Data roaming on newer triband devices

[WiWavelength]

Old ATN areas like Southern Illinois are 3G EV-DO until June 30, 2015. That date was the date the FCC mandated that AT&T had to run CDMA until as one of the conditions to approve the transaction of AT&T buying the remaining Alltel properties from ATN.

 

You have one year left.  Go out and live, dammit, live!

 

AJ

[S4GRU]

Old ATN areas like Southern Illinois are 3G EV-DO until June 30, 2015. That date was the date the FCC mandated that AT&T had to run CDMA until as one of the conditions to approve the transaction of AT&T buying the remaining Alltel properties from ATN.

Alltel areas in New Mexico and South Dakota no longer have CDMA available.

 

Robert via Samsung Note 8.0 using Tapatalk Pro

[Fraydog]

Sadly where I live wasn't 3G for Alltel when they signed that agreement. Randolph County was permanently stuck at 1X for Alltel roaming.

[WiWavelength]

Alltel areas in New Mexico and South Dakota no longer have CDMA available.

 

 

In Rapid City, it has been replaced by the superior, 25 year old Global System for Mobile Communications.

 

AJ

[Fraydog]

Didn't Dan Hesse have a key role in the establishment of 3GPP?

 

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/3GPP

[WiWavelength]

Didn't Dan Hesse have a key role in the establishment of 3GPP?

 

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/3GPP

 

My point is that, in Rapid City and other places, AT&T went in, ripped out the CDMA2000 infrastructure, and installed literal GSM.  Not only W-CDMA, actual GSM.  Circa 2012.  Unbelievable.

 

AJ

[JWMaloney]

My point is that, in Rapid City and other places, AT&T went in, ripped out the CDMA2000 infrastructure, and installed literal GSM. Not only W-CDMA, actual GSM. Circa 2012. Unbelievable.

 

AJ

Are there places in the US that AT&T runs W-CDMA without GSM?

[WiWavelength]

Are there places in the US that AT&T runs W-CDMA without GSM?

 

Yep, lots of places.  Zoom in on former Alltel properties that VZW divested to AT&T.  All have W-CDMA now.  Some sites also have a GSM "underlay."  The diagonal hash marked coverage is W-CDMA, no GSM.

 

http://www.att.com/maps/wireless-coverage.html

 

AJ

[Fraydog]

Wouldn't Ericsson RBS 6000 units tailored for AT&T have all their standards already in place?  I think most of the Zodiac areas were handled by Ericsson, so GSM/WCDMA more or less comes as part of the same package.  Maybe AT&T could have left CDMA up with new channel cards in the RBS instead of whatever legacy CDMA system was there. AT&T probably didn't want to spend the money.

[Paynefanbro]

I think that the difference is, by default tri-band devices don't have CDMA data roaming activated in settings. I know that I had to go into my mobile network settings on my M8 to check it on. On my EVO LTE, once I went into a roaming area, my device would start using roaming data, this is no longer the case. I think that Sprint is trying to reduce roaming data costs on their end.

 

It's nothing serious though. Just go to Mobile Networks in the Settings menu, and check Domestic Roaming Data on.

[WiWavelength]

I think that the difference is, by default tri-band devices don't have CDMA data roaming activated in settings. I know that I had to go into my mobile network settings on my M8 to check it on. On my EVO LTE, once I went into a roaming area, my device would start using roaming data, this is no longer the case. I think that Sprint is trying to reduce roaming data costs on their end.

 

It's nothing serious though. Just go to Mobile Networks in the Settings menu, and check Domestic Roaming Data on.

 

Good observation.  The explanation for the varied roaming maps may be as simple as that.  But along those lines, too bad for the millions of simpletons out there who do not understand their handsets and settings.

 

AJ

[gusherb]

I think that the difference is, by default tri-band devices don't have CDMA data roaming activated in settings. I know that I had to go into my mobile network settings on my M8 to check it on. On my EVO LTE, once I went into a roaming area, my device would start using roaming data, this is no longer the case. I think that Sprint is trying to reduce roaming data costs on their end.

 

It's nothing serious though. Just go to Mobile Networks in the Settings menu, and check Domestic Roaming Data on.

 

My iPhone 5, 5S, and my GS3 all had data roaming off by default and voice roaming on by default. So I don't think that's anything new?

[greenbastard]

I think that the difference is, by default tri-band devices don't have CDMA data roaming activated in settings. I know that I had to go into my mobile network settings on my M8 to check it on. On my EVO LTE, once I went into a roaming area, my device would start using roaming data, this is no longer the case. I think that Sprint is trying to reduce roaming data costs on their end.

 

It's nothing serious though. Just go to Mobile Networks in the Settings menu, and check Domestic Roaming Data on.

But that's always been the case with my old EVO 3D, Galaxy S2 and S3. I have always had to manually turn on roaming and then check the options for roaming (intl/data/voice).

