WiWavelength

Per all roadmaps I have seen, VoLTE roaming alone is years off. Initial VoLTE deployments will use e/CSFB for all incoming roamers. So, VoLTE native to roaming (or vice versa) handoffs are not likely any time soon. AJ

VoLTE is irrelevant. Calls almost universally do not hand off between native and roaming. AJ

Overall, T-Mobile does have a slightly larger native footprint than Sprint does. That is due to or mitigated by a few factors. As you note, much of that footprint is limited to GSM. And it is not only 2G but also PCS 1900 MHz deployment of questionable density. The reason for this is that T-Mobile cannot or will not strike roaming agreements to the level that Sprint does. Now, Sprint coverage catches flack from some for relying upon what they perceive as too much roaming footprint. But look at the T-Mobile alternative. If you were a T-Mobile user in a rural area, would you rather be relegated to a sketchy GSM 1900 native network or a mature GSM 850, even W-CDMA 850 roaming network? AJ

Legere has no business being T-Mobile CEO, future Sprint CEO, or any CEO. And the people who eat up his shtick should know better. http://geeksided.com/2014/06/19/t-mobile-ceo-takes-far-rape-comment/ AJ

With all of the free streaming audio and speed test data, plus all of the sheeple piling on to T-Mobile's now trendy network, let us hope its average data "sound" like this... AJ

All of the big four coverage map tools are flawed in some way -- from window size to color scheme to color gradient (or lack thereof). I do not care for T-Mobile's main coverage map tool, but there are still two alternatives: https://www.t-mobile.com/coverage/pcc.aspx/ http://maps.eng.t-mobile.com/maps/index.html?map=metro AJ

Reading the comments following The Verge article, I am getting nauseated. Too many wishful or just ignorant people think that capped or throttled mobile data is a conspiracy against them. Yeah, as if the mobile networks can sustain them using the shit out of "unlimited" data. And that is what they want to do. Additionally, the rationale that excluding audio streaming traffic from data quotas is okay because T-Mobile is not receiving compensation from third parties is irrelevant. It is still an affront to Net Neutrality. For example, what if I never stream audio over the mobile network? Why should someone else's streaming audio get a free pass while my e-mail, Web, streaming video, and app traffic count against my quota? Once again, so many are just mindlessly happy that T-Mobile is playing Santa Claus. Bah humbug! http://www.theverge.com/2014/6/18/5822996/t-mobile-music-freedom-net-neutrality AJ

I "make it rain" at S4GRU. AJ

What a decade ago was "ultra" is now "ugh" to downright "fugly." AJ

…then we could build a factory and make misery. Frustrated Incorporated. AJ

I am not sure that the network will be configured to move a sub on band 25 with -105 dBm RSRP over to band 26 just because band 25 is loaded down to 2 Mbps for that sub. While both signal strength and throughput may be a bit on the low side, both are acceptable. The idea among our advanced users right now seems to be to arbitrage higher speeds on band 26 -- because of greater signal strength on band 26 and fewer subs with band 26 equipment. Keep in mind, the latter will not last. Eventually, all subs will have band 26 equipment. So, the band balancing should be more about signal strength than loading. AJ

A key difference with T-Mobile seems to be that it puts forth a timeline only when what it "sets out to do" is relatively easy, such as overlaying LTE on its existing advanced backhaul footprint. When what it "sets out to do" is more difficult, such as deploying advanced backhaul and W-CDMA to its entire footprint, T-Mobile is mum -- while the process drags on for nearly a decade. AJ

Well, let us be clear. Oklahoma is largely a T-Mobile anomaly. What prompted Magenta to engage in that rural buildout, I would love to know. My guess is that because Oklahoma was a VZW anomaly, a VZW black hole for many years -- until the Alltel acquisition -- T-Mobile saw Oklahoma as an opportunity. AJ

No, you did not. That is left to John Legere and his penchant for the word "fuck." AJ

Yep, I can corroborate that. I was in the car and thought that I had initiated an update with some sort of accidental touchscreen mash. But I caught it and hit cancel. AJ

Taking eight years and counting to roll out W-CDMA to its network, deploying LTE to small "islands" of coverage, and now undermining Net Neutrality -- if that is achieving what it sets out to do, T-Mobile can bite me. AJ

A candy-colored clown they call the sandman Tiptoes to my room every night Just to sprinkle stardust and to whisper "Go to sleep. Everything is all right." I close my eyes, Then I drift away Into the magic night. I softly say A silent prayer like streamers do. Then I fall asleep to stream my streams of you. At Legere's age, though, he may not be able to muster much of a stream. He probably needs some Flomax. AJ

Only 5 percent penetration after a year? I think that is called just a "tip dip." AJ

Apparently, a lot of self focused people online feel the same way... AJ

But in online forums, we are supposed to be helping each other band together to beat the system because the wireless man is trying to keep us down. AJ

Regarding carrier aggregation, milan03 had a great point a few months ago. Understand that Category 3 LTE basebands do not support greater than 20 MHz FDD/TDD at a time. AT&T carrier aggregation is pairing two 5/10 MHz FDD carriers, so it is not exceeding the 20 MHz limitation. Sprint Spark carrier aggregation will pair multiple 20 MHz TDD carriers, so it must wait for higher category basebands from Qualcomm. And I do not recall if those are available for the LG G3. AJ

In the so called Internet of Things, we should be able to buy data allotments directly from these smaller operators. For example, if you were to exhaust your Sprint roaming allotment while on James Valley Telecom, then you could get prompted for an in handset purchase of additional data from James Valley Telecom. That would cut out the middleman and support the smaller operators directly. AJ

VZW apparently provides no such protections for its LTE in Rural America partners. That is just one more reason why VZW's program is a Trojan horse. AJ

You can use basically how much you please -- but you should have to pay commensurately for that usage. Wireless data should be sold in tiers. "Unlimited" could be the top option. It should be very expensive, though, maybe even $200 per month, to keep uptake to only those few who truly need it and can afford it. The problem with offering an "unlimited" option as it pertains to this thread, however, is the arbitrage argument that I posited earlier. "Unlimited" data while roaming -- even on a friendly partner operator -- does not work in the long run. AJ

Is EA at least transparent enough to prompt the user that a 1 GB app update, to use the earlier example, is required? Or is this another reason why EA has ranked near the top of the most hated companies in America? An undisclosed 1 GB app update on a 1 GB data plan would be a real bitch of a surprise. AJ