Official Tmobile-Sprint merger discussion thread

[dkyeager]

17 hours ago, jhman101 said:

They just lit up their third and fourth 5GUC sites in Lake City, FL this week.  Two of the four sites are former Sprint only sites that they converted.  I consistently get over 400 Mbps on all the sites that they upgraded.

Sound like they are addressing band 41 density, which is my concern. Historically T-Mobile would give each site just the minimal number of bands it required. Now we just need the FCC to hold the 2.5 auction and for T-Mobile to score at least 100MHz contiguous across the county.

[1dante]

On 12/11/2021 at 8:56 AM, dkyeager said:

Sound like they are addressing band 41 density, which is my concern. Historically T-Mobile would give each site just the minimal number of bands it required. Now we just need the FCC to hold the 2.5 auction and for T-Mobile to score at least 100MHz contiguous across the county.

I completely agree. This auction needs to happen ASAP. 

[bigsnake49]

I am having a "No Service" banner at the top left of the my phone on a TNX SIM. Is it because of a local outage or were the TNX SIMs phased out?

[dkyeager]

53 minutes ago, bigsnake49 said:

I am having a "No Service" banner at the top left of the my phone on a TNX SIM. Is it because of a local outage or were the TNX SIMs phased out?

I am using a TNX R15 sim right now.

[RedSpark]

Speaking of mergers: 

Perhaps speed tests in the Ookla App will map on the RootMetrics App? That would be great and it would help contribute to additional accurate data points on network performance.

Edited December 14, 2021 by RedSpark
Clarity

[mdob07]

Whats the best way to report a network issue with T-Mobile? The tower covering my office has a bad B2 radio, it won't allow any data to pass when connected to it. If I force B66 on the same sector it works fine. Issue has been going on for a couple of weeks now. The is on a GMO power line site with older hardware. 

[dkyeager]

I would try u/NevilleRayTMobile on reddit or twitter.

[Paynefanbro]

10 minutes ago, mdob07 said:

Whats the best way to report a network issue with T-Mobile? The tower covering my office has a bad B2 radio, it won't allow any data to pass when connected to it. If I force B66 on the same sector it works fine. Issue has been going on for a couple of weeks now. The is on a GMO power line site with older hardware. 

You can try pestering T-Mobile support via messaging them on their social media channels. Some people have successfully been able to escalate to the actual network team this way. Tweeting the exact issue to Neville might get the attention of someone on the network team as well.

Unfortunately because it seems that your tower hasn't been upgraded yet and it looks like one band is still working, they might find it not worth resolving the issue until they get around to modernizing the site completely. But who knows when that'll happen.

[dkyeager]

20 minutes ago, mdob07 said:

Whats the best way to report a network issue with T-Mobile? The tower covering my office has a bad B2 radio, it won't allow any data to pass when connected to it. If I force B66 on the same sector it works fine. Issue has been going on for a couple of weeks now. The is on a GMO power line site with older hardware. 

Another way would be through the site management firm, whose number is often posted at the site.  Crown Castle encourages this, at keast with down tilt, disconnected cables, etc.

Edited December 14, 2021 by dkyeager

[JWMaloney]

I am having a very strange issue ever since switching my Pixel 2 to a TNX SIM in October. I will have a perfectly fine LTE signal on the native T-Mobile network, and then suddenly, without warning, I will lose all signal for a few seconds. Any active call or data session will be lost. After a few seconds, my device will acquire a T-Mobile WCDMA or HSPA signal. Eventually it will jump back to LTE.

Monitoring with Network Signal Guru, one of two things happens:

1. T-Mobile native network will instruct my device to complete an intra-LTE handoff to the Sprint native network. My device will complete the handoff successfully, and it lands on PLMN 312-250. Attachment and SIM validation occur successfully. Then a hard drop occurs.
2. T-Mobile native network will send an rrcConnectionRelease without a destination. Hard drop occurs.

It happens regardless of me being stationary or moving. It happens in multiple cities hundreds of miles apart. It happens on all Sprint bands.

The only way I have been able to work around it is to completely lock out bands 25, 26, and 41 in Network Signal Guru.

Has anyone else ever seen anything like this? I have been going back and forth with the network team for weeks with absolutely zero luck. "There were an elevated number of calls on that tower that day." "You need to upgrade to a 5G phone." "Everything is working normally."

I've even tried just driving in circles between towers and letting dozens of calls drop just to try to get their attention. No such luck. They say everything is working fine.

Also, incidentally I've seen PLMN 312-250 on Sprint sites that are physically located on the same towers as existing T-Mobile sites. Very odd behavior all around.

I just don't get it. On the old Sprint SIM I was already spending 90% of my time connected to T-Mobile, and my device would move back and forth between the two without issues. But with the TNX SIM I get this mess.

I also tried putting a regular T-Mobile SIM (not tied to a Sprint account) into my device and I couldn't reproduce the issue. It's specific to the TNX setup.

