T-Mobile LTE & Network Discussion

[lilotimz]

Actually, at this point in NYC they don't have to touch their Base Stations. It's the matter of remotely rearranging/refarming the spectrum, and remotely re-provisioning the backhaul, really fronting the bill to their backhaul providers.

 

I.E. base station modifications via software

[danlodish345]

The tmobile modernization project is a network vision style rebuild.

 

All new Ericsson base stations and antennas and new Nokia macro setups.

 

It's an extremely solid network where upgraded fully and can do everythin sprints equipment could do and then some.

 

It's Att and Verizon that have to do a full style refit which they are doing now starting with their oldest sites.

 

Note their rural GMO style conversions are exempted as LTE GMOs overall are not satisfactory for any provider.

 

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

tmobile has lte wideband deployed where i am ....its just not announced i get 50 to 60 megs on lte and its still increasing and there is a tmobile tower a mile up the road from me....even though sprints coverage map declares my entire town lte....most of it is still 3g only including my block....lol and i do have a triband phone XD so even in old bridge which isnt to far from me i couldnt even get a lte signal outside.....but i guess there is still network vision going on in my area .... AT&T is slow ...sprint is meh and verizon is very slow...lol the AWS spectrum they use doesnt reach my block ...it looks like AT&Ts 700 mghz spectrum is congested all the time ...now at my work place and in many places around town AT&T completely refarmed their 800 Mghz spectrum for lte i have a s5 active for them and its pretty fast ! 

[milan03]

now at my work place and in many places around town AT&T completely refarmed their 800 Mghz spectrum for lte i have a s5 active for them and its pretty fast ! 

In NY/NJ area, AT&T has 1900MHz Band 2 refarmed for 10MHz FDD LTE. 850Mz Band 5 is still used for UMTS transmission. In some areas they started aggregating B17+B2.

 

Regardless of 20MHz aggregated FDD LTE spectrum, their LTE experience is by far some of the slowest throughout the entire NYC metro area. That is mainly due to oversold network, and inadequate backhaul provisioning.

[danlodish345]

In NY/NJ area, AT&T has 1900MHz Band 2 refarmed for 10MHz FDD LTE. 850Mz Band 5 is still used for UMTS transmission. In some areas they started aggregating B17+B2.

 

Regardless of 20MHz aggregated FDD LTE spectrum, their LTE experience is by far some of the slowest throughout the entire NYC metro area. That is mainly due to oversold network, and inadequate backhaul provisioning.

yeah their Lte on my block gets about 5 to 8 megabits a second and the hspa+ Is a joke and so is Verizon wireless....

[derrph]

I want to give T-Mobile a try to see what the hype is with them but my question is when will all of the 2g outside of the cities will be covered with hspa or lte? I would love to do a test drive but I want to do it under a complete network inside the city and out that way I have a informed opinion.

[SF SOMA]

I want to give T-Mobile a try to see what the hype is with them but my question is when will all of the 2g outside of the cities will be covered with hspa or lte? I would love to do a test drive but I want to do it under a complete network inside the city and out that way I have a informed opinion.

I switched to Tmobile in SF and am enjoy blazing LTE throughout the Bay Area. Can't recall any noticeable dead spots throughout the Bay Area but I'm sure there are some. Peak download was in Potrero Hill when I clocked 80 Mbs!! So fast that I'm sure it's a glitch.

 

I've also traveled to Gulfport MI for business and was clearly the fastest network between my Tmo iPhone and ATT iPad. The only time my Tmobile acted as deadweight was when I traveled to the Grand Canyon. My hotel was inside the park itself. It was not a total dead weight but I had to roam on some network that I was not familiar with (USA something). As a comparison, my ATT iPad was working inside the park, albeit very slow.

 

Feel a little guilty as I am using over 30 gb per month in data.

[Conan Kudo]

I want to give T-Mobile a try to see what the hype is with them but my question is when will all of the 2g outside of the cities will be covered with hspa or lte? I would love to do a test drive but I want to do it under a complete network inside the city and out that way I have a informed opinion.

It'll be done by the end of the second quarter next year. Possibly sooner if they keep reaching targets ahead of schedule.

[Turas]

I just requested two demo phones.  Although I think Sprint will be very strong in the end, I may have to move for a bit.  The service in the Northern VA area is just killing me lately.  I have many of my users who are constantly getting pockets of no service.  I was getting LTE before but now it seems I am in 3G more often then LTE.  Hopefully in a year things are better again but I think my users patience has finally wore off.  I have been saying it is getting better soon to them for too long. 

[danlodish345]

I want to give T-Mobile a try to see what the hype is with them but my question is when will all of the 2g outside of the cities will be covered with hspa or lte? I would love to do a test drive but I want to do it under a complete network inside the city and out that way I have a informed opinion.

t mobile will be rolling out HSPA+ and LTE to all 2g areas

[JosefTor]

t mobile will be rolling out HSPA+ and LTE to all 2g areas

I'm pretty surprised that Tmobile has almost the whole ride from California to Las Vegas covered in 4g and the 5 from San Diego to SF. I'm not sure why sprint hasn't upgrades any of these areas yet. Aren't they all microwave and should be fast to upgrade?

