T-Mobile LTE & Network Discussion

[jbom]

Like the one where they cancelled corporate discounts, thereby *raising* prices, yet T-Mo fanboys lapped it up as another "uncarrier" move.

there was downright fraud with the corporate discounts. Store employees often added it even if the customer wasn't eligible. People were signing up for PTA.org, Freelancer's, etc just to get 15% off T-Mobile's service then cancelling and since T-Mobile didn't verify eligibility, those people had a discount in perpetuity.

 

Many customers still have their discounts but now they have to verify every year to keep it. Those that couldn't verify lost it

[twospirits]

Speaking of discounts, I no longer have that contact that used to verify my list of Sprint discounts. So my lists may not be as Accurate. 

 

TS

[irev210]

Looks like T-Mobile is going to start cracking down on users who illegally tether for P2P purposes:

 

/via

 

I am honestly surprised that they've let it go this long.

 

I wonder if T-Mobile's network in certain areas is starting to fill up in terms of capacity.

[cdk]

I am honestly surprised that they've let it go this long.

 

I wonder if T-Mobile's network in certain areas is starting to fill up in terms of capacity.

 

It wouldn't suprise me if they have overloaded some areas with their recent customer adds...

[Deval]

 

 

 

 

Tmo needs it.  But the Tmo fanboys are gobbling this up thinking the list in the articles is statewide exclusive.  The article states that Tmo picked up 700-A Block in the following states:  Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida. Georgia. Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, New Mexico and Oklahoma.

 

However, these are mostly in the rural parts of these states.  And a lot of square mileage that Tmo doesn't even currently cover.  Since these licenses have build out requirements, Tmo will likely be adding some Protection Sites in non-strategic areas covered by these licenses.  You know, like they did with Omaha

 

Robert

 

EDIT:  Here are the BEA's they are acquiring...Dothan (Alabama, which includes small rural parts of FL/GA), Ft. Smith (Arkansas/Oklahoma), Little Rock (Arkansas), Jonesboro (Arkansas, and the heel of MO), Pueblo (Colorado), Shreveport/Monroe/Alexandria/Lake Charles/Lafayette BEA's (Louisiana), Traverse City & Sault Ste. Marie BEA's (Michigan), Missoula (Montana) and Farmington (New Mexico/Colorado).  A couple of nice pieces for Tmo, like Arkansas, Louisiana and Southern Colorado.  But all the rest are non strategic pieces.  Looking forward to their rural build out!

 

 

 

 

So what does purchasing this spectrum do for those areas? Since they do not have native HSPA/EDGE there?

 

[Paynefanbro]

I am honestly surprised that they've let it go this long.

 

I wonder if T-Mobile's network in certain areas is starting to fill up in terms of capacity.

 

Yeah it is, I read online that someone was getting speeds od 1 Mbps down and 11 up from his home site where it used to be 30Mbps. Another one of my friends constantly complains about T-Mobile's speeds in his area being slow compared to how they were when he first switched last year. Some places are slowing down gradually, while in extreme cases like the two I mentioned above speeds have hit a brick wall.

[transitwatch889]

So they are going 40x40.

 

http://www.fiercewireless.com/story/t-mobiles-carter-promises-20x20-mhz-lte-all-our-major-metropolitan-areas-so/2014-08-13?utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss&utm_campaign=rss

[EvanA]

So they are going 40x40.

 

http://www.fiercewireless.com/story/t-mobiles-carter-promises-20x20-mhz-lte-all-our-major-metropolitan-areas-so/2014-08-13?utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss&utm_campaign=rss

Not in the near future. 40MHz wide carriers don't exist outside of using CA.

[gusherb]

I am honestly surprised that they've let it go this long.

 

I wonder if T-Mobile's network in certain areas is starting to fill up in terms of capacity.

In Chicago it is for sure. On LTE I didn't find many places faster then 15 Mbps and saw speeds more around 6-9 Mbps in the city. It was faster at the beginning of the year. They are by no means near as slow as Sprint has been though, although if they add any more subs I'm afraid their single 10x10 LTE carrier may become overloaded. Good thing they still have HSPA 42. (That's even more loaded then LTE)

[S4GRU]

So what does purchasing this spectrum do for those areas? Since they do not have native HSPA/EDGE there?

 

 

They will most likely include at least WCDMA service in areas where they have the spectrum.  And possibly EDGE.

 

Robert

[S4GRU]

So they are going 40x40.

 

http://www.fiercewireless.com/story/t-mobiles-carter-promises-20x20-mhz-lte-all-our-major-metropolitan-areas-so/2014-08-13?utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss&utm_campaign=rss

 

They are discussing about what it would take to possibly go to 40x40.  Which would perform the same as two 20x20 with carrier aggregation.  Getting 40MHz of contiguous spectrum is all but impossible except for an off market here or there.  For the most part, carriers larger than 20MHz are not really practically because of the contiguous spectrum requirements just flat out prohibit it.

 

Robert

[transitwatch889]

They are discussing about what it would take to possibly go to 40x40.  Which would perform the same as two 20x20 with carrier aggregation.  Getting 40MHz of contiguous spectrum is all but impossible except for an off market here or there.  For the most part, carriers larger than 20MHz are not really practically because of the contiguous spectrum requirements just flat out prohibit it.

