T-Mobile LTE & Network Discussion

[lynyrd65]

I'm really surprised no one commented on how TMO will not expand LTE or 3G past 228 mil until they get 600 MHz. That means they're going two+ years without 3g/lte pops expansion. They'd be leaving 15k rural towers with only 2g.Does TMO expect to be able to survive slowly losing customers till 2016?

You should berate Legere's Twitter account until you get him to answer for it.

 

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[xcharles718]

TMUS' bread and butter has always been urban areas. In the case of those living in rural areas with EDGE or GPRS, they already seem to be living with those data disadvantages. If they're with TMUS now, I don't see them leaving anytime soon.

 

I guess they're playing the long game...

 

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[maxsilver]

Does TMO expect to be able to survive slowly losing customers till 2016?

They aren't slowly losing customers anymore.

 

T-Mobile just posted their best quarter in the last 2-3 years, and it's showing a strong gain of postpaid / "high value" subscribers (1.1 million net additional postpaid subscribers since last year) in addition to all the MetroPCS subscribers they just gained through acquisition.

 

Even if they lost 100,000 subscribers every quarter for the next three years straight, they would still be no worse off than they were last year (from a subscriber/revenue standpoint).

 

So, while no one knows the future for certain, it's looking like TMO will survive until 2016, even if they don't touch any of the 1G/2G towers.

 

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/t-mobile-us-reports-second-quarter-2013-results-2013-08-08

[mozamcrew]

It may only be 15k towers, but I bet nealy half of their coverage AREA is 2G/EDGE.

[Paynefanbro]

It may only be 15k towers, but I bet nealy half of their coverage AREA is 2G/EDGE.

The thing is, it is!

[mellimel2212]

I just can't understand why they block roaming where they have no service.

Yes, it's costing them but how about putting up a tower or two instead of saying "back to the ghettos!"

So the city is the ghetto huh? Ijs

 

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[Guest tuwsy]

So the city is the ghetto huh? Ijs

 

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Hyperbole.

[HawaiiD]

The thing is, it is!

But the thing is, it is....

T-mobile is just blowing sprint out of the water when it comes to rolling out their LTE network.

 

 

Sent from my Coconut Wireless HTC One

 

Edited August 20, 2013 by HawaiiD

[Thomas L.]

But the thing is, it is.... T-mobile is just blowing sprint out of the water when it comes to rolling out their LTE network. Sent from my Coconut Wireless HTC One

They are rolling out quickly in some areas, but their LTE and 3G are too spotty to be valuable to me. It's unacceptable to me that at least fifty percent of the time in some metro areas I can be on EDGE. They're not comparable roll outs.

 

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[lynyrd65]

But the thing is, it is.... T-mobile is just blowing sprint out of the water when it comes to rolling out their LTE network. Sent from my Coconut Wireless HTC One

Pretty easy to do with back haul already in place. For me T-Mobile LTE is actually slower than DC-HSPA. Not only that but they already have plenty of capacity here.

 

T-Mobile has no plan or path to solve their real problem which you don't see in HI, coverage. Here in the lower 48 greater than 75% of T-Mobile's land based coverage area is EDGE or worse supported by even lower speed backhaul than Sprints legacy network. For me Edge fails to transfer data at all in many areas. Hawaii being the small island chain it is, doesn't have the area to be covered by anything but one technology.

 

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[WiWavelength]

But the thing is, it is.... T-mobile is just blowing sprint out of the water when it comes to rolling out their LTE network.

 

You are being an ignorant consumer, caring only about the results that matter to you.  We are not going to allow you to troll S4GRU with anecdotes about T-Mobile coverage on a little island thousands of miles away from the rest of us.  You need to cut it out or take it elsewhere.

 

Back in the real world, aka the mainland, Sprint is kicking T-Mobile's butt in the Kansas market.  Sprint has LTE deployed across major highway corridors where T-Mobile -- even after seven years -- still has no W-CDMA.  

 

AJ

[Rukin1]

You are being an ignorant consumer, caring only about the results that matter to you.  We are not going to allow you to troll S4GRU with anecdotes about T-Mobile coverage on a little island thousands of miles away from the rest of us.  You need to cut it out or take it elsewhere.

