T-Mobile LTE & Network Discussion V2

[Johnner1999]

Anyway you slice it the 600mhz auctions are for tomorrow. Sprint needs solutions for today.

 

Softbank doesn't seem like an organization that enjoys pissing away money. And it seems it has a good track record backing that up.

 

TMO currently has a strong build out plan in action and its working. And they need that 600mhz to finish their vision. The rate of new customers onboarding to magenta is also amazing. But I also don't believe that vision can wait for "tomorrow"....

 

I highly suspect dish will be the magic pill... Question is who will get to take it first.

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk

[mittenmitten]

 

 

 

TMO currently has a strong build out plan in action and its working. And they need that 600mhz to finish their vision. The rate of new customers onboarding to magenta is also amazing. But I also don't believe that vision can wait for "tomorrow"....

 

 

 

 

turning on B4 and B12 where they can get it is hardly a 'vision', and their customer count is closely related to their rock-bottom ARPU. their 'vision' is to be bought out.

[Fraydog]

Anyway you slice it the 600mhz auctions are for tomorrow. Sprint needs solutions for today.

 

Softbank doesn't seem like an organization that enjoys pissing away money. And it seems it has a good track record backing that up.

 

TMO currently has a strong build out plan in action and its working. And they need that 600mhz to finish their vision. The rate of new customers onboarding to magenta is also amazing. But I also don't believe that vision can wait for "tomorrow"....

 

I highly suspect dish will be the magic pill... Question is who will get to take it first.

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk

 

What kills me is that Sprint has national low band, what SoftBank refers to as "platinum band" in their own country. What's T-Mobile doing with Extended Range LTE? Copying SoftBank marketing in a way. 

 

[Fraydog]

 

 

 

turning on B4 and B12 where they can get it is hardly a 'vision', and their customer count is closely related to their rock-bottom ARPU. their 'vision' is to be bought out.

 

 

ABPU is the new hotness. Problem with ARPU is that it doesn't fully account for phone payment plans and leasing. T-Mobile's ABPU is climbing. 

[Arysyn]

What kills me is that Sprint has national low band, what SoftBank refers to as "platinum band" in their own country. What's T-Mobile doing with Extended Range LTE? Copying SoftBank marketing in a way.

 

 

T-Mobile also copied Verizon's XLTE with their own "Wideband LTE" This marketing stuff is getting unethical a bit, I think.

 

I don't like how carriers often have their social media teams posting on each others socially media pages, especially on their competitors executive pages.

[Fraydog]

T-Mobile also copied Verizon's XLTE with their own "Wideband LTE" This marketing stuff is getting unethical a bit, I think.

 

I don't like how carriers often have their social media teams posting on each others socially media pages, especially on their competitors executive pages.

It goes on everywhere so I can't say it's just one company. Who does this guy remind you of?

 

 

That's such a blatant ripoff of our favorite Magentan overlord that it's ridiculous. [emoji23][emoji23][emoji23]

[Arysyn]

It goes on everywhere so I can't say it's just one company. Who does this guy remind you of?

 

 

That's such a blatant ripoff of our favorite Magentan overlord that it's ridiculous. [emoji23][emoji23][emoji23]

That video definitely is a great example of Legere and even how T-Mobile is, the latter to a great extent. Even though T-Mobile doesn't suck in all areas, it still does in many, particularly those areas with Edge. Legere's and T-Mobile's response often basically is "Its okay! We have Extended Range LTE!" Well yeah, covering far less than half of the country using 700mhz, which is a spectrum, not a network technology and has nothing to do with Edge in that regard.

 

Then there are people not happy with other aspects of T-Mobile, both customers and employees who have issues. Yet, Legere and T-Mobile are not really addressing those. Besides the Extended Range LTE stuff, the other point is "Its okay! We have more data capacity per customer than any other carrier!" Yeah, keep on ignoring one of the chief complaints the company has had for several years longer than anyone could honestly blame Sprint for, on any one single thing.

 

Yes, T-Mobile has updated many areas with LTE where Edge was prevalent, but alot of those are being covered by the 700mhz. That still is ignoring many of the areas without 700mhz. Yet, with all of the hype, very similar to in that video, "It's okay, just look at our uncarrier coverage map and try to be good little Magentans by ignoring how carrier-like Verizon style it really is."

 

"Oh, and remember T-Sheeple, with John Legere and Data Strong, you can't go wrong!"

[joshuam]

T-Mobile also copied Verizon's XLTE with their own "Wideband LTE" This marketing stuff is getting unethical a bit, I think.

 

I don't like how carriers often have their social media teams posting on each others socially media pages, especially on their competitors executive pages.

What exactly is unethical about it? It's just a marketing term that the average consume can understand better than the network terms. Verizon used to advertise "EVDO"...but eventually changed to calling it 3G. Because consumers understood 3G better due to the iPhone. Nothing unethical about it, it's just marketing. And it happens in every industry.

[Arysyn]

What exactly is unethical about it? It's just a marketing term that the average consume can understand better than the network terms. Verizon used to advertise "EVDO"...but eventually changed to calling it 3G. Because consumers understood 3G better due to the iPhone. Nothing unethical about it, it's just marketing. And it happens in every industry.

I believe alot of marketing is unethical, though being a part of a corrupt system where so much of it is this way, it doesn't seem so bad as others. Although, I have a very strong view of these things, so I understand how it can be viewed differently.