 

Even if this were to be the case, it still doesn't explain why some areas still have roaming (like East Texas) on the maps, yet other parts (like west Texas) lost their entire data roaming for the M8 and GS5. I get that a lot of you say that Sprint maps are innacurate, but nobody has been able to confirm an established data session while roaming on an area that has gone missing from the maps.

[Fraydog]

Good observation. The explanation for the varied roaming maps may be as simple as that. But along those lines, too bad for the millions of simpletons out there who do not understand their handsets and settings.

 

Or, good for Sprint since they don't have to pay as much roaming fees to Verizon.

[Paynefanbro]

I can confirm EVDO roaming in North Carolina on my M8. I drove down there earlier in the Sprig for a BBQ. While driving through much of northeastern NC, my phone switched to Altell EVDO roaming. Density was awesome as I had full bars in most places and speeds were excellent at above 2Mbps on average.

[Paynefanbro]

Maybe it has something todo with Sprint trying to rely less on Verizon coverage and more on partner coverage. At the end of the day, the best solution is just to make a new map but who knows how long it'll take for that to happen.

[dnwk]

Guys, this is much ado about nothing.  Individual device coverage maps have oft been inaccurate.  Do not worry about it.  All Sprint roaming to this point is either Cellular 850 MHz or PCS 1900 MHz.  And all modern devices support both bands for CDMA2000.  Until Sprint adds Lower 700 MHz, Upper 700 MHz, and/or AWS 2100+1700 MHz LTE roaming, the need for individual device coverage maps is basically nil.

 

AJ

 

Well, there was some hotspot device that doesn't roaming on 850. Not sure why. I tested them on actual device.

[joshnys8913]

Maybe it has something todo with Sprint trying to rely less on Verizon coverage and more on partner coverage. At the end of the day, the best solution is just to make a new map but who knows how long it'll take for that to happen.

Thats what I am thinking too, they are trying to phase that out as much as possible with big red V.....  Their contract is until 2015 (if I remember right).  Sprint buying T-mobile will help out tremendously with coverage.  As much as I have seen on here how much some of you do not like Son, I do believe he really is trying to improve Sprint, he seems to be frustrated with the FCC at which I don't blame him at all.  Dan when he came in 2007 really tried too, just the money wasn't there......  One small side point I think it does really show how bad the United States is (in this current time), its sad how we are in really bad shape and we need OTHERS to help us..  Not to get off topic of anything, this is just how I view it as a mid 20's young American guy!

[jgore43]

I can confirm EVDO roaming in North Carolina on my M8. I drove down there earlier in the Sprig for a BBQ. While driving through much of northeastern NC, my phone switched to Altell EVDO roaming. Density was awesome as I had full bars in most places and speeds were excellent at above 2Mbps on average.

Wow that's lucky. I wish alltel was still like that in South ga around 2010 it was great like that. I had alltel up until last year in the Savanah area and it got terrible. Hardly get any signal anymore and Verizon 1x is better than alltel evdo most times.. It's really sad. Now when I go back to visit that's the only cell connection I get at my parents house and is terrible. I miss the good old days of alltel ... [emoji17]

 

 

Anyway the point of this is that alltel in south Georgia is still the preferred roaming partner.

[travismheim]

Does the expiring roaming contract apply only to area's previously serviced by alltel, or is it everywhere Sprint relies on VZW for roaming? I ask because huge areas of rural upstate/central New York are only serviced by Verizon and it would really suck to lose that roaming coverage.

[joshnys8913]

Does the expiring roaming contract apply only to area's previously serviced by alltel, or is it everywhere Sprint relies on VZW for roaming? I ask because huge areas of rural upstate/central New York are only serviced by Verizon and it would really suck to lose that roaming coverage.

I know where your talking about!

[greenvillesc]

Sprint blocked EVDO roaming years ago. You can only get EVDO roaming with a custom PRL.

Robert via Samsung Note 8.0 using Tapatalk Pro

I have a business account . Can or can't you roam with evdo? I just recently switched to a business line for the $40 month unlimited hotspot, and other discounts.

[S4GRU]

I have a business account . Can or can't you roam with evdo? I just recently switched to a business line for the $40 month unlimited hotspot, and other discounts.

 

Corporate accounts get access to PRL's that do have more EVDO roaming.  But not necessarily EVDO roaming everywhere.  I'm not sure if they get it on all business accounts.  However, that's easy to overcome with a custom PRL.  But even with a custom PRL, you will still get a lot of 1x roaming.

 

Robert

[darickster09]

I can confirm that EVDO roaming in Western Washington is still alive and I would say well, but its quite slow as you probably already guessed.  But better than nothing when I'm in a non sprint area...  Though I have seen 1x roaming in a few areas up here in washington.  

[clbowens]

It's interesting that the iPhone 6 is a triband device, but when you check the Sprint coverage map, the iPhone 6 has greater roaming coverage than the GS5.  :-)