 

Back in the real world, aka the mainland, Sprint is kicking T-Mobile's butt in the Kansas market.  Sprint has LTE deployed across major highway corridors where T-Mobile -- even after seven years -- still has no W-CDMA.  

 

AJ

For 4G lte. It goes Verizon Sprint tmobile Att. Sprint was first with wimax of course, But we all know what happened there. Since then Verizon deployed LTE here and is #1 with LTE for now. Sprint is nearly complete with NV. NV2.0 Should begin sometime next year and Verizon will have some competition here. tmobile/att just started to work on there towers for LTE here. But att LTE is broadcasting from one tower atm.

[Nickel]

But the thing is, it is.... T-mobile is just blowing sprint out of the water when it comes to rolling out their LTE network. Sent from my Coconut Wireless HTC One

As others have said that isn't fair at all because what Sprint and T-Mobile are doing are two completely different things. T-Mobile is just Cherry-picking sites and slapping on an RRU, whereas Sprint is going through their whole network and replacing the cabinets, RRUs and putting in proper backhaul for LTE.

[milan03]

It sucks that T-Mobile doesn't have a short term plan to cover rural areas with 4G, but they certainly did their fiber backhaul homework on time, years ago. Now luckily, that part of their deployment strategy is a non issue.

[Bob Newhart]

But the thing is, it is.... T-mobile is just blowing sprint out of the water when it comes to rolling out their LTE network. Sent from my Coconut Wireless HTC One

 

We think not.

 

You can thank the rest of for any cell/landline coverage, as Hawaii takes in a lot of money from the USF.

I know Sprint gets quite a bit of money from the USF to provide cell coverage. I thought that was interesting.

 

In my area in the cities, T-Mobile has had HSPA+ for quite a while, but max speed tops out at 1 Mbps.

 

So they don't have to have fibre or any fast data connections to offer HSPA+, they could even offer LTE if they wanted, and keep their T1s.

[Nickel]

It sucks that T-Mobile doesn't have a short term plan to cover rural areas with 4G, but they certainly did their fiber backhaul homework on time, years ago. Now luckily, that part of their deployment strategy is a non issue.

If they're smart they'll get to work putting in the fiber to those rural sites now as opposed to when they need it and then wouldn't have to deal with crap Sprint has to do now.

 

Off topic: the Sprint wireline discussion got me thinking, does T-Mobile have a fiber backbone like Sprint or do they use other peoples?

[bigsnake49]

If they're smart they'll get to work putting in the fiber to those rural sites now as opposed to when they need it and then wouldn't have to deal with crap Sprint has to do now.

 

Off topic: the Sprint wireline discussion got me thinking, does T-Mobile have a fiber backbone like Sprint or do they use other peoples?

 

They use other people's.

[milan03]

They don't have contractual obligation to use any particular provider, unlike Verizon or AT&T.

[Guest tuwsy]

As others have said that isn't fair at all because what Sprint and T-Mobile are doing are two completely different things. T-Mobile is just Cherry-picking sites and slapping on an RRU, whereas Sprint is going through their whole network and replacing the cabinets, RRUs and putting in proper backhaul for LTE.

TMO is adding LTE to 37k sites, sprint initially 39k. TMO has additional 15k rural sites so sprint's initial deployment is comparable to TMO's.

[Guest tuwsy]

It sucks that T-Mobile doesn't have a short term plan to cover rural areas with 4G, but they certainly did their fiber backhaul homework on time, years ago. Now luckily, that part of their deployment strategy is a non issue.

That's not a fair comment. TMO has no nationwide sub ghz, not even some motley SMR. What plan exactly should they have? Upgrade an additional 15k sites with fiber and lte while having the lowest arpu?

How many sites does ATT have, about 50k? And their arpu is how much higher than TMO's?

[Guest tuwsy]

Pretty easy to do with back haul already in place. For me T-Mobile LTE is actually slower than DC-HSPA. Not only that but they already have plenty of capacity here.

 

T-Mobile has no plan or path to solve their real problem which you don't see in HI, coverage. Here in the lower 48 greater than 75% of T-Mobile's land based coverage area is EDGE or worse supported by even lower speed backhaul than Sprints legacy network. For me Edge fails to transfer data at all in many areas. Hawaii being the small island chain it is, doesn't have the area to be covered by anything but one technology.

 

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Their plan is 600 MHz, as stated in an article I've posted many many many tunes.