[ericdabbs]

Anyone know when the 700 MHz A-block build out deadlines for all those licenses?  I am curious if any of those deadlines are coming out where those spectrum squatters will eventually have to sell them to Tmobile.

[Fraydog]

http://www.phonenews.com/sources-indicate-us-cellular-t-mobile-roaming-pact-imminent-30839/

[Trip]

Do T-Mobile phones not support Band 5?  US Cellular has plenty of places where they have LTE on Band 5 but not Band 12, and the same issue would apply there.

 

- Trip

[Fraydog]

Do T-Mobile phones not support Band 5? US Cellular has plenty of places where they have LTE on Band 5 but not Band 12, and the same issue would apply there.

 

- Trip

T-Mobile phones mostly support B5 since that's an LTE band AT&T used in rural applications.

[Trip]

So then if a phone has to disable B12 if it doesn't support VoLTE, does it also need to disable B5 for the same reason then?  That's the logical leap I'm making here, since a T-Mobile customer roaming on US Cellular could wind up in the same boat while on B5 instead of B12.

 

- Trip

[S4GRU]

So then if a phone has to disable B12 if it doesn't support VoLTE, does it also need to disable B5 for the same reason then?  That's the logical leap I'm making here, since a T-Mobile customer roaming on US Cellular could wind up in the same boat while on B5 instead of B12.

 

- Trip

 

Yeah, that's a logic flaw in the writer of the link story.

[Paynefanbro]

Yeah, that's a logic flaw in the writer of the link story.

 

That and a number of devices this year on US Cellular and Sprint have been using the same model. That would instantly negate his whole thing about T-Mobile and US Cellular being a better match simply because of Band 12.

 

The more we read into it, the less it makes sense.

[lilotimz]

That and a number of devices this year on US Cellular and Sprint have been using the same model. That would instantly negate his whole thing about T-Mobile and US Cellular being a better match simply because of Band 12.

 

The more we read into it, the less it makes sense.

Only just a few (Moto X PE and Moto E comes to mind). USCC has always ordered unique devices for themselves that may or may not have Band 25. 

[Paynefanbro]

Only just a few (Moto X PE and Moto E comes to mind). USCC has always ordered unique devices for themselves that may or may not have Band 25. 

 

The GS6 and S6 Edge+ have Band 25. The LG G4 has Band 25. The iPhone 6, 6+ 6s, and 6s+ offer support for all of Sprint's bands. It was wrong for me to say the same model, but it seems like most of the more popular phones released in the last 12 months have, at the very least, support for Band 25.

[Fraydog]

So then if a phone has to disable B12 if it doesn't support VoLTE, does it also need to disable B5 for the same reason then?  That's the logical leap I'm making here, since a T-Mobile customer roaming on US Cellular could wind up in the same boat while on B5 instead of B12.

 

- Trip

 

My guess is that T-Mobile isn't running into those issues with B5 yet because they don't have any CCA roaming online yet. It will be interesting to see if B5 gets disabled on handsets unwilling to incorporate VoLTE. 

 

It's mostly cheap handsets with stock Android that aren't incorporating VoLTE. T-Mobile's implementation of VoLTE is mostly standardized. Not a whole lot of proprietary things incorporated into it IIRC. 

[joshuam]

US Cellular would certainly explain T-Mobile's "EOY 2015" maps. Western Maryland specifically...I have family there. Neither Sprint, Verizon, or T-Mobile have native service. But US Cellular does.

[Sprke]

US Cellular would certainly explain T-Mobile's "EOY 2015" maps. Western Maryland specifically...I have family there. Neither Sprint, Verizon, or T-Mobile have native service. But US Cellular does.

If they are using US Cellular coverage in their maps how come Nebraska and Iowa aren't covered? US Cell covers both states well.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[WiWavelength]

If they are using US Cellular coverage in their maps how come Nebraska and Iowa aren't covered? US Cell covers both states well.

 

To explain Iowa, T-Mobile cannot undercut Iowa Wireless Services aka i Wireless.  No doubt, that would be a contractual violation -- much like Sprint faced with its affiliates when it merged with Nextel.

 

AJ

[Jones]

Maine, parts of New Hampshire, Outer Banks, NC are covered well by US Cellular but not represented in T-mobile's map prediction. Are there affiliates for T-mobile there too?

 

PS. I would be super bummed if USSC chose T-mobile for LTE roaming since Sprint has been the most aggressive in courting CCA partners and adding B12 to thier phone repertoire.

[Paynefanbro]

Maine, parts of New Hampshire, Outer Banks, NC are covered well by US Cellular but not represented in T-mobile's map prediction. Are there affiliates for T-mobile there too?

 

PS. I would be super bummed if USSC chose T-mobile for LTE roaming since Sprint has been the most aggressive in courting CCA partners and adding B12 to thier phone repertoire.

 

US Cellular is capable of working with more than one carrier.

[joshuam]

T-Mobile could have up to $10B for 600Mhz auction... http://www.fiercewireless.com/story/t-mobile-cfo-600-mhz-incentive-auction-dynamics-are-positive-carrier-could/2015-09-30

 

They plan to bid to complete their low band portfolio to have a nationwide low band combined of 600 and 700. Then they would like to buy 600 in metro areas to supplement their spectrum portfolio in those areas (more capacity). Also some hints that merger/acquisition news coming.