 

Robert

the cfo is glorifying Ergen. But could this be what was alluded to in the previous article. T-Mobile is putting on a show that is for sure.http://www.lightreading.com/mobile/spectrum/t-mobile-cfo-eyes-dish-growth-opportunities/d/d-id/710345?_mc=RSS_LR_EDT

[S4GRU]

the cfo is glorifying Ergen. But could this be what was alluded to in the previous article. T-Mobile is putting on a show that is for sure.http://www.lightreading.com/mobile/spectrum/t-mobile-cfo-eyes-dish-growth-opportunities/d/d-id/710345?_mc=RSS_LR_EDT

 

No 40x40 mentioned in that article.  It talks about 2x20, which sounds like carrier aggregation to me.  40x40 just isn't going to happen.

 

Robert

[Paynefanbro]

T-Mobile likes Dish, who likes Sprint. If this is anything like high school relationships, T-Mobile will be on the losing end of this one.

[milan03]

40x40 isn't a thing really. Maximum width of an LTE channel defined in 3GPP is 20MHz. What they're really talking about is two aggregated 20MHz FDD LTE component carriers.

 

T-Mobile will most likely have to do inter-band CA of AWS + PCS, but in many markets they won't be able to do 20+20 CA. It could very possibly be 20MHz FDD in AWS + 10MHz in PCS. And that's most likely not gonna happen until the end of next year at the earliest.

 

Carter did mention possible synergies with Charlie's spectrum since it's adjacent to T-Mobile's.

[sbolen]

So they are going 40x40.

 

http://www.fiercewireless.com/story/t-mobiles-carter-promises-20x20-mhz-lte-all-our-major-metropolitan-areas-so/2014-08-13?utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss&utm_campaign=rss

 

Seems like everyone in the C-Suite likes to take shots at Sprint:

Carter also took the opportunity to knock Sprint (NYSE: S), which last week dropped its plans to merge with T-Mobile amid intense regulatory opposition. Carter said that pushback from regulators at the FCC and Department of Justice "could not have been stronger."

 

"I think it's going to be difficult for Sprint," Carter said. He noted that the centerpiece of Sprint's network strategy is to use its vast trove of 2.5 GHz spectrum for TD-LTE services to deliver superfast speeds. Yet Carter noted that because of the weak propagation characteristics of 2.5 GHz spectrum, Sprint will need to invest significantly for "years" to build out that network on a nationwide basis. Sprint aims to have 100 million POPs covered with 2.5 GHz LTE by the end of 2014.

 

"The issue is that the densification that is required in the network to have a ubiquitous 4G data experience using that spectrum is a lot more densification than that network currently has today," he said. The spectrum can deliver fast speeds, he said, but "what good is that if you just churn them right out the back door?"

[JThorson]

http://www.engadget.com/2014/08/13/t-mobile-cracks-down-on-data-abusers/

 

This is an interesting way of doing it.

 

 

[Ascertion]

T-Mobile likes Dish, who likes Sprint. If this is anything like high school relationships, T-Mobile will be on the losing end of this one.

Well Legere has the highschool attitude down.

[bigsnake49]

 

Carter did mention possible synergies with Charlie's spectrum since it's adjacent to T-Mobile's.

 

He would be a fool if he did not. If I was T-Mobile, I would be performing a sexual act on Charlie right now. Because it would relieve them of the pressure to participate in the AWS-3 auction which they don't have the money for right now. Come to think of it Sprint should be doing the same thing if only to keep them out of T-Mobile's clutches. Dish/Ergen is eyeing Sprint's 2.5 GHz because it will allow them to offer fixed broadband, OTT video and VOD. Meanwhile they bring a lot of spectrum that Sprint can either use, like the 25x5 chunk comprised of PCS H Block plus the 2000-2020, or sell,1695-1710 uplink paired with 2180-2200MHz downlink. Not to mention 6MHz of 700MHz E block. Not to mention the nice cash flow. So Dish/Ergen is the belle of the ball right now, no matter what Neal Gompa says . 

Edited August 14, 2014 by bigsnake49

[Rawvega]

Seems like everyone in the C-Suite likes to take shots at Sprint:

Hell hath no fury...?

 

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[lennyj17]

Yeah it is, I read online that someone was getting speeds od 1 Mbps down and 11 up from his home site where it used to be 30Mbps. Another one of my friends constantly complains about T-Mobile's speeds in his area being slow compared to how they were when he first switched last year. Some places are slowing down gradually, while in extreme cases like the two I mentioned above speeds have hit a brick wall.

 

Ahhh... And so it begins..... the Data Hogs are slowing it down.... never fails. 

[jamisonshaw125]

http://www.fiercewireless.com/story/lowensteins-view-memo-new-sprint-ceo-how-turn-things-around/2014-08-14

 

 

Naturally, Doug is one of the first to comment. 

[jroepcke51]

http://www.fiercewireless.com/story/lowensteins-view-memo-new-sprint-ceo-how-turn-things-around/2014-08-14

 

 

Naturally, Doug is one of the first to comment. 

I take it this "Doug" of what you speak of was banned here...

[uecker87]

http://www.fiercewireless.com/story/lowensteins-view-memo-new-sprint-ceo-how-turn-things-around/2014-08-14

 

 

Naturally, Doug is one of the first to comment. 

 

Hey it wasn't me!    Have to hate people out there that bring down a perfectly fine name. 

[JosefTor]

Will the fanboys call this another brilliant uncarrier move???

In my opinion, Sprint should have done this vice making an extremely low unlimited data cap. Also, I like how forthcoming they were with how many customers this currently impacts.

 

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