They're going to use 600 for LTE beyond 225mil.

[HawaiiD]

You are being an ignorant consumer, caring only about the results that matter to you. We are not going to allow you to troll S4GRU with anecdotes about T-Mobile coverage on a little island thousands of miles away from the rest of us. You need to cut it out or take it elsewhere.

 

Back in the real world, aka the mainland, Sprint is kicking T-Mobile's butt in the Kansas market. Sprint has LTE deployed across major highway corridors where T-Mobile -- even after seven years -- still has no W-CDMA.

 

AJ

Aj,

I do live in the the real world. Am I trolling? Tell me about what's going on with sprint nv in Hawaii?

That's where I live.

 

Plus I am posting in a T-Mobile section.

 

I can honestly say T-Mobile has bumped up the data speeds in Honolulu to almost 50 MB average

Near my location.

 

Sprint 3g here is still very slow.

As well as many other places around the country that Nv hasn't started.

 

You want T-mobile to suffer

Because the the ceo in your opinion made some comments

That hurt your feelings?

 

You can call me names all you want. If it makes you feel better.

 

I don't go around

Calling people ignorant customers

Like you.

 

I respect your knowledge in regards

To technology regarding cellular networks. But hey we are all have opinions.

 

The future for Sprint is? That sprint in better position to

have the more robust national network coverage than T-mobile.

 

With the buyout by Softbank and the heaps of spectrum via the acquisition of clearwire. The future looks bright for Sprint.

 

Who knows? If Sprint offers better service and price point in the future?

 

I wouldn't hesitate to come back..

 

But now presently Sprint's Nv

Build out is in year 2 and seems to be at a much slower pace than T-Mobile.

 

I know Sprint is upgrading their backhaul and at the same time

Upgrading their cell sites. Which

Takes a bit longer than T-mobile which already has their fiber in place. Can you say props to T-mobile?

 

I understand edge is still the the

Primary network in rural areas across the nation. But they are refarming this spectrum as we speak and upgrading to Hspa.

 

From what I gather T-mobile started their fiber optic backhaul in 2007. Which sprint should have done also instead of thinking microwave antennas would be their answer at the time.

 

Also, T-mobile has upgraded or in the process of upgrading 37,000 of their towers with

LTE release 10 equipment. Which

Should make the transition to lte more

Seemless.

 

 

 

If you read up on T-mobile lately?

This last quarter was one if their best ever? They gained 1.1 million customers.

 

Both companies are not near perfect.

 

I am one who likes to support the underdog.

 

As I said before.

I hope Softbank can

Come in and shake up the wireless industry.

 

I was a Sprint/Nextel customer since 1999.

It is not like I am some hater from

At&t or Verizon who had no attachment to Sprint,

to form an opinion.

 

Anyways, the future looks bright for the number 3 and 4 companies.

 

 

Sent from my Coconut Wireless HTC One

 

Edited August 20, 2013 by HawaiiD

[WiWavelength]

Aj,

I do live in the the real world. Am I trolling? Tell me about what's going on with sprint nv in Hawaii?

That's where I live.

 

Do you live in the real world or the poetic world with your posts divided into stanzas?

 

 

AJ

[ericdabbs]

Do you live in the real world or the poetic world with your posts divided into stanzas?

 

 

AJ

 

 

I was just going to say...what is up with the 2 line paragraphs.  I had to wheel scroll on my mouse several times just to get down to the end of the post.  Can't imagine being on a 4 inch phone and having to scroll like crazy.

[ericdabbs]

Tell me about what's going on with sprint nv in Hawaii? That's where I live. Plus I am posting in a T-Mobile section. I can honestly say T-Mobile has bumped up the data speeds in Honolulu to almost 50 MB average Near my location. Sprint 3g here is still very slow. As well as many other places around the country that Nv hasn't started.

 

That is fine.  Look...I get that you are in Hawaii and Sprint NV has barely started over there and is probably going to be awhile before decent 3G and LTE coverage is available in Hawaii.  I don't necessarily blame you for switching to Tmobile at this point at least for the next 2 years on another contract just so you have the data speeds. 

 

Have you switched to Tmobile yet because it sounds like you really like their service?  I mean you didn't really need to write a huge rant on this.  Just choose the wireless provider that makes you happy and move on.