T-Mobile LTE & Network Discussion

[4ktvs]

LOL. Is this a question of ability or permission?! I thought I was a dick  /S   

Offtopic, but you really have a Chromebook pixel? I got the CR-48 and thought it was cool, but never really thought about paying for a chromebook before.

[JohnHovah]

Offtopic, but you really have a Chromebook pixel? I got the CR-48 and thought it was cool, but never really thought about paying for a chromebook before.

I do, but since it was a freebie from attending this year's I/O I can't feel too bad about the cost.  Would I have purchased one anyway? Most certainly.  Fortunately for me I can justify this as a business expense.

[iansltx]

Side note: T-Mobile has HSPA+ here in harrison, AR. Backhauled by a single T1. Speeds are better on Sprint's skeleton (license protection?) EvDO network here. And for some reason I'm being routed through NYC, rather than the more sensible Dallas. Or KC. Service drops to EDGE pretty quickly once outside town, and to GPRS in some areas.

 

Point of reference: both AT&T and VZW have LTE here. Don't have a device to test AT&T LTE, but VZW LTE is pretty solid. Using it to make this post.

[Nickel]

The issue is that I have an upcoming article to be published on a fairly well known tech site.  I cannot spill all the beans on this subject.  So, I play coy...

 

AJ

No, haven't you learned anything in your time here? the correct term is Koi, remember?

[4ktvs]

I only get 2G EDGE here in town even though the map shows it being a 4G area. I hope they fix it at some point to 4G like it should have been in the first place. 

 

Will T-moblie at the very lest upgrade there 2G towers in places to give "4G" areas 4g?

 

Note: both AT&T and VZW have LTE here, Sprint has it on map but it's not live. 

[lilotimz]

I only get 2G EDGE here in town even though the map shows it being a 4G area. I hope they fix it at some point to 4G like it should have been in the first place. 

 

Will T-moblie at the very lest upgrade there 2G towers in places to give "4G" areas 4g?

 

Note: both AT&T and VZW have LTE here, Sprint has it on map but it's not live. 

 

Unlikely. 

[4ktvs]

Unlikely. 

Guess I was screwed again by a online Coverage map. Verizon really pissed me off a few month's ago with it showing 4G LTE all over an area and I didn't get 4G there and went from week 3G to no signal at all. Stayed there for a month and was very glad to have AT&T to make call's, use data. ( Had a unlimited data plan with them at the time.)

 

On the upside, I am glad I didn't sign up for a true unlimited data plan with them. ( On 500mb and I bet I won't even be able to use it all.)

 

Guess I will most likely be waiting for Sprint to fix 4G LTE here, tri band phones and it would be nice to have a high end water proof phone but I don't really need water proof. 

[maximus1987/lou99]

For western markets, will GSM stop being included in phones?

How much would that save in BOM and how much would that save on retail price?

 

Will TMO ever kill GSM?

Edited August 1, 2013 by bluespruce1901

[4ktvs]

Well I called T-mobile, it sounds like I don't get 4G due to not being in a re-farmed area. ( My phone is quad band GSM/WCDMA)

 

And the really funny part is they just lit a LTE tower on the Edge of town or at lest that's what the CS rep said so both LTE and re-farm are going to be done at the same time. I will likely just give it some time because I pay next to nothing for my line. 

 

Note why the LTE tower is funny is because some one once said T-moblie will likely upgrade the area to LTE before sprint get's the LTE back up and running. 

[maximus1987/lou99]

Well I called T-mobile, it sounds like I don't get 4G due to not being in a re-farmed area. ( My phone is quad band GSM/WCDMA)

 

And the really funny part is they just lit a LTE tower on the Edge of town or at lest that's what the CS rep said so both LTE and re-farm are going to be done at the same time. I will likely just give it some time because I pay next to nothing for my line.

 

Note why the LTE tower is funny is because some one once said T-moblie will likely upgrade the area to LTE before sprint get's the LTE back up and running.

I wouldn't take edge-only for $0/month, let alone something greater than that.

[Ascertion]

I wouldn't take edge-only for $0/month, let alone something greater than that.

I could still make phone calls/text on edge so I'd take it if it was free. Not to mention, while it was slow, it still loaded tapatalk text. (Images didn't load.)

 

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

 

 

[maximus1987/lou99]

Getting rid of GSM for Tmobile won't occur still for several years. I don't see Tmobile deploying or refarming PCS spectrum for LTE until it has exhausted all available AWS spectrum resources for LTE. Since there is upcoming AWS-3 spectrum for auction in the next year or 2, you can bet that Tmobile will try to expand their AWS holdings as their main spectrum band for LTE.

 

What Tmobile needs to do is phase out all HSPA+ on AWS spectrum and shift all HSPA+ to PCS spectrum. Then Tmobile can extend their 5x5 LTE markets in AWS to at least 10x10 LTE in many markets to provide more relief. Tmobile has been refarming PCS spectrum for HSPA+ since early 2012 at the same time as they deploy LTE on AWS spectrum. Unfortunately Tmobile for the time being has to keep a HSPA+ carrier on AWS due to older smartphones (pre 2012) that can only connect to HSPA+ on AWS spectrum.