[lilotimz]

t mobile will be rolling out HSPA+ and LTE to all 2g areas

No. They are only doing GMO LTE builds where they add pcs Lte only.

 

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

[reedacus25]

t mobile will be rolling out HSPA+ and LTE to all 2g areas

Unfortunately the vast majority of those 2G areas will only be getting LTE, with no UMTS layer.

[jamisonshaw125]

No. They are only doing GMO LTE builds where they add pcs Lte only.

 

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

So if you loose LTE, you're back to crappy 2g. That has to suck. At least sprint has 3g to bounce back to.....

[derrph]

So if you loose LTE, you're back to crappy 2g. That has to suck. At least sprint has 3g to bounce back to.....

But with they laying lte down over the 2g what would be the odds of falling back to 2g if not on a call?

 

Also because they are only adding lte is this like a half done job kinda by not adding hspa+?

Edited November 11, 2014 by derrph

[lilotimz]

But with they laying lte down over the 2g what would be the odds of falling back to 2g if not on a call?

 

Unknown but probably very high. GMO LTEs are on a whole very terrible for proper network experiences compared to full builds.

 

Even Sprint gave up on them more than a year ago as those setups were a terrible experience for everyone. . 

[derrph]

Unknown but probably very high. GMO LTEs are on a whole very terrible for proper network experiences compared to full builds.

 

Even Sprint gave up on them more than a year ago as those setups were a terrible experience for everyone. .

Well that's sucks.

[milan03]

Unknown but probably very high. GMO LTEs are on a whole very terrible for proper network experiences compared to full builds.

 

Even Sprint gave up on them more than a year ago as those setups were a terrible experience for everyone. . 

The difference will be secured backhaul to those T-Mobile sites. 

 

That said, most of those rural GMO LTE/2G Only markets have plenty of AWS and/or PCS spectrum for an additional HSPA+ layer, but in order to rapidly overlay LTE by summer 2015, they're re-using the existing PCS (2G) antennas for 1900MHz Band 2 LTE for now, only upgrading the Base Stations and backhaul, and skipping HSPA+.

 

The idea is to come back at the later time (after the LTE overlay has been fully completed), replace the tower top, and make further decisions based on the live marketplace analysis. At that time (most likely 2016-17) that could mean adding HSPA+, but it could also mean adding more LTE capacity and skipping HSPA+ altogether.

 

We can only wait and see how well these rural sites perform. The bar has been set way too high in urban areas.

[WiWavelength]

It'll be done by the end of the second quarter next year. Possibly sooner if they keep reaching targets ahead of schedule.

 

Anyone can finish a project quickly when he half asses the job.  Even then, I will believe it when I see it.  Not counting on it...

 

 

AJ

[WiWavelength]

No. They are only doing GMO LTE builds where they add pcs Lte only.

Unfortunately the vast majority of those 2G areas will only be getting LTE, with no UMTS layer.

GMO LTEs are on a whole very terrible for proper network experiences compared to full builds.

 

Let me ask you a question.  What do you think of a wireless operator who only does the bare minimum?

 

 

AJ

[Mercurial1]

Let me ask you a question. What do you think of a wireless operator who only does the bare minimum?

 

 

 

AJ

I want to be able to express myself with flair

[EvanA]

Well my little college town of Cedarville OH finally got the LTE treatment from T-Mobile. It's just a GMO so EDGE/LTE. Speed test topped out at ~20Mbit/s with excellent signal. I get ~30Mbit/s with Sprint at the same signal level (plus band 26).

 

[CaryTheLabelGuy]

Well my little college town of Cedarville OH finally got the LTE treatment from T-Mobile. It's just a GMO so EDGE/LTE. Speed test topped out at ~20Mbit/s with excellent signal. I get ~30Mbit/s with Sprint at the same signal level (plus band 26).

 

Are you running Android 5.0 on a N5?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone 6+ using Crapatalk

[milan03]

Well my little college town of Cedarville OH finally got the LTE treatment from T-Mobile. It's just a GMO so EDGE/LTE. Speed test topped out at ~20Mbit/s with excellent signal. I get ~30Mbit/s with Sprint at the same signal level (plus band 26).

I'm guessing 5MHz Band 2, right?

[EvanA]

Are you running Android 5.0 on a N5?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone 6+ using Crapatalk

 

Yes the lollipop preview

I'm guessing 5MHz Band 2, right?

Most likely. I can't check width for sure because the Nexus 5 doesn't support reporting it.

[milan03]

Most likely. I can't check width for sure because the Nexus 5 doesn't support reporting it.

You could check the DEBUG LTE engineering mode. It'll show you the Band and DL channel, unless your Android 5.0 build specifically disallows it.