LTE B71. 

[runagun]

It takes 60-90 days to activate it on the system.  Keep trying but realistically wait a few months and it should be working. 

[iansltx]

Going along US-79 between Austin and Longview is a nice test of Sprint's roaming ability. As I type this, I'm on EvDO roaming with VZW; if I had to guess, it's an old Alltel site. Earlier, I was on AT&T LTE (B4 or B17) with VZW or Sprint 1x. The T-Mobile SIM in my tablet is pulling native LTE pretty consistently, bouncing between various bands and CA.

Unfortunately this is the last time I'll be doing this trip for quite awhile, so I won't be able to confirm when roaming goes live on that corridor.

It'll also be interesting to see what happens in the reverse direction. Though realistically the only roaming available in the other direction for me will be on PCS A-F, assuming the network is set up to properly broadcast Band 2 when the frequencies line up. For high end phones that just so happen to have a single variant cross-carrier B26 should be a nice boost in those places where TMobile hasn't built out yet and Sprint has.

EDIT: By the time I finished this message I was split between AT&T LTE and VZW 1x again.

[greenbastard]

7 hours ago, iansltx said:

Going along US-79 between Austin and Longview is a nice test of Sprint's roaming ability. As I type this, I'm on EvDO roaming with VZW; if I had to guess, it's an old Alltel site. Earlier, I was on AT&T LTE (B4 or B17) with VZW or Sprint 1x. The T-Mobile SIM in my tablet is pulling native LTE pretty consistently, bouncing between various bands and CA.

Unfortunately this is the last time I'll be doing this trip for quite awhile, so I won't be able to confirm when roaming goes live on that corridor.

It'll also be interesting to see what happens in the reverse direction. Though realistically the only roaming available in the other direction for me will be on PCS A-F, assuming the network is set up to properly broadcast Band 2 when the frequencies line up. For high end phones that just so happen to have a single variant cross-carrier B26 should be a nice boost in those places where TMobile hasn't built out yet and Sprint has.

EDIT: By the time I finished this message I was split between AT&T LTE and VZW 1x again.

VZW EVDO roaming is available on some sites inside the Texas triangle. Once you get into East Texas (east of I-45), At&t LTE takes over as a roaming partner. Unfortunately, this arrangement has left a lot of holes in roaming. I can confirm that the area west of I-45, south of SH-30, and east of SH-6 has no data roaming whatsoever.

From what I've been able to map, AT&T LTE roaming is available on I-45 starting at the Freeman/Navarro County line and ending at the Walker/Montgomery county line. On I-10, At&t LTE roaming starts somewhere inside Gonzalez county and ends at the Colorado/Austin county line.