Not including at least PCS HSPA+ was the second stupidest thing TMO has done, with the first being not bidding for any 700 MHz.

 

I would love to know how many AWS-only phones are left on TMO AND at what rate they're dropping off.

 

Does anyone know the most recent AWS-only phone released by TMO?

Edited August 2, 2013 by bluespruce1901

[maximus1987/lou99]

Well whether Tmobile has enough AWS or not will be determined if they participate in the AWS-3 auction in the next 2 years. I think AT&T needs the AWS-3 spectrum more than either Verizon or Tmobile but I don't like the fact that ATT would be getting more spectrum. I agree that Tmobile's next block of spectrum they need to obtain is 600 MHz rather than more AWS. However the fact that HSPA+ 42 requires 20 MHz (10x10 block) of bandwidth is a lot of spectrum from Tmobile's perspective.

TMO has no +42 on PCS. Even if they remove a PCS +21 carrier in ONE year, it wouldn't affect them. Speeds would be lower but the super tech geeks would all be on LTE by then. The remaining TMO users would be happy with 1mbps on h+21 avg speeds.

[ericdabbs]

Not including at least PCS HSPA+ was the second stupidest thing TMO has done, with the first being not bidding for any 700 MHz. I would love to know how many AWS-only phones are left on TMO AND at what rate they're dropping off. Does anyone know the most recent AWS-only phone released by TMO?

 

Its funny that you ask about 700 MHz because you really need to hear the Tmobile representative that spoke before the Energy and Commerce committee and do your research as to why Tmobile didn't bid on 700 MHz.  Here is a little history lesson.  The first thing you need to remember is the pre-iPhone (before 2007) era where data traffic demand was not that high throughout the US.  People would do occasional email or web browsing but certainly Youtube and Netflix traffic did not taken off in 2007 since there was no such thing as a Youtube or Netflix app on any smartphone.  The only way you could view Youtube or Netflix was through your computer or smart TV (which were pretty rare back in 2007) at home.  We know now that video takes up over half of the mobile data traffic.

 

In 2006, Tmobile went real big and bought a ton of AWS spectrum which the current incumbent was the US government (particularly the DOD).  Tmobile was so busy spending the next 2-3 years working on with the US government and the DOD to ensure that spectrum can finally be used for wireless mobile technology.  Sprint did the same thing beginning in 2008 to spend the next few years working with the US government to reband the Public Safety SMR band so that it can be used for other purposes. 

 

So now comes 2008 and the 700 MHz auction has arrived.  Sprint and Tmobile are so busy spending the cash and their time working with the US government on relocating their DOD/public services off of the SMR and AWS spectrum band respectively that they didn't bother bidding on the 700 MHz spectrum.  Even with the first generation of the iPhone, the data traffic profile wasn't to the point where they needed 5x5 or 10x10 blocks of spectrum just to compete. 

 

So you can't look back knowing what you know now about how the mobile industry has changed dramatically in terms of data traffic profile and blame Tmobile for not bidding on the 700 MHz spectrum.  There were other key players in MetroPCS, Leap and US Cellular at the 700 MHz auction and they pretty much came up empty due to the financial power that both ATT and Verizon had to outbid any 700 MHz blocks that they were interested in.  This is why Tmobile and the smaller carriers are fighting so hard to have the FCC impose some stricter rules on ATT and Verizon for the 600 MHz auction to ensure ATT and Verizon doesn't try to come in again and flex their financial muscles to outbid the rest of the mobile carriers into getting some 600 MHz spectrum that every mobile carrier badly needs.

 

 

TMO has no +42 on PCS. Even if they remove a PCS +21 carrier in ONE year, it wouldn't affect them. Speeds would be lower but the super tech geeks would all be on LTE by then. The remaining TMO users would be happy with 1mbps on h+21 avg speeds.

 

Yeah right.  Try selling Tmobile customers on those 1 Mbps HSPA+ speeds.  If Tmobile HSPA+ were only 1 Mbps, they would rather go to Verizon or ATT since that is the average 3G speeds anyways.  Tmobile and ATT have a 3G speed advantage over Verizon or Sprint because of the HSPA+ speeds.  You take that away from Tmobile and you'll see some PO customers who not only have to deal with slow HSPA+ but poor in building penetration.

[4ktvs]

I wouldn't take edge-only for $0/month, let alone something greater than that.

Guess you wouldn't pay for this then: 

 

And I did find some 4G in town but it's only in a few places. At lest the city next door has LTE, but if they don't fix it soon I will likely go to sprint when the tri band LTE phones come out and they fix LTE in wake forest.

 

Note: Screen shot was on a Verizon S3.  

Edited August 2, 2013 by 4ktvs

[maximus1987/lou99]

Guess you wouldn't pay for this then: 

 

And I did find some 4G in town but it's only in a few places. At lest the city next door has LTE, but if they don't fix it soon I will likely go to sprint when the tri band LTE phones come out and they fix LTE in wake forest.

 

Note: Screen shot was on a Verizon S3.  