Do I have any options other than just keeping the Sprint bands locked out until August 2022? I'd really like to have them, because I'm seeing a ton of areas where I get zero service on the TNX SIM without them.

[PedroDaGr8]

2 hours ago, dkyeager said:

Another way would be through the site management firm, whose number is often posted at the site.  Crown Castle encourages this, at keast with down tilt, disconnected cables, etc.

Great to know

[RAvirani]

1 hour ago, JWMaloney said:

T-Mobile native network will instruct my device to complete an intra-LTE handoff to the Sprint native network. My device will complete the handoff successfully, and it lands on PLMN 312-250. Attachment and SIM validation occur successfully. Then a hard drop occurs.

T-Mobile native network will send an rrcConnectionRelease without a destination. Hard drop occurs.

An RRC connection release without a destination is relatively weird. Have you tried getting a new SIM? If your SIM is damaged and misreading even a bit, that could be cause for the network to be shoving you off like that. 

[dkyeager]

7 hours ago, JWMaloney said:

I am having a very strange issue ever since switching my Pixel 2 to a TNX SIM in October. I will have a perfectly fine LTE signal on the native T-Mobile network, and then suddenly, without warning, I will lose all signal for a few seconds. Any active call or data session will be lost.

******* I have seen this recently.  My mind immediately jumps to "is this a sim hijackiing? [My least favorite part of this merger is weak T-Mobile security for customers].

After a few seconds, my device will acquire a T-Mobile WCDMA or HSPA signal. Eventually it will jump back to LTE.

******** Many months ago my phone would do this, but now it goes back to LTE.  I have always put the to network configuration changes and testing, which they seem do do every few days here.  My main phone is not rooted and I make very few calls.

Monitoring with Network Signal Guru, one of two things happens:

1. T-Mobile native network will instruct my device to complete an intra-LTE handoff to the Sprint native network. My device will complete the handoff successfully, and it lands on PLMN 312-250. Attachment and SIM validation occur successfully. Then a hard drop occurs.
2. T-Mobile native network will send an rrcConnectionRelease without a destination. Hard drop occurs.

It happens regardless of me being stationary or moving. It happens in multiple cities hundreds of miles apart. It happens on all Sprint bands.

The only way I have been able to work around it is to completely lock out bands 25, 26, and 41 in Network Signal Guru.

Has anyone else ever seen anything like this? I have been going back and forth with the network team for weeks with absolutely zero luck. "There were an elevated number of calls on that tower that day." "You need to upgrade to a 5G phone." "Everything is working normally."

******** I do think the network is being tuned for 5g phones with access to all the bands.  But you also become a beta tester.  Definitely not as bad as Boost Mobile in this regard.  Even on the T-Mobile native accounts, getting a 5g phones gets you access to a lot more sites.  My hope would be T-Mobile sells Boost n26 in exchange for all or most of their n71 holdings.  More bandwidth and fewer bands should improve handling.

I've even tried just driving in circles between towers and letting dozens of calls drop just to try to get their attention. No such luck. They say everything is working fine.

Also, incidentally I've seen PLMN 312-250 on Sprint sites that are physically located on the same towers as existing T-Mobile sites. Very odd behavior all around.

I just don't get it. On the old Sprint SIM I was already spending 90% of my time connected to T-Mobile, and my device would move back and forth between the two without issues. But with the TNX SIM I get this mess.

I also tried putting a regular T-Mobile SIM (not tied to a Sprint account) into my device and I couldn't reproduce the issue. It's specific to the TNX setup.

Do I have any options other than just keeping the Sprint bands locked out until August 2022? I'd really like to have them, because I'm seeing a ton of areas where I get zero service on the TNX SIM without them.

********At least in my area, dealing with the T-Mobile network is like a senior trying to avoid Covid -- the guidelines change every week.  In my travels to Minnesota and Florida this year, different T-Mobile areas behave differently.  Sometimes I just whip out another carrier to do navigation etc.  I am getting a little miffed at this and other issues.  I will likely start asking for monthly discounts.  Squeaky wheels tend to get the grease.  Money also tends to bring clarity to thought.  Hopefully then they will pay attention to theses issues or at least I would feel better until August 22 or April 23.

(I actually find the network changes every few days interesting and entertaining.)

[BucketHead25]

Any chance the iOS 15.2 update enabled the 5G 2.5 GHz CA?  Also, do you need an iPhone 13 to go beyond 100 MHz?

[RedSpark]

ICYMI, Neville Ray recently did an AMA on the T-Mobile subreddit: 

He mentioned some interesting updates about their network progress.

I also found this article informative: https://www.fiercewireless.com/5g/t-mobile-ratchets-5g-site-upgrades

 

[RedSpark]

Ever since moving to TNX and enabling ScamShield, I've gotten virtually no scam calls. It's pretty incredible.