 

LOL. You have GOT to bold the "note" at the bottom.

 

You don't NEED more than 1mpbs to do something as long as you're willing to wait a couple hundred milliseconds. I watch Netflix on Verizon iPhone 4. Even IF HSPA+21 drops all the way down to 1mbps on TMO cause it removes some carriers,  that 1mbps is gonna be extremely consistent.

[BlueAngel]

LOL. You have GOT to bold the "note" at the bottom.

 

You don't NEED more than 1mpbs to do something as long as you're willing to wait a couple hundred milliseconds. I watch Netflix on Verizon iPhone 4. Even IF HSPA+21 drops all the way down to 1mbps on TMO cause it removes some carriers,  that 1mbps is gonna be extremely consistent.

I get by quite fine on 1.5-2.5Mbps Sprint 3G with a sub 60ms ping when LTE is not available, pretty happy. Much better than the 3-4Mbps I got on my AT&T iPhone 4 with a 250-500+ms ping.

Edited August 2, 2013 by BlueAngel

[CaryTheLabelGuy]

Guess you wouldn't pay for this then:

 

And I did find some 4G in town but it's only in a few places. At lest the city next door has LTE, but if they don't fix it soon I will likely go to sprint when the tri band LTE phones come out and they fix LTE in wake forest.

 

Note: Screen shot was on a Verizon S3.

Yesterday, while eating lunch with a friend of mine who's a former Sprint sub, turned Verizon sub, we did about 10 back-to-back speeds tests with our phone on the same spot, at the same time. My Sprint iPhone 5 against his Motorola Android phone (not sure which model, maybe the Razr?). We were in downtown Jacksonville and every single test, my Sprint iPhone 5 won in ping, downlink and uplink. And to top that off, he had better signal than I did (i was in the -102dBm range). I was consistently getting 12-18mbps down / 2-6mbps up with 50-60ms pings and his phone never tested better than 5mbps / 2Mbps with 120-200ms pings.

 

He couldn't believe it, especially since he just left Sprint not that long ago. After 10 speedtests, I told him he'd better stop since he no longer has unlimited data AND he was loosing. Haha.

 

Just goes to show that even though Verizon and AT&T have higher theoretical top speeds (currently) than Sprint's LTE network, congestion is a real problem for those top-tier networks. (Confirmed by my own devices that run on AT&T and Verizon networks).

 

Also keep in-mind, downtown Jacksonville is not known for its amazing Sprint LTE coverage right now. There are only a few towers up-and-running so far in the area of downtown Jax I was in at the time.

 

Back on-topic.

[4ktvs]

LOL. You have GOT to bold the "note" at the bottom.

 

You don't NEED more than 1mpbs to do something as long as you're willing to wait a couple hundred milliseconds. I watch Netflix on Verizon iPhone 4. Even IF HSPA+21 drops all the way down to 1mbps on TMO cause it removes some carriers,  that 1mbps is gonna be extremely consistent.

Um did you even read what the download speed was? It was just as slow as EDGE with really high ping. ( It was in the 4th of July and at the beach but still not good.)

 

For me right now T-moblie as my back up line makes since due to unlimited text+voice for next to nothing Vs the arm and leg Verizon would want and I still have my unlimited data plan so I am not in a rush to JUMP out. (Oh yes I did)

[maximus1987/lou99]

What if Tmobile were to do rollover data?

It'd be nice if you could transfer your accumulated data to someone else.

And TMO could charge a 15% data tax on the transfer so itd be gaining something on tge transfer ie less network load.

A nice secondary market would develop.

And it'd be interested to see what people would be really willing to pay for data.

eBay would make some money, maybe even link up directly to TMO account system.

[Moropo]

What if Tmobile were to do rollover data?

It'd be nice if you could transfer your accumulated data to someone else.

And TMO could charge a 15% data tax on the transfer so itd be gaining something on tge transfer ie less network load.

A nice secondary market would develop.

And it'd be interested to see what people would be really willing to pay for data.

eBay would make some money, maybe even link up directly to TMO account system.

 

and why would T-Mobile do this?

[maximus1987/lou99]

and why would T-Mobile do this?

Same reason why it eliminated contacts, separated price of phone from service, etc

 

Cause it has to do something to try and stop the bleeding.

 

Duh.

[Paynefanbro]

Anybody else loving T-Mobile's new site and coverage map. It's time for Sprint to take notice. I think that they just need to remodel the whole thing!

[maximus1987/lou99]

Anybody else loving T-Mobile's new site and coverage map. It's time for Sprint to take notice. I think that they just need to remodel the whole thing!

Does TMO finally show you LTE coverage areas without forcing you to zoom in and CLICK!

[WiWavelength]

Anybody else loving T-Mobile's new site and coverage map.

 

Uh, no, hell no.  The pink on pink color scheme just makes T-Mobile that much more effeminate.  And the damn address entry pop in window will not get out of the way.  Not to mention, the separate GSM and W-CDMA maps are gone.

 

I will be happy in the next few years when the T-Mobile brand ends its decade long stay in North America -- just as long as neither AT&T nor VZW is doing the deed.

 

AJ