[Svengo]

Stumbled across this site and some great info here!  I've read through the thread and Kudos to everyone posting.

Long time Sprint customer and like everyone else they've been bugging me to upgrade my phone to "5G" before Jan 1 and I went ahead and took the $200 off a phone offer and if I stay around for all the bill credits I end up with a phone for $57 so not too bad. I'm on one of the legacy Everything Data plans and sure enough as soon as I activated the new one with the T-mobile sim.... welcome to 480p video throttling. It's of course easily bypassed with a VPN but that does cut my overall speed down a bit and I'd rather not have to use it since I seem to get a good T-Mobile 5G signal with so far typically over 300 Mbps when I test it. Looking over current Sprint plans I see the MAX plan is basically the same as I pay for the ED plan plus taxes and fees. Anyone have an opinion on it since I know as soon as I switch plans I'll never get the ED one back?    

 

[comintel]

20 hours ago, Svengo said:

Stumbled across this site and some great info here!  I've read through the thread and Kudos to everyone posting.

Long time Sprint customer and like everyone else they've been bugging me to upgrade my phone to "5G" before Jan 1 and I went ahead and took the $200 off a phone offer and if I stay around for all the bill credits I end up with a phone for $57 so not too bad. I'm on one of the legacy Everything Data plans and sure enough as soon as I activated the new one with the T-mobile sim.... welcome to 480p video throttling. It's of course easily bypassed with a VPN but that does cut my overall speed down a bit and I'd rather not have to use it since I seem to get a good T-Mobile 5G signal with so far typically over 300 Mbps when I test it. Looking over current Sprint plans I see the MAX plan is basically the same as I pay for the ED plan plus taxes and fees. Anyone have an opinion on it since I know as soon as I switch plans I'll never get the ED one back?    

 

What phone did you get? Some of them, for example the A32, come with a T-Mobile sim but can  alternatively be activated with an appropriate Sprint sim if you obtain it on EBay and convince Tech Support to  allow you to "switch back" to it.  I did so in my case.  Doing so will still allow use of 5G and T-Mobile bands.. 

I think T-Mobile's position regarding older plans seems to be that they will be throttled for video unless they explicitly specify in their terms that they will not be.  Whether that will evolve with time remains to be seen.

[JWMaloney]

On 12/20/2021 at 8:11 AM, RedSpark said:

Ever since moving to TNX and enabling ScamShield, I've gotten virtually no scam calls. It's pretty incredible.

Interesting. Since moving to TNX SIM, I've been receiving a lot of SMS spam, for the first time ever.

[RedSpark]

9 hours ago, JWMaloney said:

Interesting. Since moving to TNX SIM, I've been receiving a lot of SMS spam, for the first time ever.

That's interesting. I've received virtually no SMS spam since moving to TNX w/ScamShield. Curious why that would be for you.

[RedSpark]

Interesting data point:

Quote

Today, 13% fewer MAX users are connecting to WiFi, 80% more are hosting a WiFi hotspot and their hotspot usage is up 20% on average during the weekends. These hotspots are cooking, with MAX users consuming 3X more hotspot data per month compared to other T-Mobile customers.

 

[Svengo]

22 hours ago, comintel said:

What phone did you get? Some of them, for example the A32, come with a T-Mobile sim but can  alternatively be activated with an appropriate Sprint sim if you obtain it on EBay and convince Tech Support to  allow you to "switch back" to it.  I did so in my case.  Doing so will still allow use of 5G and T-Mobile bands.. 

I think T-Mobile's position regarding older plans seems to be that they will be throttled for video unless they explicitly specify in their terms that they will not be.  Whether that will evolve with time remains to be seen.

Interesting about the possibility of switching it back to a Sprint sim. I got the Moto G stylus 5G since even though it's not one of the higher end phones it does at least still have expandable storage and a headphone jack.  For the throttling I can sort of understand it for legacy "unlimited" plans that are noticeably cheaper than current ones but when I'm paying the same as a current plan that offers 1080p + streaming I don't see why they should.

[comintel]

20 minutes ago, Svengo said:

Interesting about the possibility of switching it back to a Sprint sim. I got the Moto G stylus 5G since even though it's not one of the higher end phones it does at least still have expandable storage and a headphone jack.  For the throttling I can sort of understand it for legacy "unlimited" plans that are noticeably cheaper than current ones but when I'm paying the same as a current plan that offers 1080p + streaming I don't see why they should.

That one would use SIMOLW416TQ if it does support a Sprint sim but I am not sure if it does because its release date was close to the cutover where new models stopped doing so.

T-Mobile throttles video more widely than Sprint.

Edited December 22, 2021 by comintel

[PedroDaGr8]

Just connected to n41-SA for the first time, despite the service menu on my phone (N20U) only showing n41-NSA as an option. 

[schmidtj]

3 hours ago, RedSpark said:

Interesting data point:

 

Aren’t hotspots on max limited to 40GB per month?